FRUIT AND VEGETABLE NEWS

Mission Produce acquires Calavo Growers
Mission Produce, Inc. and Calavo Growers, Inc. announced that they have entered into a definitive agreement under which Mission will acquire Calavo in a cash-and-stock transaction (the “Agreement”)

New dietary guidelines for the U.S. population
The new dietary guidelines for the U.S. population have recently been published, under the simple slogan “eat real food”, with the aim of making the United States healthy again (“To Make America Healthy Again”). In addition to a visual change — reversing the traditional food pyramid — the guidelines focus on avoiding highly processed foods in order to reduce the intake of salt, sugars and saturated fats, and to encourage a return to the consumption of fresh foods

Startup World at Fruit Logistica: Fresh produce innovation starts here
Where collaborations are born: 18 startups from 11 countries meet decision-makers in Startup World. Highlights include 15 pitch sessions on the Farming Forward Stage

Andalusia leads European blueberry production
Andalusia accounts for around 32% of the European Union’s blueberry production, a share that positions Spain as the second-largest producer in Europe, behind only Poland, which tops the ranking with 33.7%

European fruit loses ground under Mercosur deal
The EU Council has backed, by majority, the signing of the Association Agreement with Mercosur, which is expected to be formalised on 17 January. The agreement improves access for fresh fruit and vegetables from Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay and Paraguay to the EU market, but offers very limited opportunities for EU producers. On the contrary, it risks widening an already unbalanced trade deficit, as in 2024 imports reached €984 million, while exports amounted to just €255 million

Bayer to launch innovative strawberry variety
The new variety Baya Solara directly addresses the pressing production challenges for growers, combining high yield potential, disease resistance, and labor efficiency / Launch represents a cornerstone of the company’s strategic expansion into the strawberry market

Fruit Logistica: Rijk Zwaan showcases innovations
Rijk Zwaan is excited to kick off the year at Fruit Logistica Berlin, the world’s leading trade fair for fresh produce and innovation

ILIP at Marca 2026: a one-stop shop for food packaging solutions
At Marca by BolognaFiere (14-15 January), ILIP presents itself as a ‘one-stop shop’ for food packaging and showcases its solutions for Food Service and Fresh Food Packaging

PML Seafrigo UK & Ireland appoints Sean Smith as new CEO
PML Seafrigo UK & Ireland has announced a leadership transition with the appointment of Sean Smith as its new Chief Executive Officer, following the departure of Mike Parr, who will officially step down from the role on 6 January 2026

Peruvian blueberry exports reach 333,284 tons by week 52
Peru’s 2025/26 blueberry campaign has reached an accumulated volume of 333,284 tons by week 52, representing a 19 per cent increase compared with the previous season. Export activity has remained at elevated levels throughout the peak period, reflecting the scale of supply available to key markets

M2i Group & Pherobio efiter ifito a lofig-term partfiership
Two international leaders in Biocontrol and pheromones, the French company M2i Group and the Chinese company Pherobio; have entered into a cooperation agreement that marks a new phase in the development of the global biopesticides sector

Copefrut’s strategy to keep growing over the next 70 years
In an interview with News Frutas de Chile, Copefrut’s CEO Andrés Fuenzalida explains that long-term success is built on three pillars: close technical support for growers, technological innovation and full control of the value chain, from the orchard to the end consumer





