IN DEPTH
“China shows the greatest promise; its avocado consumption has shot up”
Michael Horney, Vice-chairman of the WAO, talks about the advances made on the Asian markets and the sector’s current situation
Editorial
In transition…
We seem to have learnt little from pandemics or wars because Europe’s food sovereignty is fading away. And all of this is happening on a continent where, like no other, the homework is being done on labour, social and environmental subjects, but where the legislative frameworks are strangling activity. European exports are plummeting (-6.5%); imports are rocketing, by 12% in the months between January and September alone. And Spain is following the same dynamic as the rest of Europe.
Profile of the month
A true rugby player
Joaquín Fernández Peláez was born in Valladolid 44 years ago, but his roots come from Burgos and, if you go further back, his ancestors were from Asturias. Physically, he is strongly built, weighing 114 kilos, which rose to 145 at one point. He has known how to take advantage of his body build by playing rugby.
ONION
Keys for understanding the current campaign
The 2022-2023 period left onion stocks virtually depleted due to the shortage occurring all over the world. This has resulted in the prices in the current campaign remaining high
Tarazona: “We are being forced to import onions”
Spain produces around 1.2 million tonnes of onions per year, a volume that puts it in one of the leading positions in Europe, alongside the Netherlands
Presentation of the PGI Cebolla de La Mancha
During the International Onion Meeting held in Albacete on the 7th and 8th of November, the regional government of Castilla-La Mancha presented the launch of the Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) Cebolla de La Mancha (Onions of La Mancha)
Consuay: a commitment to quality
The Valencian company Consuay is projecting its future with the installation of optical calibrators that will allow improved onion selection and greater efficiency in the processes
Koppert effectively controls pests and diseases in onions
Its biological control strategy with insects and beneficial nematodes manages to increase yield because it acts both on the plant and on the soil
Campero F1, the perfect link with Valero F1
The latest variety from BASF is framed in a medium cycle within the long day segment, and it has been developed completely for export
“Prices are still high this year”
Fruit Today talked to Gerard Hoekman, Manager of the Dutch company Mulder Onions about the current campaign. He asserted that there is a limited offer of onions due to diseases in the produce
“We believe that heat stress affects internal damage of onions”
As a benchmark in the sector, Bejo is seeking solutions for the main problems affecting onions and is extending its range with varieties such as Colt
“We are importing onions because consumers demand quality all year long”
At Navarro Darder, they foresee a good campaign and guarantee that imported onions will continue to be distributed because consumers are demanding quality
PUMPKIN
“Pumpkins have experienced a great revolution”
Fruit Today magazine talked to Alberto Montañana Peris, General Manager of one of the most important and long-standing companies in pumpkins
“The peanut squash has become standard all over the world”
The progress of the pumpkin around the world is not in question. Its nutritional properties and the new varieties that Sakata have put on the market are responsible for its bursting onto the market.
kiwi FRUIT
ZAG, the new innovative initiative from Zespri
The annual 2-million-dollar fund will boost initiatives to help shape a prosperous world through kiwis
Shortage of Hayward in Italy
Italy is experiencing a shortage of Hayward kiwis, but the market seems fluid due to the lack of produce
brassicas and leaf
“Climate change is causing unusual campaigns that are difficult to predict”
An interview with Juan Marín Bravo, chairman of the broccoli and cauliflower sector at Proexport and general manager of Campo de Lorca-Cricket
TOP SEEDS is preparing its broccoli launch
The seed company plans to present its first commercial variety, BRC-104, during this campaign
“Producers are no longer putting all their eggs in one basket”
Bayer is extending its brassica range with flexible, quality varieties that can be harvested mechanically
Enza Zaden is presenting three cauliflower varieties
Nebula, Serenity and Oceanique are its new proposals for summer and autumn crops. It is also launching its radish Alboka
Rijk Zwaan acts against advancing fusarium
The seed company is developing new varieties with high resistance under the Fusarium Defence umbrella to try to slow down one of the most serious problems for lettuces
Batch of new developments at Syngenta
The company is increasing its iceberg offer and is starting to work in multi-leaf, in addition to launching new, colour-filled materials in the brassica segment
CITRIC FRUIT
Monumental competition
Year after year, Egypt is increasing its productions. During this season it will put 5.4 million tonnes on the market, a figure that is 10% higher than in the previous campaign, which was already 20% higher
The South African lion is roaring
South Africa is handling a discrediting strategy towards European institutions
Turkey and Egypt are stepping on the gas
Turkey and Egypt are the countries contributing most to the rise in citrus fruit production in the northern hemisphere, which went up by 12.2%. The Spanish harvest has only grown by 2%
“Fruit quality has been poor”
Andalusian citrus fruit productions are suffering the consequences of a prolonged drought that has caused a shortage in production
COMPANIES
CPR, the reliable supplier
Fruit Today magazine visited El Jamón supermarkets with its returnable logistics provider, CPR System Iberia, to discover the functionality of its containers
Moleaer is opting for Almeria
The Californian company has opened the head offices of Moleaer Spain in Nijar to expand its disruptive nanobubble technology
On New Year’s Eve, Uvasdoce Fresh will be giving out double luck
On the 5th of December, Uvasdoce launched its campaign on social media for this New Year’s Eve with the name Suerte, Suerte (Lucky, Lucky). The company’s expectations involve growing by two digits and exceeding 600,000 units.
Wooden containers and sustainability
According to a study carried out by the Observatory for Greenhouse Effect Gas Emissions, wooden containers have the lowest environmental impact in the greenhouse effect gas emissions, pollution, eco-toxicity and soil use categories
Quality and Adviser: a competitive advantage with sustainability
Quality & Adviser, S.L, decided to put the spotlight on business consultancy with aspects such as sustainability, owing to the great demand and because this is taken into account both in business decisions and in the new legislative regulations
APPLE
Europe is adjusting its apple production
In a second review of capacities by Prognosfruit, Europe is adjusting its apple harvest forecast, dropping from 11.4 million tonnes to 10.9 million
Envy, the apple of the most demanding palates
The Envy apple stands out for its differential attributes. Envy offers a sweet flavor and crunchy texture that delights the most demanding palates.
Giropoma: non-stop investments
The Catalan cooperative has just installed its first automated line; it already has a water recovery installation and it will extend its photovoltaic production.
VIP: a new organisational approach to the clubs
Coordinating the development of the club varieties at VIP is a task that has basically been developed by a specific manager since October, 2022
Melinda will transport its apples by cable car
The Italian Government has given the go ahead to a unique logistics system for transporting pallets of fruit using cable cars in the Dolomite Mountains
Pink Lady has grown by 20%
Pink Lady® Europe predicts a production of around 225,000 tonnes of quality Pink Lady® and PinKids® apples for the 2023-2024 campaign; that is to say, 20% more than the previous year, with a homogeneous calibre
semillas
Valdemar F1: the traditional melon with resistance to powdery mildew
HM.Clause’s variety has been winning over the brands for two years now due to its flavour, the successor of Valverde F1, and the added bonus of its resistances
Novero, the new beefsteak tomato from Bayer, fighting against ToBRFV
The company has presented its new tomato variety Novero, with IR to ToBRFV, and it will launch DRTH2913 in the near future to meet a greater range of requirements
“There is a financial risk for the sector”
We interviewed Silvia Cifre, Vice-Chairwoman of Marketing and Sales at BASF |Nunhems, about the challenges being faced by the sector and the company’s next milestones
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