News (Page 260)

Prices of grapes, watermelon and pomegranate have shot up in the last few days and are likely to rise further.   Unseasonal rain in early March have damaged crops across the state, resulting in a drop in supply. Coconuts too have become dearer. Three straight droughts in other areas haveContinue Reading

South African avocados are on the verge of exports to the European market with the first shipments due to arrive by the end of March, according to South African Subtropical Growers’ Association (Subtrop) CEO Derek Donkin.   “The South African export crop forecast is 58,000MT. Although this will be SouthContinue Reading

Consistency and sustainable continuity are the biggest stumbling blocks for the pawpaw export trade in the country.   This was the view of Nature’s Way CEO Michael Brown.   He said a New Zealand market study had revealed a huge earning potential for Fiji exporters and, at the same time,Continue Reading

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has approved the import of fresh jackfruit, pineapples, and starfruit from Malaysia under the condition that all commodities are irradiated for insect pests, inspected and imported in commercial consignments, the Federal Register reported yesterday.   With the newly granted approval, the Government of Malaysia expects toContinue Reading

Mango growers are staring at a bitter harvest this year, due to crop damage after the recent bout of unseasonal weather. An erratic climate has damaged the crop, in various stages of maturity across the country, and some estimates suggest a fall of up to 40 % in yield fromContinue Reading

Australia remains free of the devastating citrus disease, called citrus greening, despite it being fairly widespread through Asia and South America.   The bacterial disease, spread by a tiny psyllid insect, causes fruit to shrivel and turn bitter, and was also found near Los Angeles in 2012.   The AustralianContinue Reading

A major grocery chain is unable to guarantee bananas will be available on shelves this week, as a nationwide shortage looms.   New Zealand has the highest rate of banana consumption in the world per capita, but that was expected to take a hit with supplies expected to be downContinue Reading

With 250 hectares of GlobalG.A.P.-certified pomegranate farms, Granadas Argentina has more than tripled its plantation area since it began growing the fruit in 2009.   “Every year, both in the spring and in the fall, the surface area kept increasing until it reached 250 hectares,” Granadas Argentinas director Marcelo ScarafiaContinue Reading

Untimely rains across the district in quick succession in February followed by another spell last Sunday has left the watermelon cultivators devastated. The rain has defaced the fruit making it difficult for the cultivators to sell it.   Reports said, watermelon is grown over 580 hectares of land –  400Continue Reading

Irrigation problem grips the watermelon farmers in Kuakata area in Kalapara upazila under the district as there no suitable sources of sweet water in the area. “This season I cultivated watermelon on eight bighas of land, spending Tk 55,000. But as there is no source of sweet water around, IContinue Reading