Uruguayan citrus exporter Cítricola Salteña, better known as Caputto, has entered the liquidation process after a special hearing.
The value of avocado exports increased 29% year-on-year in the first quarter of 2020, according to the Bank of Mexico.
France published its fifth emergency decree banning fresh cherry imports from countries where the use of the chemical dimethoate is permitted in cherry production.
The 2 824-TEU container vessel MV Montpellier has been detained for two weeks at the Port of Durban after two of its crew tested positive for coronavirus.
Four new banana varieties developed by Israeli agri-biotech giant Rahan Meristem are ready for commercial development.
As the pandemic puts pressure on supplies, wholesale fruit prices have soared with further hikes expected in the coming weeks.
Following intense efforts over a number of years, Customs authorities have declared that Uruguay is 'fit to start the commercial flow' of citrus to Viet Nam.
Exports of fresh produce have fallen by about 70% since the lockdown began in late March, largely because of high air freight charges.
Following the imposition of a 25% retaliatory tariff in October last year, Spanish orange and soft citrus exports to the United States fell to zero this season.
Although data for March shows a double-digit percentage volume decline year-on-year, year to date exports are up thanks to a strong first 8 months of the marketing year.
APM Terminals Buenos Aires says that in order to meet the growing demand for reliable, stable cold-chain handling of goods, it has commissioned a new cold-store chamber.
With the peak picking season just a few weeks away, thousands of British workers are still needed to replace the foreign workers who usually travel to the UK to pick crops.
The vessel, which was carrying an estimated 1m boxes of Ecuadorian bananas was obliged to divert from the Med after members of the crew showed symptoms of Covid-19.
The investment in the modernisation and construction of new greenhouses is designed to allow Russia to achieve self-sufficiency in vegetable production.
The proceeds from the sale are to be used to repay debt and accelerate further kiwifruit orchard developments in Australia.
The world-leading boron-based discovery platform is to collaborate with Dole Fresh Fruit to find innovative and more sustainable solutions to protect against the banana disease.
Despite a challenging market and logistical issues, Chile saw a 2.9% rise in exports year-on-year, led by an increase in seedless and specialty varieties.
The Queensland Government's investment of A$288K in a new quarantine facility will accelerate the process of importing cultivars that show resistance to the disease.
With 84.4% of Chilean citrus currently destined for the United States, shippers now have the opportunity to look east to diversify export markets.
The waste-to-energy co-project in the Philippines with a unit of Metro Pacific Investment Corp has received 50% of the qualified capital cost from the Japanese government.
Imported fruits are in shorter supply as the coronavirus pandemic has caused lockdown-driven delays in harvesting, flight reductions and a subsequent decline in cargo volumes.
Successful talks clarifying technical issues on phytosanitary arrangements have paved the way for a trade agreement to be signed.
Producers warn that the cancellation of high-profile sporting events, which typically draw huge demand from the foodservice sector, may cause a strawberry glut.
The German carrier saw an increase in transport volumes and freight rates in the Q1 and despite the uncertainties caused the coronavirus pandemic, stands by its profit predictions.
The 93.9K MT consumed domestically in the first 4 months of the year reflects year-on-year growth in the order of 36% and is the highest for more than 20 years.
Tropical Storm Arthur became the first named storm of 2020, forming 16 days before the formal start of a hurricane season forecasters worry has the potential to mirror the worst ever.
The ASEAN private equity firm is to invest US$18m in the Philippine-based integrated cold chain logistics service provider Glacier Megafridge, Inc.
Colombia's largest integrated banana exporter says it expects to ship almost 50m boxes of bananas and plantains in 2020.
The Italian multinational posted an 8% increase in first quarter sales revenues and a 39% rise in EBITDA, and maintains its guidance for the year.
Aside from citrus, Morocco shipped 1m MT of vegetables, berries and exotic fruit in 2019/20, up 6% on last season.
In April 2020, the port in North Carolina set a new record for its operations as it moved 1,459 refrigerated containers.
France's Interprofessional Potato Group says it needs €35m to manage a 450K MT surplus and avoid health and environmental consequences.
With the harvest under way in Andalusia and Murcia and about to begin in Catalonia, early indications are for a minimum 15% loss of production compared to last year.
Turkish fruit sector representatives credit China's approval of cherry imports from Turkey for paving the way for further fruit exports to East Asian markets.
The French government has underwritten the bank loan to help the carrier weather an expected 10% drop in its business as a result of the coronavirus outbreak.
The volume and value of shipments to China fell 27% and 18% year-on-year respectively, as exporters ended the season early.
As the countrywide shutdown has slowed demand for imported fruit, so the number of reefer containers held at the Bangladeshi port has increased.
The world's largest shipping company warned of a sharp drop in global container volumes due to the coronavirus pandemic after posting flat first-quarter revenues.
The French multinational with its supply power base in West Africa says it is to open a ripening and distribution centre in Bucharest with a capacity of 1.1m boxes p.a.
Shipments of lemons, oranges and soft citrus have all posted double digit percentage increases year-on-year.
The industry association estimates that the reduction in tariffs should lead to an immediate increase in the trade of over AS$15m in annual trade with Indonesia.
A Vanguard Intl crop update says the industry should benefit from China lowering tariffs, while there may be slightly reduced volumes due to disease and late frosts.
While the value of fruit and vegetables fell 8.7% year-on-year between January and April, there was a much sharper decline in the value of fresh produce imports.
Due to the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak, Fruit Expo 2020, which was originally scheduled for 16-18 July has been postponed until late September.
The €48m EU-funded Banana Accompanying Measures programme that was scheduled to end this year has been extended until 2022.
Following a record year in volume terms and despite posting a 10% year-on-year rise in shipments in Q1, Filipino banana exports may fall 40% in 2020, according to the exporters' association!
The Cold Connect service was used by shippers to send perishables from the west coast of the United States to the Northeast.
While Greece and France are sanguine about prospects, the adverse pre-harvest weather conditions and difficulties in sourcing labour will affect Italy and Spain.
The first phase of the Angolan State project should have seen 8K MT of bananas and potatoes shipped to the European Union.
Following a successful 2019, the breeder has announced the opening of a new agency to support local producers growing its 'ARRA' and 'Early Sweet' table grape varieties.
The ports that were operating at about 30% of capacity during the early stages of the Covid-19 lockdown are now averaging around 65%.
The Belgian multinational says that its full year earnings figure will be above the revised guidance as its recovery gathers pace.
After a harsh dry season, which caused a sharp decrease in exports in February and March, abundant rainfall saw shipments spike in April.
The moves comes after the New Zealand Court of Appeal overturned a High Court ruling against the Ministry for Primary Industries for failing to prevent the arrival of Psa-V.
The Dutch reefer terminal operator says it expects significantly higher volumes of citrus from Argentina and South Africa as shippers struggle to source containers.
Within the past five years, Tanzanian avocado exports have risen four-fold, according to the Tanzania Horticultural Association.
Brazil's largest integrated melon shipper says it may have to replace melon production with bananas this year to reflect changing demand patterns in international markets.
The receipt of the cranes, which are among the largest in South America and capable of servicing neopanamax vessels, completes Phase I of the DP World development in Ecuador.
The new combined business, T&G Fresh, provides the backbone of New Zealand's fresh fruit and vegetable infrastructure.
SABPA projections indicate that South African blueberry production could reach 25,000 tonnes for the 2020/2021 season, with almost 70% earmarked for export.
The organisers say that in light of the COVID-19 outbreak, they believe it is right for exhibitors and visitors alike that the event should be rescheduled to mid-November.
The duty is typically levied during the winter months in order to help regulate the domestic market.
Apple, pear and cherry exports all increased year-on-year, with the harvest mostly completed before the introduction of lockdown measures.
The world's largest container manufacturer said sales of reefer containers for the first quarter of 2020 fell 23% year-on-year due to weaker demand.
An Antwerp charter flight company is to begin flying seasonal workers from Romania to work in the border area between Belgium and the Netherlands to help with the fruit harvest.
The British university says the technique for measuring the ripeness of avocadoes could reduce waste by up to 10% and help fulfil consumer demand for ready-to-eat fruit.
Ocean Network Express is expanding its refrigerated container fleet by adding another 5,000 units, including 200 units equipped with advanced CA technology.
Colombian Navy divers say they found a container or a box carrying cocaine and amphetamines welded to the hull of a reefer vessel.
Iran has exported its first cargo of fruits and vegetables to Kuwait after the outbreak of the novel coronavirus.
The outbreak is blamed for US$8.8m in losses in the melon, watermelon and pineapple sectors as demand in export markets came to a standstill.
A R307m (US$16.4m) programme is to be implemented over three years across South Africa, with a specific focus on the Limpopo, Mpumalanga, Eastern Cape, North West and KwaZulu-Natal provinces.
After a dip in profits in 2018, the UK fruit distributor reported a year-on-year increase in sales revenue and net profitability for 2019.
Publication of the ruling in the Federal Gazette was the final process in authorising the importation of Egyptian citrus subject to strict phytosanitary protocols.
Hutchison Ports BEST is to supply the Port of Barcelona with what it calls 'a whole range of value-added services to reefer containers' after gaining approval from the port authority.
The Chilean shipping and logistics service provider has acquired the cold-storage and distribution facilities of Saphir, Ridderkerk from the Jupiter Group.
The US$1.9m increase in banana export revenue for March was enough to offset the fall in export sales in citrus and other products.
The Irish distributor said that given the level of publicity it has had since chartering a flight for Bulgarian fruit pickers, it has now had additional applications and other offers.
The kiwifruit marketer says demand is strong and distribution through to consumers has been relatively normal with little or no disruption to date.
Forecasters at Colorado State University and many more among the meteorological community are expecting a 'busier-than-normal' 2020 Atlantic Hurricane Season.
Exporters point to difficulties in hiring labour to pick and pack the harvest as well as trouble finding airfreight capacity to ship the fruit.
