News (Page 194)

  The European Commission has announced the inspection of citrus plantations in the Guadalquivir valley, covering more than 30,000 hectares in 25 municipalities of Cordoba and Seville, in order to prevent labour abuse. The Mayor of Palma del Río, the socialist José Antonio Ruiz Almenara, met Thursday with the DirectorContinue Reading

by Carlos Nunez, Fresh Plaza   Light supplies of pineapples coming from Costa Rica have pumped up prices for the imported fruit in the United States. Prices are expected to come down in the coming months as more imports arrive, and traders are hoping the market can remain steady as thatContinue Reading

  To go with scaling-up or focusing on a niche. These are all the options in the food and agriculture sector according to Hugo Vermeulen and Nic Jooste from Cool Fresh International. They bring us the uncrowned king of pineapples.   Travel, that is the advise Nic Jooste, Marketing andContinue Reading

by Matthew Jones, Fruitnet   Zespri has confirmed small deposits of mechanical lubricant have been found on some of its kiwifruit pocket packs, prompting the single desk marketer to put a precautionary hold on some consignments.   A Zespri spokesperson told Fruitnet that all potentially affected product is still within theContinue Reading

by Heather Goulooze, Fresh Plaza   The idea for Gator Eggs, from Shanley Farms, was born several years ago when realized that they primarily ate the small sizes in their home. The traditional size avocado is 8 ounces which feeds two or more people. Why not a 4 ounce avocado, justContinue Reading

  Watermelons out of Sonora, Mexico could support a 52-week supply program for fresh produce supplier Giumarra.   The group’s Nogales, Arizona division hosted Bob Morrissey, executive director of the National Watermelon Association, Inc., in Mexico recently in an effort to demonstrate the work of Sonora-based watermelon partner, Videxport.   “VidexportContinue Reading

by Anouk Sijmonsma, Fresh Plaza   “The blossoming of the pomelo trees has been delayed by the extreme frosts in January and February. The trees that grow at lower altitude on the plains will be able to recover soon. Trees on the mountains at higher altitudes might have been hit harder.Continue Reading

  A total of 2,860 hectares will be devoted to melons and over 8,200 to watermelons in Almeria this campaign. As regards the production, it is provisionally expected to reach 535,910 tonnes of watermelons (a 1.95% increase) and 122,086 tonnes of melons (up 6.30%).   In recent years, watermelons haveContinue Reading

by Nichola Watson, Fresh Plaza   The market for avocados has been growing rapidly, and many South African growers are jumping into that market. ZZ2, a grower-shipper primarily known for its tomato production, is on an ambitious plan to expand its avocado production and become the premier avocado grower in SouthContinue Reading

  In recent years, fruit export from Taiwan to China has grown rapidly. Taiwan’s exotic fruits are popular in China, particularly the country’s pineapples, bananas, mangoes and custard apples. Pineapples are one of the most popular export products. Taiwan pineapples are sweet, with brix levels reaching 17. The three mostContinue Reading

by V.K. Rakesh Reddy, The Hindu   Horticulture farmers in Anantapur district, especially those cultivating mango, sapota and banana, are a worried lot with the government implementing the ban on use of carbide in ripening of the fruits in spite of a clear absence of alternatives.   Sapota, which used toContinue Reading