FRUIT AND VEGETABLE NEWS
Argentina’s lemon exports rise sharply in early 2026
Argentina’s lemon exports recorded strong growth in the first four months of 2026, driven by higher shipments of fresh lemons, concentrated lemon juice and essential oil
Turkey expects to increase cherry exports after recovering production
Turkey expects to increase its cherry exports this season thanks to improved growing conditions and a recovery in production volumes, following the losses recorded in the previous campaign due to agricultural frost
Yellow vein clearing puts Spanish lemons on alert
The yellow vein clearing virus threatens to force the uprooting of thousands of lemon trees in Murcia and Alicante, Spain’s main lemon-producing areas, just as the sector has closed a campaign described as historic due to record prices and the high quality of the fruit
Joya®, the Spanish apple that keeps the fruit aisle dynamic
Its name is Joya® and it is the ideal apple for the end of the season, during the hottest months, when its tangy, refreshing flavour really makes the difference
Carrefour accelerates the use of AI in its supermarkets
Carrefour has taken a new step in the application of artificial intelligence to food retail. During its Grand Salon National, held in France, the group presented a rollout of 37 active technological innovations, with a particular focus on computer vision, process automation and the evolution of its generative AI assistant Hopla
Lidl consolidates its position as Europe’s largest retailer
Lidl closed the 2025 fiscal year with global sales of €140.2 billion, up 6.1% on the previous year. With these results, the German discounter strengthens its position as Europe’s largest retailer by sales value
Stora Enso strengthens food safety credentials for fresh produce packaging
Stora Enso’s Oulu business unit has become the first pulp mill in Finland to obtain FSSC 22000 Food Safety System Certification, reinforcing food safety assurance across the value chain for packaging customers, including those operating in the fresh produce sector
EC proposes increasing agricultural crisis reserve amid rising fertiliser prices
The European Commission has proposed increasing the agricultural crisis reserve from €200 million to €500 million in order to strengthen Member States’ capacity to respond to emergency situations affecting the farming sector
ASIA FRUIT LOGISTICA strengthens tech focus with FRESHTech
ASIA FRUIT LOGISTICA, the leading international trade show for Asia’s fresh produce business, announces the launch of FRESHTech — a new platform dedicated to fresh produce technology, debuting at ASIA FRUIT LOGISTICA 2026 in Hong Kong from 2–4 September
Eosta plans expansion of West African mango programme
Eosta is planning to expand organic mango production in the Ivory Coast, following its first successful full season importing from the West African country through its regional supplier Fruiteq. The 2026 Spring season followed the expansion of Fruiteq’s mango production from Burkina Faso to neighbouring Ivory Coast in 2024, thanks to Eosta’s ongoing support
Chiquita expands “Likely the Best Snack Ever” across more moments in 2026
Chiquita’s LTBSE campaign returns with new creative, new moments and a simple truth that’s still hard to beat
Italy secures access to the South African market for its table grapes
The signing of a bilateral protocol between Italy and South Africa will allow Italian table grapes to be exported to the South African market from the next campaign, once the necessary phytosanitary procedures have been established to regulate shipments
