Syngenta and Four Growers collaborate to create tomato robot

New robot uses vacuum system to harvest tomatoes

The future of food production will require greater efficiencies, sustainable practices, and maximizing yields at every step. To optimize the future…

"Indoor farming gets a place in greenhouse farming"

A regular greenhouse is far from always the best solution anymore. Indoor farming gets a place in greenhouse farming. There is a future for indoor…

Installing LEDFan toplights on 27 hectares

How Dutch tomato giant Lans Group reduces energy costs

Lans Group, the third largest tomato producer in The Netherlands, has put a great emphasis on innovation during its entire existence. The company,…

Fellini Patrizio

Italy's first lettuce from the area of Romagna already on the market

The lettuce harvest began last week in Romagna (Italy) at the Fellini Patrizio farm. Thanks to the newly built greenhouses, it was possible to…

Chris Jorritsma joins Westbrook Greenhouse Systems as Sales Representative for US Midwest

Chris Jorritsma has joined the Westbrook Greenhouse Systems team as Sales Representative for U.S. Midwest.   “Chris brings a wealth of experience in the greenhouse…

2022 acreage figures

Belgium: more cucumber and bell pepper acreage, but less for tomatoes

In Belgium, the cucumber acreage grew to 51.6 hectares last year. That was, however, less for products like tomatoes and strawberries. According to Statbel…

US (CA): UC Davis Strawberry Breeding Program releases five varieties resistant to deadly fungus

The UC Davis Strawberry Breeding Program is releasing five new strawberry varieties that resist the soilborne disease Fusarium wilt while also offering…

A project to promote the biological control of the tomato leafminer

In 2006, the tomato leafminer, a plague that affects the tomato plant and causes large losses throughout the value chain, arrived in Spain. This mining…

"The small tomato market is in a high-speed growth stage"

"In recent years, the domestic market of small tomatoes (or cherry tomatoes) in China has exploded. The production areas are actively deploying and…

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NZ: Horticulture industry welcomes any move to improve labor supply

Horticulture New Zealand says the industry welcomes any move to improve labor supply to support continued growth in commercial fruit and vegetable…

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US (MA): Harper’s Farm offering early produce bumper crop

Flowers are blooming, and trees are beginning to bud, sure signs of spring along with farms across the region beginning to offer the fruits of their…

News from Pericoli:

Evaporative pad made of self-extinguishing PVC launched

The introduction to the market of plastic products signed by Termotecnica Pericoli continues at full speed. After the success achieved with the ACF21p…

US: Research for using flowering plants to attract hover flies as biological pest controls

National Garden Day provides a great opportunity to recognize research supported by USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture. New Hampshire…

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A greater yield with fewer inputs and a focus on local growers

Anne Williams, global head of Bayer's protected cropping business, was recently in Australia to gain an understanding of the local value chain, fresh…

US (CA): Secretary Ross in the Netherlands and Denmark — trade visit begins with meeting with agriculture officials

CDFA Secretary Karen Ross is leading a climate and trade delegation to Denmark and the Netherlands to focus on building partnerships for California.…

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Using a new technique, PESI/MS/MS, to analyze the nutritional compounds in crops

Anthocyanins are compounds related to the color of plants. They also have beneficial effects on human health and are used as a supplement. Various…

Nanocarrier research taps technology in Ag Alumni Seed Phenotyping Facility

The advantages of packaging a bioactive compound in a nanosized carrier have been proven in medicine for targeted drug delivery. Now Purdue researchers…

USDA Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs under secretary Taylor launches trade mission to the Netherlands

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Under Secretary for Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs, Alexis M. Taylor, launched the first-ever regional…

Ensuring quality production

Erik Zwinkels is a tomato grower in Holland. He is one of the managers of the family-run company, Zwinkels Tomaten, which has 20 ha of greenhouses divided among three…

Gemüsehof Eggers

Germany: Red and local: ketchup and co. made from genuine Vierländer tomatoes

Whether in the form of classic red, green, or black, cherry, date, or bell pepper, or even the historic Vierländer tomatoes: the variety of tomatoes at Eggers…

Upcoming CPMA 2023 Convention and Trade Show by the numbers

The 2023 Canadian Produce Marketing Association’s Convention and Trade Show (CPMA 2023) will take place next week at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre. Here…

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Understanding a spiders' stomach content shows how they help control pests

On farms, spiders are important predators who control insect populations, including pests that can damage crops. Understanding their role in…

UK: IPM expert to lead British Crop Production Council working group

Dr. Tom Pope, Reader in Entomology and Integrated Pest Management at the University, took up the role of Chair of the Council’s Pests and Beneficials…

Pierre Bell from FlexiBell Systems and local team visited Guoshun Group

On April 10, 2023, accompanied by Hewu Lv, the Secretary of the Party Branch of Guoshun Group, Baoyin Lu and Jun Zhang, the Vice general manager of…

Fruit and vegetable shortages push UK food inflation to new highs

Fruit and vegetable shortages have helped push UK food inflation levels to a new record during the past month, reaching highs of 15%. As indicated by the…

"A values-led approach will bring these tools to life"

Leveraging sustainability and health messages in marketing can increase fresh produce demand and consumption

Sustainability is the future of the global economy, especially the fresh produce industry, according to the Head of Sustainability at New Zealand Trade…

California strawberry pricing could stay firm until after Mother’s Day

Supplies of strawberries in California are picking up at a good pace. “The weather has turned, and it’s good because we’re getting the traditional warm…

VBT figures week 15

Greenhouse vegetable prices drop, except for red pepper

In the week after Easter, cucumber prices fell below the five-year average at VBT. The asparagus price went down by half, and prices of other greenhouse…

French tomato producers denounce the abusive margins of some supermarket chains

The production season of French tomatoes is already well underway, and French producers, members of Légumes de France, are denouncing the abusive margins of…