Will California be able to re-start grape exports to Asia?
It would be an understatement to say that 2022 was a challenging season for California table grape exports. “Inflation reared its head, but what played a bigger role is that the dollar went

WRAP to encourage retailers to sell fruit and veg loose
Not-for-profit organization WRAP has set a target of the amount sold loose to double to 30% by the end of 2025. The aim is to target 50% by the end of 2030. In 2021, the figure was 15%. Catherine

New pigmented orange varieties allow for year-round red orange supply
The worldwide increase in the popularity of pigmented citrus varieties is not only due to their attractive color and great flavor but also for the purported health benefits because of their

Aldi embroiled in Twitter outrage due to strange labelling
Supermarket Aldi has been facing stern criticism for selling mushrooms in packs labelled “British”, while the small print listed the source as Poland. As well as the word “British”, the

"The use of protection systems should start to be considered to ensure at least part of the stone fruit harvest survives"
The long-awaited cherry season is approaching in Spain, and the first fruits will be delivered in less than a month from greenhouses such as that of Fruit Luxury, in Huesca. "We expect to harvest

Poland still imports vegetables from Russia
A report by Berliner Zeitung claims that, despite wide-ranging EU sanctions against Moscow, Poland continues to import Russian vegetables. Dozens of trucks are constantly arriving at the wholesale

Supply gaps imminent for California spring vegetables following record rains
Gaps are on their way. That’s the conclusion following California’s continued rains and their effect on the spring row vegetable crops. “There have been short-term challenges, such as

Dole supplies bananas to the Wuxi Marathon
The 2023 Wuxi Marathon started on March 19th at Taihu Lake. Dole, a century-old fruit brand, has provided healthy fruit and vegetable energy support for the "Cherry Blossom Marathon" for seven

Colombian police seize over 1.6 tons of cocaine in banana shipment
Colombian Anti-Narcotics Police Director, Colonel Edgar Cárdenas, has announced the discovery of more than 1.6 tons of cocaine hidden among a shipment of bananas en route to Belgium from the

Extension of cold treatment to mandarins requested
The Citrus Management Committee (CGC), the umbrella association of Spanish private citrus exporters, has already demanded in September an investigation by the European Commission (EC) into the

Fruit and vegetable price trends in Italy as at 20 March
Fruit and vegetable prices are generally lower. Demand for asparagus is still contracting and that for strawberries is still subdued. The campaign for Sicilian Tarocco oranges closed early. Thanks

Bananas from Colombia at £0.95
This series gives the average wholesale prices of bananas by country of origin. The prices are national averages of the most usual prices charged for bananas at wholesale markets in Birmingham and

Vietnam’s banana exports set to rocket
Vietnam’s top banana exporting province Đồng Naiis expected to ship 25% more of the fruit this year, reaching over half a million tons. Bananas are one of the province’s main export

"Australia's grape exports start strong in Asia"
Benjamin Choy has recently joined the FreshPride team from Singapore. He comes with a background in the international fresh produce industry, including representing an Australian stone fruit

"Qualitatively speaking, this year's Orri campaign was better than last year's"

"The ginger market will remain challenging in Q2"
There are major shortages on this year's ginger market. "The Chinese crop is 40-50% lower than last year, and since there are so many market speculators, prices have doubled," begins Gerry Li of

First of New Zealand’s 2023 kiwifruit crop sets sail to Japan
The first shipment of the 2023 New Zealand kiwifruit season has now departed the Port of Tauranga, carrying around 2,500 tons (more than 600,000 trays) of Zespri SunGold Kiwifruit to customers in

Zespri sees signs of shipping improvement
The 2023 New Zealand kiwifruit export campaign is under way, with single-desk marketer Zespri anticipating a “more stable” shipping environment this year. The first shipment of

Hungary expects normal 2023 cherry harvest season
As relatively good, warm spring weather continues across Hungary, producers in the country expect a normal 2023 cherry harvest of about 10 000 tons again. The harvest is due to start with the

Low volumes and high prices for rhubarb from the Netherlands
Fresh and ready for the rhubarb season, the company Kartoffel Kuhn also offers goods from the Netherlands, among others. However, as Mike Cunningham tells us, only small quantities are available

New Zealand: First Zespri kiwi crop 2023 goes to Japan
Around 2,500 tonnes (more than 600,000 trays) of Zespri SunGold are expected to reach Tokyo in early April before the Southampton Star continues to Kobe. She is the first of 53 charter vessels

Ezy:Split for premium fruit ideal for stone fruit, grapes and strawberries
The vast catalogue of Pack System, a company specializing in the processing of cardboard, plastic and wooden packaging, also features the innovative Ezy:Split® punnet developed by ILIP. It is a