News (Page 257)

AUSTRALIAN mandarins are back in season, with the sweet citrus fruit expected to be a winter favourite as consumers turn towards healthy, convenient foods. Citrus Australia chief executive Judith Damiani said as Australians became more health conscious, budget conscious and time poor, mandarins were emerging as a preferred snack option.Continue Reading

Mangoes are likely to be expensive this year as the country’s overall production is estimated to come down by upto 20 per cent because of crop damage in some states due to last month’s unseasonal rains, industry body Assocham said on Tuesday. Rising exports orders from UAE, the UK, SaudiContinue Reading

In an effort to diversify agricultural production, the Dominican Republic has announced a program to bolster dragonfruit production. Minister of Agriculture Ramón Rodríguez highlighted the fruit’s export potential, especially for specialty markets that have developed a taste for the tropical product. Although of Central American origin, the fruit has gainedContinue Reading

RAT, 9 April 2014 (NNT) — Director-General of the Department of Agricultural Extension, Mr. Olan Pitak has urged local farmers in Trat province not to export premature Durians or risk adverse effects on market prices of the fruit. Mr. Olan visited local Durian fields in Trat province in order toContinue Reading

The Pakistan government has made hot water treatment compulsory for mangoes destined for the EU to avoid being barred from the market, reports Pakistan website www.dawn.com. The decision to implement this treatment, which eliminates fruit flies,  was made at a meeting between the Pakistan Fruit and Vegetable Exporters, Importers andContinue Reading

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) is urging countries to step up their monitoring, reporting and prevention of one of the world’s most destructive banana diseases, Fusarium wilt TR4, which recently spread from Asia to Africa and the Middle East. The disease, also known as PanamaContinue Reading

Banana exporters are looking at new markets for Cavendish bananas in anticipation of a possible production surplus, once the industry recovers by the end of this year from the destruction of typhoon Pablo in 2012. “Most of the banana growers in the region expect a surplus and are looking atContinue Reading

The Australian Banana Growers Council (ABGC) has reported industry-wide crop losses of around 5% across North Queensland’s banana plantations, as the first preliminary estimate after Cyclone Ita passed through Innisfail and Tully on Sunday morning. In a release, ABGC chairman Doug Phillips said that while the average stood at approximatelyContinue Reading

Farmers in Vietnam are feeding leftover unsaleable watermelons to their livestock. The economic climate and changing legislation is forcing farmers to make alternative use of the fruit. Can watermelons be a good alternative for animal feed? Ms. Dinh Thi Thu, a farmer in Thanh Phu Village, says that her familyContinue Reading

MELBOURNE: Malaysia has urged Australia to import more of its fruits and agricultural produce. Malaysia’s Consul-General here, Datuk Dr Mohd Rameez Yahaya, said among the fruits that were allowed into Australia included frozen durians (whole fruit and pulp), chilled durian pulp and minimally-processed pineapples. “But there are other Malaysian fruitsContinue Reading