Asiafruit

Dole Tropical Gold pineapples, grown in Mindanao in the...

Wed, 22 Feb 2012 00:53:04 -0500

Dole Tropical Gold pineapples, grown in Mindanao in the Philippines, on sale in a New Zealand supermarket.

The US Department of Agriculture has just released a new Plant...

Wed, 15 Feb 2012 20:59:00 -0500

The US Department of Agriculture has just released a new Plant Hardiness Zone Map that provides up-to-date information on temperature spreads across the country.

"I’ve just been up looking at the grapes. The quality is the best I’ve seen for a long time...."

Tue, 17 Jan 2012 00:40:56 -0500

“I’ve just been up looking at the grapes. The quality is the best I’ve seen for a long time. We’re looking forward to a good season after a few tough ones.”

- Brad Senn of Australian produce exporter EXIM Trading on this year’s table grape crop from the Murray Darlin Basin region.

Kumquat quash: Pakistan has included ‘kumquat’ in a...

Tue, 10 Jan 2012 00:00:02 -0500

Kumquat quash: Pakistan has included ‘kumquat’ in a list of more than 1,000 words it has demanded mobile phone network providers censor from text messages. (Photo: David R Tribble.)

Pakistani kinnow season off to rocky start

Wed, 21 Dec 2011 18:23:15 -0500

Pakistani kinnow season off to rocky start:

Pakistan’s kinnow export season has got off to a difficult start due to tough market competition from Chinese fruit and no access to Indonesia.

Fresh Appeal: The front cover of the December 2011/January 2012...

Sat, 10 Dec 2011 09:08:00 -0500

Fresh Appeal: The front cover of the December 2011/January 2012 issue of Asiafruit Magazine features not only the chief executive of BayWa, the company set to take over NZ supplier Turners & Growers in the new year, but a brand new logo.

The magazine has undergone a major redesign, bringing it into line with sister titles Eurofruit and Americafruit, while also enabling us to deliver all the latest industry news and views in a more up-to-date, more modern format.

For more information on how to secure your copy, click on Subscribe.

During the flooding in Bangkok, Thai importer Vachamon used...

Thu, 17 Nov 2011 22:58:06 -0500

During the flooding in Bangkok, Thai importer Vachamon used small boats to get fruit out of cold storage and onto trucks to deliver to customers, before moving operations to the Laem Chabang Port area above the flood level.

It’s not what most growers would call ideal land, but...

Thu, 17 Nov 2011 22:29:09 -0500

It’s not what most growers would call ideal land, but Chilean kiwifruit grower Christian Abud said his rocky 37ha “professional challenge” is now one of the world’s largest single orchards of the gold-fleshed Jintao kiwifruit variety.

Abud chose to plant on the site, in partnership with grower-marketer Subsole, because he had seen good results from the eucalypt plantation that had stood there for the previous 50 years.

“I think the advantages are on the earliness at maturity,” he told Asiafruit Magazine. “The stone is heated and releases summer temperature at night. I think the roots of the kiwifruit are very comfortable for the high oxygenation and organic matter that is left [from] the forest.”

Apple-a-day opportunity going begging for India

Mon, 24 Oct 2011 23:09:47 -0400

Apple-a-day opportunity going begging for India:

Indian apple producers are missing out on the huge potential of their domestic market, says marketing professional Vipul Mittal.

"I think sooner or later we will have to open the market more, because our self-production is less..."

Mon, 24 Oct 2011 23:05:42 -0400

“I think sooner or later we will have to open the market more, because our self-production is less than 40 per cent. But there are so many growers in Japan too, and there is concern - agriculture is a country’s base issue. But I think we will open the door more.”

- Hiroaki ‘Don’ Okazoe from Japanese importer IPM Nishimoto on the attitude of the new Japanese government on opening the market to horticultural imports.

Ever wondered how to grow a Japanese-style square watermelon?...

Thu, 13 Oct 2011 17:16:38 -0400

Ever wondered how to grow a Japanese-style square watermelon? Follow the link to find out.

"Once again at the Asia Fruit Logistica, that was probably the most inquiries we really had over..."

Thu, 29 Sep 2011 00:00:32 -0400

“Once again at the Asia Fruit Logistica, that was probably the most inquiries we really had over there was from mainland China, looking for opportunities to import Australian cherries.”

- Scott Coupland, president of the NSW Cherry Growers Association, on potential access to the Chinese mainland market for Australian cherries.

The Indian government’s recent ban on onion exports has...

Mon, 26 Sep 2011 21:19:46 -0400

The Indian government’s recent ban on onion exports has not proven an effective way to control domestic retail prices of the vegetable, according to a report from India’s Business Standard. The chart shows the divergence of wholesale and retail onion pricing over the last two months.

Zespri downplays agent arrest

Fri, 26 Aug 2011 00:10:57 -0400

Zespri downplays agent arrest:

The arrest of Zespri’s Shanghai-based import agent, Liu Xiongjie, appears to signal a tighter regulation of China’s fruit import business.

Nuclear fallout: Workers pack akatsuki peaches on Wednesday 10...

Thu, 11 Aug 2011 17:16:43 -0400

Nuclear fallout: Workers pack akatsuki peaches on Wednesday 10 August 2011 at JA Shinfukushima in the Japanese city of Fukushima. From the Japan Times: “Rumours of contamination due to fallout from the Fukushima nuclear plant have harmed sales of food from the prefecture, the nation’s second-largest peach grower. The latest batch, however, measured way within the state safety limit.”

"The Avanza group, comprising New Zealand’s top four exporters, are looking at allocating..."

Mon, 04 Jul 2011 20:55:46 -0400

“The Avanza group, comprising New Zealand’s top four exporters, are looking at allocating approximately 400,000 trays to Japan this coming season, representing about 10 per cent of the crop, and we forecast that other Asian markets such as Singapore, Hong Kong, Korea, Thailand and Malaysia will absorb in excess of 100,000 trays.”

- Steve Trickett of New Zealand exporter Just Avocados talks to Asiafruit Magazine about export opportunities for the country’s upcoming bumper avocado season.

NOL unveils new port terminal in China

Wed, 29 Jun 2011 23:20:57 -0400

NOL unveils new port terminal in China:

NOL joint venture container terminal in Qingdao, China, opens for business ahead of schedule.

New Zealand’s Plant & Food Research talks about the...

Wed, 29 Jun 2011 23:18:53 -0400

New Zealand’s Plant & Food Research talks about the country’s low chemical residue programme Apple Futures.

Tesco’s new ‘virtual Homeplus supermarkets’,...

Mon, 27 Jun 2011 21:20:05 -0400

Tesco’s new ‘virtual Homeplus supermarkets’, using QR coded displays in South Korean train stations, have had a huge impact on their online grocery business.

China floods put pressure on food prices

Thu, 23 Jun 2011 21:37:47 -0400

China floods put pressure on food prices :

Flooding in China is causing significant damage to vegetable crops, adding upward pressure on food prices.