News (Page 212)

by Carl Collen, Fruitnet   The February forecast for this season’s Florida citrus crop remained steady for oranges and dipped slightly for grapefruit, according to the National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) of the US Department of Agriculture (USDA).   The report estimates a 69m-box season for Florida oranges, a number consistentContinue Reading

by Matthew Jones, Fruitnet   Aselection of the world’s leading avocado producing nations has moved to form the first global entity for the offering, known as the World Avocado Organisation (WAO).   The new body will promote the consumption of avocados across Europe, Asia and other parts of the world throughContinue Reading

by Gabrielle Easter, Fruitnet   Avocados are in short supply in New Zealand following last year’s bumper crop and a cold spring that have seen export volumes drop by 40 per cent.   The smaller volume of avocados has seen prices jump on the domestic market, though despite the increase inContinue Reading

by Arlie Felton-Taylor, ABC Rural   Growers on the western Darling Downs are finally picking and sending watermelons to market after a horrific season.   Late last year multiple hail storms wrecked a significant number of crops, with some growers facing a total wipeout in some paddocks around Chinchilla.   Grower IanContinue Reading

by Matt Brann, ABC Rural     The Northern Territory’s pomelo harvest has started just in time for the Chinese New Year.   The massive fruit, known as the king of citrus, is often used as a centrepiece decoration during the lunar new year festivities.   Pomelo grower Han Shiong SiahContinue Reading

by Gabrielle Easter, Fruitnet   Japan’s Ministry of Finance has released official import statistics for  2015, with bananas, pineapples and grapefruit leading fruit imports in terms of volume, while bananas, kiwifruit and avocados led in terms of value.   While the total volume of fruit imported dropped slightly from 1.596m tonnesContinue Reading

by Clint Jasper and Carmen Brown, ABC Rural   As the price of avocados climbs higher, the peak industry body has described claims that Western Australian growers are to blame for the high prices as “ludicrous”. A former chief executive of Avocados Australia, Antony Allen, told the Sydney Morning HeraldContinue Reading

by Carl Collen, Fruitnet   Mango growers from several districts in Karnataka, India are set to travel overseas in March to study cultivation methods, with the ultimate goal of gaining knowledge and exporting more to certain overseas markets. Karnataka State Mango Development Board chairperson Kamalakshi Rajanni announced that the region wouldContinue Reading

by Matthew Jones, Fruitnet   South Korea has begun rejecting consignments of Californian citrus due to the presence of Fuller’s rose beetle eggs, California Ag Today has reported. Beth Grafton-Cardwell, director of the University of California’s Agriculture and Natural Resources Lindcove Research and Extension Centre, said the issue stems from a changeContinue Reading

by David Sparkes and Charlie McKillop, ABC Rural   Record prices and export growth have helped to soften the blow of variable lychee production in many growing areas. With about four weeks remaining in the season, the industry has been buoyed by strong consumer demand for lychees which, has been partiallyContinue Reading

by Nichola Watson, Fresh Plaza   It is two weeks before the pomegranate harvest in South Africa and it is a very busy time in the orchards. It is also the time when the fruit is most vulnerable to pests. “Everything looks good but you can’t tell for sure until youContinue Reading