FRUIT AND VEGETABLE NEWS
Zhejiang opens Belgian market to its Shine Muscat grapes
China’s Zhejiang province has completed its first recorded table grape shipment to Belgium. The consignment, consisting of 150 kg of Shine Muscat grapes, met the European Union’s phytosanitary requirements and opens a new commercial route for growers in the eastern Chinese province
Westfalia Fruit brings new ripeness guidance to avocado shoppers in India
Westfalia Fruit is helping remove one of the biggest barriers to avocado adoption in India by introducing in-store ripeness indicator technology with leading retail customers. These units are now in place across 5 major cities in India, giving shoppers a simple way to choose an avocado based on when they want to eat it
Port of Fortaleza plans new reefer terminal with 1,226 plugs
The Port of Fortaleza, in Mucuripe, is preparing a new container terminal designed to strengthen refrigerated fruit exports. Brazil’s federal audit court, TCU, has approved the model for the MUC04 terminal, which foresees around R$429 million (US$80 million) in investment under a 25-year lease
Peruvian blueberry exports lose momentum
Proarándanos has revised down its export forecast for the current season, now placing shipments at around 382,000 tonnes, 6% below the estimate published in August. Weather anomalies continue to affect production, and the industry is not ruling out further adjustments before the end of the year
Middle East tensions drive up crude oil shipping costs
Tanker freight rates have reached record levels following an escalation of attacks on commercial vessels in the Middle East. The situation is increasing risk along one of the world’s most important energy routes and could ultimately raise energy and logistics costs in importing economies such as Spain
LUV Fiera connects Italian table grapes with international buyers
LUV – La Fiera dell’Uva da Tavola will strengthen its international focus in 2026 with a dedicated programme of B2B meetings and visits to table grape growers and marketing companies in Puglia. The event will take place from 20 to 22 October at the Nuova Fiera del Levante in Bari
Territorio Aguacate focuses on competitiveness, innovation and business
The Colombian Hass avocado industry is entering a new stage in which growth is no longer simply about producing more, but about improving productivity, anticipating market changes, adopting technology and managing risks more effectively. These will be some of the key themes at Territorio Aguacate 2026, taking place on 4 and 5 November in Medellín
GPG showcases UC Davis strawberry genetics at Peru’s Strawberry Congress
Global Plant Genetics (GPG) took part as a Platinum Sponsor in the inaugural International Strawberry Congress of Peru, held on 4 September at the Universidad Nacional Agraria La Molina (UNALM), where it presented the latest UC Davis strawberry genetics and highlighted the opportunities for the crop in the Peruvian market
Spain’s lemon crop set to reach 1.21 million tonnes in 2026/27
AILIMPO forecasts Spanish lemon production at 1,214,600 tonnes for the 2026/27 season, 19% higher than in the previous campaign. The increase will be driven by both Fino lemons, up an estimated 17%, and Verna, up 24%, following a season marked by lower production
Murcia leads Europe in seedless table grape production
Murcia’s Regional Minister of Agriculture, Joaquín Buendía, highlighted these figures during a visit to Moyca, where he emphasised the progress made by the regional sector and its growing presence in international markets
Fyffes targets 13,000 hectares under regenerative agriculture by 2030
Fyffes has launched a new Regenerative Agriculture Framework aimed at integrating regenerative practices across 13,000 hectares of banana and pineapple farms by 2030, before extending proven approaches more widely throughout its supply chain by 2035
Satellites and AI to detect pests and anticipate harvests
The AVA-ASAJA Sinyent Experimental Farm is advancing the development of new remote-sensing applications together with the University of Valencia to improve the management of citrus and cereal crops. The work combines satellite imagery, artificial intelligence, drones and field sensors to detect problems at an early stage, optimise resources and anticipate crop development
