News (Page 208)

  According to the forecast of the National Weather Service, it might rain in Colima this week; something that the leader of the National Peasant Confederation (CNC) in Colima, Jorge Armando Gaytan Sanchez, deems could affect plantain producers the most.   “Hopefully it won’t rain so the flowers set well.Continue Reading

  Almost one year to the day since Panama disease Tropical Race 4 was first detected at the Tully Valley farm, the farm has again tested positive for the fourth time.   About 12ha of banana plants on Mr Bevan Robson’s 160ha Dingo Pocket property have been destroyed and fenced off inContinue Reading

by Kennedy, All Africa   MWINILUNGA in North-Western Province risks losing its status as the main pineapple-producing district in Zambia because many growers are now shunning the growing of the fruit due to lack of market. The farmers are now opting to grow maize which has a readily available market.  Continue Reading

by Matthew Jones, Fruitnet   Malaysian-grown tropical fruits are taking centre stage at retail stores across Scandinavia for the second straight year, according to the New Straits Times.   The Asian nation’s Agriculture Representative Office in The Hague (PPP The Hague), Netherlands, has extended it marketing activity in the Northern European region, whichContinue Reading

  Faraway destinations are becoming increasingly important for Spanish citrus. This is the experience of Gert Bouman of the Spanish private producer Frutaria. “At the moment there is a good demand from outside of Europe for hand oranges and this is pushing up the price considerably. We are currently makingContinue Reading

by Nichola Watson, Fresh Plaza   The citrus market in the UK is surprisingly buoyant at the moment, according to Maja Jerkovic from Jacana Produce. “Egyptian Navels are finished and the Valencias are coming in. Quality is very good this year, a big difference to last year when there were aContinue Reading

  Growers in Carnarvon, West Australia, have been making a steady recovery after a severe cyclone, dubbed Cyclone Olwyn, destroyed their plantations back in March 2015. Local bananas will again be available on supermarket shelves in six weeks’ time.   Twelve months on, Agriculture and Food Minister Ken Baston visitedContinue Reading

  Cameroon’s banana association (ASSOBACAM) reported that in comparison with January 2015, when 26,366 tons of bananas were exported, January 2016 recorded a drop in dessert banana exports by 341 tons.   The downward trend is expected to continue throughout 2016, according to the Cameroonian Development Corporation (CDC); one ofContinue Reading

  Around 1950, Garðyrkjuskóli ríkisins in Iceland planted their first banana plants as an experiment. Only 177 miles from the Arctic Circle, the plantation at the Icelandic National Gardening School, is the biggest banana plantation in Northern Europe; fed by an abundance of volcanic hot springs, the heat from them isContinue Reading

  Following an outbreak of the Mediterranean fruit fly in Adelaide, New Zealand is tightening biosecurity measures for passengers arriving from Australia.   Detector dogs may be used to greet passengers as they step off incoming Australian flights to provide greater scrutiny of hand luggage, which is the most likelyContinue Reading

by Tad Thompson, The Produce News   By mid-March, the Mexican mango season will be picking up for Higueral Produce, Inc., which is based in Rio Rico, AZ.   Higueral received the season’s first shipment on Feb. 19. Edgar Duarte, a partner in the firm, said the mangos “look really nice,” notingContinue Reading