News (Page 240)

by Reshma Ravishanker, Deccan Herald   After sugarless aerated drinks, low-calorie food and high-fibre cookies, a diet-conscious Metro now picks up low-sugar fruit varieties.   While guava is known to be a much sought-after fruit for its benefits to diabetics, now overseas guava varieties seem to be pushing the indigenous varietiesContinue Reading

by Shane Hickey, The Guardian   At weddings and formal events in the Philippines, men can often be seen wearing the Barong Tagalog, a thin and transparent embroidered garment worn over a shirt.   One of the more surprising materials used in its manufacture are fibres from pineapple leaves –Continue Reading

by Lendon Keane, The Land   An Israeli plant pathologist who has been flown in to assist the Department of Primary Industry and Fisheries combat cucumber green mottle mosaic virus says Northern Territory watermelon growers are in a “good situation” to win the war that has crippled the $60 millionContinue Reading

by Mike Hornick, The Packer   Maglio & Co. is expanding its retail offering of gusset bags for fresh-cut watermelon after a pilot project at about 300 stores.   The two bags — one holding a quarter cut, the other a half cut watermelon — have a large window toContinue Reading

by Clint Thompson, Albany Herald   Research by the University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences could help Georgia’s watermelon growers produce sweeter results.   UGA vegetable horticulturalist Tim Coolong conducts variety trial testing on watermelons as part of his work on the UGA Tifton Campus. He isContinue Reading

by Ganesh Prabhu, The Hindu   Byndoor and Cherkady are all set to emerge as centres of banana production in Udupi district as farmers have taken to the cultivation of ‘nendranbale’ (plantain) and ‘puttabale’ ( poovan varieties) bananas in these two villages, respectively.   Though many farmers have cultivated bananas in theseContinue Reading

The sweet yellow passion fruit could soon overtake the once vibrant coffee sector if more farmers embrace its production in the country.   Its farm gate price stands at Sh70 per kilogramme during the peak seasons while those lucky farmers who produce the fruit at off peak seasons can comfortablyContinue Reading

by Matt Brann, ABC Rural   Harvest has started for dragon fruit growers in the Northern Territory, in what is shaping up to be a strong season.     Marcus Karlsson grows the colourful fruit in Darwin’s rural area and has already sent around 4,000 trays to markets around Australia.Continue Reading

by Henry Empeño, Business Mirror   The Zambales provincial government is seeking a P200-million grant from the Department of Agriculture (DA) for the development of the local mango industry and the promotion of the popular Zambales sweet mango as a world-class product.     Gov. Hermogenes Ebdane Jr. said inContinue Reading

by Yurien Portelles, Andes   The chairman of the Association of Banana Exports of Ecuador, Jorge Alex Serrano, stated that Ecuadorian companies are seeking to establish themselves as the leading suppliers of the “star fruit” in the Chinese market, ahead of the Philippines, their traditional seller.     “We areContinue Reading

The Honduran company Frutas Exóticas is devoted to the export of rambutan. It has two packing plants, one in the Atlantic coast and another in the country’s central area, and three plantations currently certified by GlobalGAP.     The company ships 90% of its production to the U.S. market, 8%Continue Reading