Apple harvest depends on a large seasonal workforce, and decreasing availability of agricultural employees, increasing labor costs, and occupational injuries are creating challenges for apple harvest activities. Researchers at The Pennsylvania State University developed a low-cost apple harvest-assist unit to improve apple harvest efficiency. The unit performed reliably during field tests. Apple...

Peach and apple are two important products in the Mediterranean fruit sector. The aim of this work is to analyse environmentally the entire life cycle stages of Mediterranean fruit production, from cradle to grave, considering agricultural, retail, consumption and disposal stages, using a multiyear approach with data from ten years of real...

The two largest deciduous fruit industry associations, the South African Apple and Pear Producers’ Association (SAAPPA) and the South African Stone Fruit Producers’ Association (SASPA) will in future be known as Hortgro Pome and Hortgro Stone. Hortgro, the deciduous fruit umbrella-group, said in a statement that the name changes will streamline future...

Raspberry fruit is very sensitive and susceptible to rapid decay. The decline in quality starts practically from the moment when the fruit is picked. Fruits initially lose strength, then release the juice, intensify the development of mold and at last the rotting process starts. The goal of all technological processes after harvest...

To understand the effect of high temperature stress on Pyrus trees, the changes in antioxidant substance, antioxidant enzymet and osmotic substance in leaves of 2-year-old ‘Huangguan'(P. pyrifolia ‘Cuiguan’) and ‘Cuiyu'(P. bretschneideri × P. pyrifolia) seedlings were measured, and the expressions of related genes at different stages were analyzed by q RT-PCR. The...

After exploring how to choose a new variety last issue with Steve Spark, AgFirst’s John Wilton shows us the ins and outs of managed club varieties.  High colour sports are now raising colour standards: Lady in Red is on the left, standard Cripps Pink on the right. Since the Australian apple industry...

Climate change impact assessments are predominantly undertaken for the purpose of informing future adaptation decisions. Often, the complexity of the methodology hinders the actionable outcomes. The approach used here illustrates the importance of considering uncertainty in future climate projections, at the same time providing robust and simple to interpret information for decision-makers....

A Washington State study into designing high density orchard trellises has some useful messages and handy online tool for Australian growers. A new online tool which can reduce the risk of trellis failure under high load by customising orchard systems to meet the demands of local conditions is the key output of...

Breeding apples is a long-term endeavour and it is imperative that new cultivars are selected to have outstanding consumer appeal. This study has taken the approach of merging sensory science with genome wide association analyses in order to map the human perception of apple flavour and texture onto the apple genome. The...

AREFLH’s general assembly (Assembly of European Horticultural Regions) was held yesterday 28th of March in Brussels. In the presence of distinguished guests such as MEP Herbert Dorfmann and João Onofre from the European Commission, the association put forward its position on the future of the fruit and vegetable sector in the post-2020...

First kiwifruit being picked  Increased harvest volumes expected this year   The first kiwifruit is being picked in New Zealand with orchards cleared to be harvested from the top of the North Island to the top of the South Island. Over 2,500 growers will be harvesting some 13,500 hectares of kiwifruit.  ...

27 March, 2018 – The South African Table Grape Industry (SATI) is sad to announce the passing away of its Chairman Michael Laubscher following a serious motorbike accident. After bravely fighting for his life he passed away in a Paarl hospital last night (26 March) due to complications following the accident that...

A new agreement between Culdevco and the Agricultural Research Council (ARC) for a further 10 year period...

Walmart has filed a patent for autonomous robotic bees, technically called pollination drones, that could potentially pollinate crops just like real bees. The drones would carry pollen from one plant to another, using sensors and cameras to detect the locations of the crops. First spotted by CB Insights, the robot bee patent appears along five other...

The AFGC is an industry association which represents the manufacturers and suppliers behind Australia’s food, beverage, and...

The Fruit World Map has been a cornerstone of AgroPress since the 1970s. The updated version of...

Exhibiting or visiting a trade show can be very expensive. “Some are worth it, some are just...

Enhanced rock weathering involves adding minute rock grains to cropland soils which dissolve chemically taking up carbon...

South Australian growers will no longer be required to seek local council planning consent for orchard netting...

In what looks set to be a record year for volume, the Argentine cherry sector is increasingly...

by Marc van der Sterren,  Fruit World The Netherlands Data is becoming more important to all stakeholders...

An old dream could come true with blockchain: total transparency of the entire food supply chain from farm to fork. Today’s consumers want to know what they eat – where the food comes from, how it is produced, stored, transported and treated. Suppliers and dealers want to limit their liability, and authorities...

Nominations for the apple and pear industry Awards for Excellence are open until Tuesday, 3 April. Each winner and runner-up will be nominated for the Hort Connections combined industry awards. The Awards for Excellence recognise the outstanding achievements of our industry’s most successful growers, researchers, people and businesses working across all areas...

by Oleg Nikishenkov, Fruit World Russia, Moscow Sergei Sobyanin, Moscow mayor, said that almost one-third of the...

by Daphne and Christine Schmidt, Fruit World Spain, Borriol The current vegetable season 2017/18 is developing satisfactorily...

Smart agri-food chains offer the opportunity for innovation based on a deeper understanding of customer needs. One of the enabling technologies is blockchain, which provides a secure audit trail for transactions, providing evidence of the origin of produce and its cultivation, and also de-risking international trade. Applications for this emerging technology are...

Valencia, Spain. – 07 March 2018). SanLucar, the premium brand for fruit and vegetables, and Maya the...

Launched by Hort Innovation in February, the portal on the Aussie Apples website will enable growers to...

Some 45 million metric tons of food grown in the United States ends up in China. Sales there will fall as it becomes more expensive. There’s more. As steel becomes more expensive, we’ll pay more for tomato sauce. That’s because most of it comes in cans, and those cans – so shiny we call...

From initial reports of detections on Flinders Island in Bass Strait to other detections at Spreyton, Sassafras and then George Town on the Tasmanian mainland. “We first picked up about fruit fly when my wife Linda heard it on ABC Radio,” said Spreyton apple grower, Brett Squibb. “I googled the ABC site...

by David Agren, Fruit World Mexico, Mexico City Small quantities of Mexican avocados started crossing the US...

Liu Ziije, CEO of Goodfarmer, Shanghai, told Fruit World, that , having being one of the major exporters of apples and garlic, fruit imports into China are taking a share of 65% of turnover. Liu said, that a professional banana distribution centre is udner construction, because „the banana is our no. 1...

Orange growers and processors in Florida could be about to get a boost from an unexpected direction...

AUCKLAND:  TOMRA today signed an agreement to acquire 100 percent of the shares in BBC Technologies*. The...

The 6th Blueberry Conference will take place in Ożarów Mazowiecki near Warsaw on 1-2 March 2018. It...

Tom Stenzel, president and CEO of the United Fresh Produce Association talks about changes in consumer behavior in the USA, the growing trend for fresh-cut and fresh fruit combined with proteins as a healthy diet in his interview with the Fruit World at Fruit Logistica 2018. Tom Stenzel is President and CEO...

VALENCIA, SPAIN, 19 February, 2018 — Bio Freshi, one of Europe’s largest importers and marketers of organic...

Over the past decade Hortgro has been pro-actively preparing for the possibility of the occurrence of Bactrocera dorsalis or Oriental Fruit Fly (OFF) in the Western Cape. Hortgro Science’s Crop Protection Programme has been conducting research since 2005 in an effort to prepare for such a possibility, said Hugh Campbell, Hortgro Science’s...

Jaguacy Brasil, located in the main Brazilian region of avocado production, is the main producer and exporter of Hass Avocado in Brazil, and starts its 2018 crop by offering the fruits to the foreign market starting in March/2018. The Brazilian production of Avocado Hass has been growing in recent years, and Jaguacy...

Taking part in the FRUIT WORLD TOUR – What do I get? The FRUIT WORLD TOUR offers...

The German trading house Don Limón, a rather small player in the world of fruit and vegetables...

Interview with Andreas Schindler, CEO, Don Limón – Pilz Schindler GmbH, Hamburg On the occasion of the...

Croptimal performs real time immediate tests and analysis in the field for crops, soil and water, replacing...

At Fruit Logistica Dan Sun, CEO of Harvestmark provided an interesting outlook on the importance of traceability...

Fresh produce is finally in the digital age: The blockchain and traceability solutions will spark a revolution...

The Fruit World Tour is an amazing journey into fresh produce. The journalists of AgroPress in Switzerland...

Pleasanton, Calif., February 6, 2018 — DeltaTrak® will feature the FlashLink BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy) Wireless Monitoring Solution at Fruit Logistica 2018, Hall 23/Stand A-10, February 7-9, 2018, at Berlin ExpoCenter City, in Berlin, Germany. According to Frederick Wu, President and CEO of DeltaTrak, “With the current security feature, shippers have the option to require...

5 February, 2018 – The South African Table Grape Industry (SATI) says the country’s harvest is resilient...

While much of South Africa is enjoying good summer rains, its two western provinces have been hit...

A CRYPTOCURRENCY start-up that was designed to radically alter the fruit and vegetable industry has scammed its...

An opinion by Allan Golombek found in Real Clear Markets Florida tomato farmer Tony DiMare has a...

In May of 2017, USDA Secretary Sonny Perdue moved to make school meals great again by issuing a proclamation in support of more lenient school nutrition standards. Specifically, the proposed rule permits the continued use of whole grain waivers, which exempt certain products from meeting whole grain standards; freezes current sodium limits...

Newswise — GAINESVILLE, Fla. — With citrus greening devastating Florida’s $8.6 billion-a-year citrus industry, three University of Florida scientists will use $10.52 million in federal grants to study ways to help growers cope with the disease, including research on genetic editing that may produce potentially resistant fruit and trees. Since greening –...

How does Japan stand with regard to the food self-sufficiency rate? The calorie-based rate for fiscal 2016 dropped 1.91 percentage points to 37.58 percent, the lowest since 37 percent was recorded in fiscal 1993 when the rice harvest was poor due to a cold spell. Administrative vice farm minister Masaaki Okuhara says...

The last large export of banana from Jamaica was 2007-2008, led by the large estate producers. One...

New Delhi, January 27 (IANS) Exports of fresh fruits and vegetables have slumped by 15 per cent in terms of revenue during April-November 2017, apart from a substantial dip in the export of pulses and wheat. Low demand and supply of onions, tomatoes, bananas and raisins to the top exporting markets was...

MONTREAL – A controversial American proposal that would place seasonal tariffs on a host of North American...

WASHINGTON – Legislation was introduced this past week to promote precision agriculture and rural broadband deployment to the nation’s cropland and ranchland. The “Precision Agriculture Connectivity Act of 2018,” introduced by U.S. Senators Roger Wicker, R-Miss., and Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., would direct the Federal Communications Commission to establish a task force to...

The FRESH INSIDERS NIGHT that is taking place during Fruit Logistica brings together some of the most...

Partner country Bulgaria promotes its meat dishes The association “Traditional Air-Dried Meat Products” is exhibiting at the Green Week for the first time, and its primary aim is not to conduct sales but to publicise certain typically local products more widely. At the centre of its display are Bulgarian meat products protected...

Startups provide market access to local honey, laying hen and fish products Berlin, 24 January 2018 – The winners of the first Startup Day at the International Green Week have been announced. The first prize went to nearbee (https://nearbees.de/), a Munich-based website marketing honey products from local producers all over Germany. ’Find...

Salix names Alejandro Moralejo as next CEO as the US firm prepares to broaden its products and...

Western Cape fruit farmers and rural communities are under tremendous socio-economic pressure due to the crippling drought,...

As the partner country, this year Bulgaria had the honour of its high-ranking politicians opening the Green...

TOMRA Sorting Food has appointed two highly experienced senior sales people for EMEA to further implement its controlled growth strategy. The global leader in sensor-based food sorting solutions has promoted Karel Strubbe to regional sales director with responsibility for Europe, the Middle East and Africa. This follows six years based in California...

By entering into a long-term partnership with Invale and BNP Paribas Fortis Private Equity, the largest independent...

So far the number of jobs lost due to robots has been modest – between 360,000 and...

AgroPress of Switzerland will introduce a new magazine and communication platform at Fruit Logistica 2018. The new...

We’re talking about a product which is gaining increasing visibility in international cuisine due to its distinctive...

14 December, 2017 – The South African Table Grape Industry (SATI) released the 2nd Crop Estimate for...

The FRUIT WORLD is the premier strategy magazine for the perishable industry. The FRUIT WORLD helps you...

In the world’s first field trial with genetically modified banana plants conducted in heavily TR4-infested soil, one...

On the first Friday of November in 2017 a small Cape Malay choir welcomed 180 guests at...

The Clipper is the global leader for independent nuts and dried fruit information. The Clipper is the...

WASHINGTON, D.C. (November 27, 2017) – As retailers prepare for consumers to migrate towards online platforms for...

Shanghai, 29 November 2017 – An important opportunity to promote top-quality Italian and European fruit and vegetables...

Shanghai, 28th November 2017 – A trade show press conference, focus on Italy-China trade, was held in...

MISSION VIEJO, CA  – Shoppers celebrated 2017 summer holidays with avocado purchases that supported record-high retail dollar sales for the category. The Hass Avocado Board (HAB) recently released their Holiday and Events report for Q3 2017, detailing retail avocado category performance across the country for this past Father’s Day, 4th of July and...

HHLA Launches “Fuhre 4.0” Initiative Slot-booking System Should Reduce Traffic at the Port of Hamburg: Trucks Can Only Enter Container Terminals at Pre-arranged Times   From 29 November onwards, trucks will only be allowed to enter the HHLA container terminals if they have booked a slot for their visit. The slot-booking process...

Zespri was recognised last night in the 2017 Deloitte Top 200 Awards for its strong growth strategy,...

The EUFRUIT project was launched in March 2016 with the objective of facilitating access to knowledge and disseminating existing research and innovation potential for the benefit of the fresh fruit sector. EUFRUIT is a thematic European Fruit Network, which comprises of a consortium of 21 official partners from 12 different countries. To...

SHANGHAI, CHINA, 14 November, 2017 — The Chilean Fruit Exporters Association (ASOEX) has launched its 2017-18 export season for cherries, blueberries and other products in China with a workshop for importers at Shanghai’s Huizhan Fruit Market. At the event, the Chilean organisation presented the new season for fresh fruit exports, focusing special...

Asparagus and berry specialist, Global Plant Genetics, will once again be exhibiting at the ExpoSE trade fair...

– Operating result (EBIT) up 22.3 percent at € 155.2 million – Volume growth of 10.8 percent...

Bayer and the Israeli company Netafim are joining forces to enhance the application of crop protection products...

Food waste is a global, billion-dollar problem. Belgian sorting technology manufacturer TOMRA has released an interesting free...

At the beginning of 2018 Bulgaria takes over the presidency of the EU Council and is the...

TOP BV in Wageningen has now fully equipped her new FoodLab and makes the facility available to third...

The new Fruit World edition, the essential information source for decision makers in the fresh produce industry...

New Orleans, 26 October 2017 – Excellent feedback from CSO Italy’s participation at the PMA in New...

The Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) is pleased to announce the launch of its Global Markets Awards...

The Science for Technological Innovation (SfTI) National Science Challenge Board is providing $2m of funding for a project to develop adaptable, cheaply reconfigured, rapidly deployed ‘workforce’ robots able to learn from their environments. SfTI said the project would take a long-term view and examine how robotics could provide solutions for New Zealand’s...

Spain’s food exports to Qatar have increased by 43% in the first eight months of 2017, ambassador...

Australia’s favourite breakfast smash could soon become cheaper to come by with a record harvest tipped for the industry. And local growers look set to avoid the brunt of any price changes as global consumption continues to drive significant improvements in grower returns. The nation’s peak avocado body is forecasting an abundant...

Newport Beach, CA; November 1, 2017:  Mexican avocado marketer, GreenFruit Avocados, today announced that industry veteran, Kevin Leap, has been appointed director of sales and marketing.   Mr. Leap has 27 years of experience in the produce industry, working in a variety of sales and marketing roles at well-known companies like WestPak...

A new variety every year? Crop Protection without pesticides? Mixing genes from plants, animals, humans? And it...

This comes at a time when the country’s agricultural sector is dealing with the fallout from a prolonged drought. The Western Cape, which produces more than 50% of SA’s agricultural exports, has been particularly hard hit. Drought in summer rainfall regions has largely dissipated. Total gross producer value for oranges reached R9.29bn...

At Fresh Summit 2017 we had a closer look at traceability solutions. Traceability is at the heart...

Apples are next in line for market access negotiations with China, the Federal Government confirmed this week....

WASHINGTON, D.C. (October 10, 2017) – United Fresh is now accepting nominations for the 2018 Retail Produce...