Category: Fruits

Berries Haven revealed a management change as the business enters what they claim is actually an impressive brand-new section. After a many years of prosperous management under Roberto Samano, Berries Haven stretched its own Thanksgiving for his indispensable additions to the business’s development and also effectiveness. Roberto’s devotion and also dream have actually contributed in creating Berries Haven as an innovator in the sector.

As the business aims to the future, Berries Haven invites César Ortiz as the brand-new President. César carries a new point of view that assures to steer development and also carried on development, the business stated in a launch, incorporating that his management is going to be actually crucial as Berries Haven starts the following period of its own experience, paid attention to attaining brand-new breakthroughs.

” Our team believe that César’s enhancement to our group will certainly administer brand-new power and also tips, guaranteeing that our experts advance our road of development and also company debt consolidation,” the business stated.

They claimed they eagerly anticipate developing a brilliant and also prosperous future for Berries Haven under César’s management.

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ProducePay, the agtech provider that strives to completely transform the international agrarian sector right into an even more expected, linked, as well as maintainable source establishment, has actually released its own 2023 Influence File. The record particulars the provider’s detailed method to deal with 40% of food waste in the international new fruit and vegetables source establishment.

ProducePay’s inaugural Influence File highlights the provider’s activity to obtain beneficial ESG (Environmental, Social, as well as Control) end results, paying attention to promoting security as well as durability throughout the new fruit and vegetables source establishment. Central to this project are actually ProducePay’s Predictable Commerce Programs.

” Our experts have actually long realized the authentic issues encompassing the ecological as well as social influence of the international agrarian market,” stated Patrick McCullough, Chief Executive Officer of ProducePay. “This inaugural Influence File has actually enabled our company to assess, for the very first time, the beneficial end results of our everyday tasks, consisting of minimizing food items refuse, boosting working ailments, promoting area progression, as well as ensuring maintainable farming strategies.”

ProducePay’s Approach for an Even More Maintainable Create Source Chain

The international new fruit and vegetables source establishment is actually commonly denoted through inherent volatility, resulting in opinion, inadequacies, food items refuse, as well as monetary vulnerability for gardeners, online marketers, as well as stores identical. In action, ProducePay has actually cultivated a sturdy remedy to cope with food items refuse as well as minimize market dryness, straightening along with a number of United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

” Our method is actually simple: through helping make business extra expected for gardeners, online marketers, as well as stores, our company militarize transformative adjustment all over the whole fruit and vegetables sector as well as efficiently influence countless lifestyles,” McCullough proceeded.

Determining influence on its personal procedures and also of its own international client foundation, ProducePay’s influence method is actually developed around 3 essential supports:

1. Allowing Maintainable Supply
ProducePay companions only along with ranches that stick to the best ecological as well as social requirements, according to the International Money Company (IFC) Functionality Requirements on Environmental as well as Social Durability. This guarantees customer observance along with ecological, job, as well as protection plans within their system of gardeners. The provider likewise builds Environmental as well as Social Activity Tactics (ESAPs) when gardeners reveal area for enhancement.

2. Lessening Waste
ProducePay removes excessive middlemans, enhances the source establishment, as well as dramatically lowers garden greenhouse fuel discharges through promoting straight business. Their 2023 Desk Grape Foreseeable Business Plan attained a 90% decrease in retail beings rejected, staying away from 393 lots of fruit and vegetables beings rejected– comparable to 655,000 foods recouped.

3. Supporting Value
ProducePay improves presence as well as traceability throughout the source establishment while ensuring management ideal strategies. This column concentrates on making beneficial financial effects through supporting rate changes as well as making sure service process are actually reliable, socially accountable, as well as green.

As aspect of its own dedication to openness, ProducePay is going to post its own company ESG aim ats in the 2024 Influence File. Trick numbers coming from this year’s record feature:

• Lending: Over $five hundred thousand was actually delivered to international planters fulfilling the IFC functionality requirements.
• Discharges: Disclosed 1,574.51 tCO2e discharges, largely coming from service traveling as well as obtained items as well as companies.

” As our company remain to introduce as well as steer durability, our emphasis continues to be on making lasting worth for all stakeholders. Through taking care of the origin of market dryness as well as food items refuse, our company are actually certainly not merely creating an even more expected source establishment– our company are actually resulting in an even more maintainable future for international horticulture as well as protecting the food items source for potential age groups” McCullough ended.

To download and install the ProducePay 2023 Influence File, feel free to browse through: https://producepay.com/sustainability-producepay/ 

In this payment of the ‘Agronometrics In Graphes’ set, Sarah Ilyas analyzes the condition of the Chilean cherry field. Weekly the set examines a various gardening asset, concentrating on a certain source or even subject matter imagining the market place variables that are actually steering modification.

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Over recent many years, Chile has actually observed consistent development in its own cherry manufacturing, steered due to the plant’s profits and also strong need. Depending on to the USDA, for the advertising and marketing year (MY) 2024/25, Chile’s cherry manufacturing is actually predicted to meet 500,000 measurement heaps (MT), exemplifying a 6.8 per-cent rise over the previous year.

This development is actually assumed even with the challenges faced in MY 2023/24, where a cozy winter season and also wet spring season brought about a minor 0.2 per-cent decline in manufacturing. The unfavorable weather disorders influenced cherry returns, illustrating the sensitive harmony demanded in farming manufacturing.

However, the expectation for MY 2024/25 is actually even more hopeful, along with desirable winter season precipitations and also adequately reduced temps, which are actually vital for cherry progression.

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Resource: USDA Market Headlines via Agronometrics.

( Agronometrics individuals may see this graph along with online updates here)

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In enhancement to the general rise in manufacturing, Chile’s cherry export loudness is actually anticipated to climb through 7.6 per-cent, getting to 445,000 MT in MY 2024/25. This awaited development highlights Chile’s calculated pay attention to extending its own visibility in the international cherry market, specifically in China.

The development of cherry groves has actually been actually a notable consider this development. In MY 2024/25, the location grown along with cherries is actually assumed to arrive at 67,000 hectares (HA), a 5.5 per-cent rise coming from the previous year. The Maule and also O’Higgins areas, found in core Chile, are actually the best cherry-producing regions, representing 43.8 per-cent and also 36.2 per-cent of the overall grown location, specifically. These areas supply optimal disorders for cherry farming, consisting of ample winter season coldness hrs, appropriate water for watering, and also very little freeze threat throughout the spring season.

As the export quantity remains to climb, the tension on Chilean manufacturers and also merchants to satisfy produce and also packaging requirements escalates. Each phases are actually essential for making sure top quality cherries that may stand up to the quest to remote markets. Offered the fragile attributes of cherries, which lean to harm coming from dealing with and also heats, the packaging method has actually been actually mainly automated to decrease bodily damage to the fruit product. Developers and also merchants are actually creating concurrent attempts to improve the produce and also packaging procedures to make certain the cherries await export as promptly as feasible.

Keeping steady top quality is actually yet another substantial problem for the Chilean cherry export field. As the manufacturing location broadens yearly, making sure that the top quality of the cherries complies with global specifications ends up being progressively complicated.

The Chilean shipping field is actually proactively working together along with manufacturers and also merchants to maintain these top quality specifications, which are actually vital for preserving the higher costs Chilean cherries order in the international market.

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Resource: USDA Market Headlines via Agronometrics.

( Agronometrics individuals may see this graph along with online updates here)

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In our ‘In Graphes’ set, our company operate to inform a few of the tales that are actually relocating the field. Do not hesitate to check out at the various other short articles through clicking here.

All costs for residential United States create works with the place market at Delivering Factor (i.e. stuffing house/climate regulated storehouse, and so on). For imported fruit product, the costs information works with the place market at Slot of Access.

You may track the market places daily by means of Agronometrics, an information visual images device created to aid the field understand the substantial quantities of records that experts require to accessibility to create enlightened selections. If you discovered the relevant information and also the graphes coming from this post practical, do not hesitate to explore our team at www.agronometrics.com where you may simply access these very same charts, or even check out the various other 21 assets our company presently track.

On Thursday, August 8, the most anticipated event for the Chilean, Peruvian, and international table grape industry was held with more than 1,000 attendees and 60 sponsoring companies. The meeting brought together two of the leading associations of the fruit, the Table Grape Committee of the Association of Fruit Exporters of Chile (ASOEX) and the Association of Table Grape Producers of Peru (PROVID), who joined forces in the first Global Grape Convention to begin collaborative work between both countries to increase consumption of this fruit in international markets.

The table grape sector faces several challenges but also has many opportunities on the horizon. To analyze the industry’s roadmap, the event featured an international program offering informative conferences, specialized market analysis, ideas to glimpse new opportunities, marketing and communications strategies, and discussion panels, among other topics.

Ignacio Caballero, president of the ASOEX Table Grape Committee recalled the genesis of this event together with Provid. “We started talking about working together and what better than to have an instance where what we are thinking and working on can be coordinated together,” he said. “We did not know that it would come at this crucial moment for the grape industry, where we have just had a very good season, which both Chile and Peru ultimately needed, but we understand that this is circumstantial so we have to keep working.”

Caballero called for reflection and challenging of the five paradigms of the sector: The good season was a climate shock and now we must think in the medium term because things are going to be tough; the urgent need to increase demand to respond to the sustained growth of supply; forgetting about “the window” and thinking about what the consumer wants; that the competition between Chile and Peru is already history, since today they must act together in the face of the entire chain; and, finally, understanding who the industry competes with, since today it is no longer just in the fruit area, but also includes “healthy snacks.”

For his part, Manuel Yzaga, president of PROVID, emphasized, “Once again we open our doors to the entire world to make the practices and activities, as well as the value we generate, known to the general public. That is the most important thing, to talk beyond the fruit, to talk beyond the grapes. This is just the beginning, there is still much to discover and to add value. We play on the same field and we play at the same time to achieve the sustainability of the industry.”

Gustavo Yentzen, CEO of Yentzen Group, said, “We managed to foster a commercial debate that was more than just technical but constructive as well. It will boost innovation and competitiveness, uniting the associations of two relevant countries in the industry, such as Chile and Peru, focusing on the issues that we know affect the sector and, of course, integrating international experience.” 

High-level program

The Global Grape Convention 2024 kicked off its program with the panel “Global Panorama For Grape Production In The World”, which featured the outstanding participation of América Ramírez from Decofrut, who analyzed the data on exports of this fruit at an international level, followed by Ignacio Caballero and Manuel Enrique Izaga, executives who analyzed the situation in their respective countries.

To delve into the diagnosis and evaluation of this global panorama, a group of renowned national and foreign leaders in the sector presented the challenges that table grape production, marketing, and logistics present today from a Latin American perspective.

Later, the panel “Consumer Response To New Varieties”, led by Chris Dubois of Fresh Food, Leader Teams at Circana, discussed the complexities of the Anglo-Saxon consumer, especially in the United States and the United Kingdom, and Jerry Clode, founder of The Solution, who ventured into the potential of the Chinese consumer.

Rodrigo Barra, head of SAG’s Phytosanitary Regulation and Certification Department, spoke about the Systems Approach for Chilean table grapes to the United States, a milestone for the South American country after more than 20 years of negotiations with its northern neighbor. Barra stressed that this protocol must be carried out correctly, to ensure that no problems arise for the benefit of the entire grape sector.

In the afternoon, a group of leaders made up of importers and retail buyers and moderated by Iván Marambio, president of Fruits from Chile, jointly analyzed the challenges table grapes face in destination markets, and then gave the floor to Álvaro Luque, CEO of Avocados From México, who shared with the attendees the model of success of avocados and how this can be replicated in grapes.

To close the day, a team of recognized industry leaders invited attendees to think beyond previous seasons and project the table grape industry for 2035, evaluating collaborative work schemes to face the markets, and sharing valuable information on varietal replacement, volumes, and the development of new markets.

This unique event, highly anticipated by the entire industry, allowed the principal leaders of the table grape sector to be present and raise their past, current, and future challenges to contribute with an overview and a call to collaborate on the most important 2024 milestone for international table grapes – offering a magnificent platform to understand the variables that affect the growth and development of this crop.

On August 19, Kroger filed a motion for preliminary injunction against the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) in the U.S. District Court, Southern District of Ohio, seeking to block the reviewing of its proposed $25 billion merger with Albertson’s Companies, Inc.

The company argues that by proceeding in its administrative tribunal, in addition to the separate action in federal court, the FTC is violating Constitutional protections.

“The merger between Kroger and Albertson’s is squarely focused on ensuring we bring customers lower prices starting day one while securing the future of good-paying union jobs,” said Rodney McMullen, Kroger Chairman and CEO. “We stand prepared to defend this merger in the upcoming trial in federal court – the appropriate venue for this matter to be heard – and we are asking the Court to halt what amounts to an unlawful proceeding before the FTC’s own in-house tribunal.”

The motion details how the FTC’s administrative proceeding against the merger violates the Constitution in two areas:

• First, the FTC violates Article II of the Constitution because the Administrative Law Judge presiding over the administrative proceeding is not removable by the President of the United States. This principle was recognized and applied by the Supreme Court in Free Enterprise Fund v. Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (2010).
• Second, the FTC violates Article III of the Constitution by seeking to adjudicate Kroger’s private rights to contract with another private party administratively through the Executive Branch rather than in the independent Judicial Branch. This standard was reinforced this past term by the Supreme Court in SEC v. Jarkesy (2024).

The lawsuit filed in Cincinnati comes a week before the company is scheduled to face a trial where the FTC has asked a federal judge in Portland, Oregon, to temporarily block the merger while its in-house judges review the deal.

In a release, Kroger said that the FTC has sought to split its challenge to the merger into two separate tribunals in an inappropriate attempt to receive multiple opportunities to litigate the same issues.

“Despite forcing Kroger to participate in this unconstitutional administrative proceeding, the FTC has also filed a motion in the federal court proceedings seeking to block the merger for the duration of its administrative proceeding – which will likely take several years to resolve,” the release said. 

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Related article: Supermarket chain Kroger plans to lower prices after merger

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Pitahaya, also known as dragon fruit, achieved an important milestone in Peru this year, reaching its first million dollars (FOB) in exports, consolidating itself as a promising crop with great export potential for the Andean country.

To learn more about the industry’s rapid expansion, FreshFruitPortal.com spoke with Fluctuante’s CEO and commercial director, David Sandoval, who said that “it’s a milestone for us to reach the first million dollars in exports. The product is growing and Peru is taking an important role in the industry with momentum.”

“We are seeing that pitahaya is emerging as people are investing in new crops. Some companies are producing and exporting pitahaya since in the pandemic, many withdrew from their pension funds and are now investing in agriculture,” he said.

Guido Álvarez Dávila, an agronomist from Inversiones flor del cáliz SCRL, and a producer and exporter of pitahaya, also spoke on the promising outlook for the industry, indicating that he sees Peru “with a great potential in the cultivation of pitahaya and will become the main exporter of red pitahaya in Latin America.”

Exports

Despite the positive results from growing the fruit on Peruvian soil, Sandoval said they had “strong, but still small” exports in 2023 and 2024.

Currently, the company leading pitahaya exports from Peru is Camposol, which grew by 160% compared to the previous year: “Last year, Camposol made the first commercial shipment; 2020, 2021 and 2022 were for testing to see how long the fruit lasted in transit and if it arrived well.”

Sandoval explained that the first commercial shipment was sent to the Netherlands and that almost all exports this year have been via air. “We are still not exporting by sea,” he indicated.

Achieving the first million dollars in exports has been a joint effort from producers, mainly located in La Libertad since Camposol has 60% of pitahaya exports. Then there are Lima, Ica, Piura, and Lambayeque, regions with good export potential in the coming years.

Markets

Regarding the destination markets for Peruvian pitahaya, David Sandoval explained that the Netherlands represents practically 75% of exports. This is followed by Spain and France, which together account for a total of 90% of exports.

“We can say that we are now focused on exporting to Europe and I hope that the efforts made by the sector can be diversified and we can even send to the United States and Asia, as we do with other products,” said Sandoval.

Challenges

Álvarez Dávila explained that the problem from Peru is in terms of protocols, “because there is no planning certified by SENASA, for the phytosanitary sites that are very important, so that they can carry out the certifications.”

He pointed out that “the protocols that had to be made with the United States, and which we have been promoting for two years, have not yet been fulfilled. In the case of Europe, we already have protocols but we are still waiting for China.”

He also specified that, so far, Peru does not have a certified pitahaya nursery. “They are in the process,” he said.

Another problem is that Peru currently has many varieties, “and if we need a large shipment, we will not ask to comply with small and medium producers, and large entrepreneurs are making varieties that are commercial”.

Projections

Achieving revenues of US$1 million in one year is indicative of a good future. Fluctuante’s CEO said pitahaya is supported by the growing demand that exists in the international market.

“There is volume in Peru that is still not being exported, because trees are still growing,” he said.

“I hope that the pitahaya market can mature to such an extent that it becomes as relevant as mango or aims to mimic markets like blueberry, grape, or perhaps avocado. We see it as being in the category of non-traditional products,” he said.

Based on the crop’s projections, Sandoval warns that the industry should learn from lessons of other crops, “such as, for example, having an organized supply and having production and export throughout the months so that price is not affected.”

Guido Alvarez said the industry should apply good agricultural practices to obtain sanitary filters. “In Peru, the biggest crops are being grown in the desert and I see a lot of potential in the Madre Dios area. Also, it is close to the Port of Chancay, which can be a boost for the region.”

“It is a long-term project because you have to do things well and not in a hurry,” said Alvarez.

Sandoval concluded by saying “I see potential for pitahaya because there are companies that are betting heavily on it and there are already purchase commitments abroad, mainly in Europe. We have to take great care of the quality of the product because in this way we build customer and consumer loyalty.”

New Jersey cranberry growers are forecasting 580,000 (100 lbs.) barrels to be produced in 2024, according to the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service, New Jersey Field Office.

If realized, the projections would match 2023’s production volumes, following a slight 3% upward trend from 2022’s numbers.

The Garden State’s production comes from a productive area of approximately 2,900 acres. Yields are at around 200 barrels per acre.

In Wisconsin, the largest growing state, production was 5.01 million barrels in 2023, up 4% from the previous year. Production in Massachusetts, at 1.97 million barrels, was down 13% last year. Oregon producers harvested 550 thousand barrels, up from 417 thousand barrels in 2022.

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Total domestic cranberry production for the 2023 season totaled 8.11 million barrels, up 1% from the 2022 crop year.

The New Jersey Pinelands are among the few places where cranberries grow naturally. Cranberries grow on vines that are very close to the ground. They need sandy, acidic soil which has a high water table. This wet area is called a bog.

In New Jersey, cranberry farming began in 1835 in a bog near Burrs’ Mills in Burlington County. Many other bogs were soon constructed wherever there was a good water source. Some of New Jersey’s first cranberry farms are still operated by descendants of the original owners.

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Related articles: How can cranberry production adapt to extreme weather?

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Blackberries’ delicate nature makes the harvesting process a tedious one, but Mississippi State University (MSU) scientists are working in conjunction with other universities across the country to create a robot that can pick the fruit.

MSU Assistant Professor Xin Zhang, of the Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering, is working with a team to develop the machine, a blackberry detection and localization system, the “eyes” and “brain” of a robotic harvester system powered by an innovative, artificial intelligence-driven deep learning approach.

The MSU team is developing the localization and detection system, as partners in Georgia Tech work on a soft touch robotic arm and gripper and a bipedal mobile platform to work hand-in-glove with the MSU-trained system. University of Arkansas scientists are focused on post-harvesting fruit analysis.

The gripper is reported by Mississippi State to be equipped with sensors modeled after tiny fingertips, to grab and pick the berry without squeezing and damaging it. 

The perception system is powered by a vision-based object detection model that identifies and locates objects of interest YOLOv8 (You Only Look Once, version 8). The technology is “powerful enough to support robots, surveillance systems, and self-driving cars.”

During tests, the university says the best-performing model was “94% accurate in identifying ripe berries, 91% for ripening berries, and 88% for unripe berries. It also detected impressively high-resolution images in real-time, clocking 21.5 milliseconds per image.”

The $1 million multi-institutional research is funded by the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture National Robotics Initiative in collaboration with the National Science Foundation. 

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The maqui berries market in the United States, Canada, and Mexico is expected to grow due to a rising preference for healthy food consumption.

The maqui market is expected to grow from US$ 11.44 million in 2022 to US$ 26.93 million by 2030, at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 11.3% from 2022 to 2030.

The increase of maqui berries in food and beverage in North America has led to a rise in demand, according to a press release by Business Market Insights, people are rapidly replacing “sugar-dense, and junk food with nutritionally rich, natural, and clean products.” 

According to the report, manufacturers of functional food and beverages are gravitating towards natural fruit and vegetable extracts and botanicals to increase the nutritional value of products.

In the findings, the report shows that the berry is in high demand across the nutraceuticals sector in North America, and manufacturers of nutraceuticals and dietary supplements include maqui berries and its extracts as one of the active ingredients in their products due to the berry’s associated health benefits. 

Some benefits of the maqui berry are neutralizing free radical activities, boosting immunity, and strengthening bones and joints. 

Some of the companies profiled in the North America Maqui Berries Market Report are Abbott Blackstone Co, CK Ingredients Inc, Ferreiro & Co Inc, HP Ingredients Corp, Jeeva Organic Pvt Ltd, Nature’s Power Nutraceuticals Corp, and Rainforest Supply LLC.  

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What started off as a project to test irrigation equipment in Australia ended up in the first importation of pomegranate trees from Israel by Mare and Annette Goldstein. 

“There were no agronomists or people in Australia back then that could give you advice, so we had to go overseas and learn,” Annette told ABC News. 

Starting off, as the fruit was not well known in the continent, they didn’t have many buyers, and “by the fourth year we were producing about 70 tons that we ended up giving to cow growers and other farmers around because we didn’t know what to do with it,” Mare said. 

Pomegranate is still considered an emerging industry in Australia, leading this family of growers to diversify their offer. 

At the factory in Monato, they pack whole fresh fruit on one side, an industry they say has picked up since pomegranates started appearing on cooking programs.

However, due to the fruit’s short shelf life, whatever fruit is not sold is processed, with its red, juicy seeds either frozen or turned into juice. 

Other brands in Victoria are also investing heavily in pomegranates, as is the case of SPC which has taken over the Pom life brand and processing industry of Australian pomegranate growers, one of the industry’s big players according to ABC News Australia. 

A spokesperson for SPC says the chairman of the company is a strong believer that pomegranates are the fruit of the future. 

Profitability

Processors say the fruit itself from the farm is not sold at a high price. However, selling pomegranate seeds packed is a great added value to the fruit, retailing for nearly $80 AUS dollars a kilo (USD $54).

“The margin is definitely there,” said a spokesperson for SPC. “But we’re not there yet.”

Today, the Australian pomegranate industry includes innovative growers, nursery businesses, breeders, researchers, advisers, processors, and industry leaders with further investment and supporting research, development, and extension looking to grow, thrive, and expand market share.

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This article was written based on an ABC News Australia report.