Monday, May 4, 2020
NORTH AMERICA

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Job Offers

Sales Representative North America

Senior Commercial Manager | Murcia, Spain | Fruit

Country Manager | France

Avocados Sales/Marketing Professional - Europe

Looking for an opportunity in India

Procurement & Sales Manager, Potato Division - Lobinstown, Co. Meath, Ireland

European regional agent and new sales manager

Head Grower - Owatonna (Minnesota) USA

Teeltspecialist (Proeftuin & Veredeling) - Hendrik-Ido-Ambacht, Netherlands

Farm Manager - Riana, Tasmania, Australia

Strong retail demand pre- Cinco de Mayo for California avocados

California avocados are moving well in retail, though with Cinco de Mayo being tomorrow, the drop in foodservice demand is still being felt. Ozzie Figueroa of Henry Avocado…

Austin Fowler of Fowler Farms:

“Storage supplies of SweeTango apples should last through July”

The apple category has been booming with new varieties hitting the market in the past years. The SweeTango is a premium variety that has been on the market for about twelve…

Kevin Stanger of Wada Farms:

“Many potato growers are reducing acreage this coming season”

The potato industry in the United States had been enjoying a good market before the pandemic hit. Kevin Stanger of Wada Farms says: “Up until the pandemic hit, the supplies…

Quebec growers await foreign workers

Quebec growers with spring crops are waiting and wondering if their temporary foreign workers will arrive on time to help with their crops. Alex Zenebisis of EagleXport/Alcaro…

US importer switches to sustainable packaging for mandarins and oranges

Jac. Vandenberg, a U.S. fresh produce importer, is transitioning from plastic nets used to pack their citrus fruits in favor of a compostable alternative made from beech tree…

New virtual event announced from July 20-24

PMA Foodservice Conference postponed to 2021

The Produce Marketing Association has announced that they have decided to postpone the PMA Foodservice Conference until 2021. They have also announced a new…

Bhofack2

Treasure Coast citrus growers do not want another 'invasion'

Florida growers angered over China’s exports of fresh oranges to US

After 15 years of battling an insect from China that has ravaged Florida’s citrus industry with greening, and now the coronavirus pandemic that originated in…

Today's important COVID-19 news in the fresh produce sector

Corona-update: Lockdown in India extended for two more weeks

Today we learned that the national lockdown in India has been extended beyond 4 May, for another two weeks. New guidelines, outlined on Friday, update the country's designated…

Fresh tomatoes, spinach and peaches

Labor and harvest account for more than one-third of total cost for certain crops

Labor is a relatively high share of the cost of growing, harvesting, and packing fresh produce. Labor and harvest comprise nearly half of average total production costs for…

PGA Executive Director Terence Hochstein:

‘Vulnerability of the Canadian supply chain tested to its limits’

In an Executive Director report, Terence Hochstein of the Potato Growers of Alberta said: “As I write this article for May 1st, Canada is now 107 days from the…

United Fresh

United Fresh names 25 Retail Produce Manager Award honorees

Marking its sixteenth year recognizing exceptional retail produce managers, United Fresh Produce Association has announced the honorees of its 2020 Retail Produce Manager…

Global Focus Melons / Kiwifruit

Kiwi Atlántico

Spanish kiwifruit sales increased by 30% since the start of the crisis

Since the start of the coronavirus crisis, kiwifruit sales from the main Spanish company in the sector, the Galician Kiwi Atlántico, have increased by 30%. Normally, the…

Retail

ShopHero: Strategic eCommerce relationship with Island Pacific Supermarket

Walmart expands Express Delivery to 1,000 stores

US: Island Pacific - First Filipino grocery chain to offer same-day grocery delivery with ShopHeroShopHero, a progressive grocery eCommerce provider located in Provo, Utah has…

Maya Fruit & G & K Citrus

USDA PACA updates

As part of its efforts to enforce the Perishable Agricultural Commodities Act and ensure fair trading practices within the U.S. produce industry, the Department of Agriculture has…

Supamas Lhakjit

Canada: Asparagus harvest ready to start

A relatively cool April has bought some time for Canadian asparagus producers to try and get the help they need for harvesting their crop. However, the damage…

"Fresh garlic will enter Chinese market in large volumes in May"

"Export price of Chinese garlic continues to fall"

The Chinese garlic market has experienced a series of significant fluctuations in the last few weeks. The current price continues to decline. The new harvest of fresh garlic…

South Africa’s fifth break-bulk reefer citrus shipment to Japan and China departs today

The Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development is pleased to announce the fifth break-bulk vessel shipment of citrus from South Africa to China and Japan…

Market conditions look good

Sunshine Rose grapes enter Chinese market

Early-season grapes enter the Chinese market every year in March and April. The varieties currently available in the Chinese market include Summer Black,…

Andrea Simon

Australia: Demand for workers remains strong in central Queensland

While unemployment is set to soar to its highest rate in almost three decades, due to the impact of the coronavirus crisis, some regional communities are still…

The European apricot production is expected to reach 400,000 tonnes by 2020:

"We're reaching the lowest point for European harvests in 30 years"

While the MedFEL has been postponed to next year due to Covid 19, the overview of the 2019 European apricot harvest as well as the harvest forecasts for 2020 have been…

... at Boon's supermarkets

World cup blueberries arrive ...

“Last week our world cup with 500g blueberries had its Dutch premiere,” says Guus Coppus, the sales manager at abbGrowers, enthusiastically. “The introductory Promotion; '1 + 1…

Labor issues expected for Polish soft fruit

The Polish soft fruit sector might have to deal with some serious labor issues, as the Ukrainian workforce is unable to travel to Poland. Some companies have had to shut down…

Weird trick can make an onion taste like an apple

Our five senses—taste, touch, smell, hearing, and sight—don’t function in completely separately. They work together in intricate ways. Consider this: With our eyes covered and…

Marco Pedroni, president of Coop Italia: business on the rise in medium-sized supermarkets, while falling in large ones

Point of sale: Italians like it smaller

Sales increased by 40% in medium and small supermarkets, while they decreased by 15% in big ones, like hypermarkets. This is the description that Marco Pedroni (pictured),…

Good moment for eggplants, zucchini, tomatoes and strawberries

Produce sales on the up

"Despite the pandemic, we registered an increase of visits as well as of orders from the entire peninsula due to Workers' Day (May 1st)," reported Rocco Viggiano from Fe.Vi.…

Dublin, Ireland

Keelings claims it can save fruit crop without additional workers

Dublin fruit and vegetable producer Keelings has stated it believes it can save most of its fruit crop this year without the employment of additional workers…

Prognosfruit 2020 canceled due to coronavirus

The Dutch Fruit Growers Organization (NFO) has reported a Wapa announcement. Due to the coronavirus, they have canceled this year's PrognosFruit. PrognosFruit…

Daniel Verweij, VerDi Import:

"Supply of Spanish Doré slow to get going"

The Spanish potato import season has started again at VerDi Import. Although the Barendrecht company has mainly focused on fruit imports in the last decade, the roots of the…

As bumper season is predicted

New Zealand kiwifruit companies criticized for taking Covid-19 wage subsidy

As the industry is expecting a record harvest and exports doubled in March compared to last year, New Zealand kiwifruit companies that have claimed the…

Broom Group continues its expansion in The Netherlands

As of may 1, 2020 Chilean based Broom Group has acquired the cold-storage and distribution facilities of Saphir, Ridderkerk in The Netherlands. The company…

Jan Franje, Franje Onions, the Netherlands:

"Dry weather, skin problems for onions; for now, the coronavirus is impeding our work less"

The demand for yellow, organic onions has been very quiet so far. But there is increasing demand from the Netherlands' neighboring countries. That is according to Jan Franje…

Bhofack2

UK: North Yorkshire apple growers hopeful of bumper harvest

Apple growers in an area known as the Orchard of North Yorkshire are hopeful April's warm weather could herald the best crop in years. Growers said high…

FreshPlaza Funny

Smashing hit!