USA: The increasing problem of spider mites in strawberries

As temperatures rise and day lengths extend, the two-spotted spider mite is becoming increasingly problematic. According to ADAS, this pest has already been noted on outdoor and protected strawberries this year.

The contact-acting acaricide Borneo has an off label approval for use in strawberries for the control of the two-spotted spider mite to add to its label recommendations in protected tomatoes and aubergines and its SOLA in protected ornamental plants.

Etoxazole, the active ingredient of Borneo, is a contact acting acaricide that works by inhibiting chitin production, affecting moulting and growth in spider mites. This results in effective control of eggs and all immature stages of the spider mites. It also has an adverse effect on egg production, through its chitin inhibition, making the female adult mites sterile.

Etoxazole is from the oxaline group of insecticides and shows no cross-resistance to any other acaricides. It has a useful place as the first spray in the spider mite control programme.

The product will give best performance when used at first appearance of the first mobile stages of spider mites. It is applied at a maximum of 35 mls per 100 litres of water in a minimum of 500 litres of water, sufficient to obtain good crop coverage. One application of Borneo is allowed per crop. Borneo has a residual action of around 45 to 60 days. It has little adverse effect on bees, predatory mites or wasps and is expected to fit in well within IPM systems.

Growers need to obtain a copy of the notice of approval to use Borneo in strawberries via the Chemicals Regulation Directorate (CRD) web site, ADAS offices, the HDC or NFU. The SOLA reference number is 2400 of 2009. Growers are advised to test a small area of crop prior to commercial use.

Developed by Sumitomo Chemical Company, Borneo contains 110 gms/litre etoxazole formulated as a suspension concentrate. It is packed in 250 mls packs.

In the SOLA notice of approval, CRD point out that, as is the case for all SOLA's, liability lies with the user and growers are advised to test a small area of crop prior to commercial use.Accordingly, Sumitomo Chemical Company Ltd as manufacturer of Borneo and Interfarm as UK distributor decline any liability in case of crop damage or efficacy enquiries.

Italy visit shocks kiwifruit growers

The vine disease Psa has been described as a "9/11" of the kiwifruit industry. Every kiwifruit grower, whether their orchard had Psa or not, had been affected by the outbreak which has irrevocably changed the industry. This is the belief of a 22-strong group of growers, consultants and representatives of post-harvest operators, who have visited the Psa-affected region of Latina in Italy. "Psa is the 9/11 of the kiwifruit industry. Nothing will ever be the same again," said Carlos Verissimo of Patamuhoe, Auckland. "Before I visited Italy, I had questioned some of the of the hygiene measures we were being asked to carry out but have changed my mind after what I've seen here," he said.

"We have to do everything we can to stop its spread," said Mr Verissimo as he and the party visited yet another Latina orchard where vines were dying from Psa. The sense of shock at the level of destruction caused by the bacteria Pseudomonas syringae pv actinidiae (Psa) he had seen on Italian orchards was shared by others in the party. After two days of talking to some of the worst affected growers, the party conceded New Zealand orchardists could not be complacent about Psa and think that their orchard practices and growing conditions would shield them from the worst the disease could do.

Even in the few days they had been away from New Zealand, secondary Psa-V symptoms were confirmed for the first time in a Hayward orchard in Te Puke and preliminary tests showed the most virulent form of the disease was also probably present in orchards in Paengaroa, Pongakawa South and Gisborne and Nuhaka (between Gisborne and Napier). That news will only increase the uncertainty about the future which has seen orchard values drop and sales slow dramatically, trends unlikely to reverse until solutions are found to manage the disease. Mark Ericksen, a kiwifruit grower of Hawke's Bay, who worked in Latina four years ago helping establish 300ha of Zespri Gold kiwifruit orchards, was dismayed at what he saw and how hard the loss of vines and income was on growers.

"New Zealand growers have got to take this seriously. There is too much at stake," he said. Many of the growers admitted they had thought growing conditions on the heavy, former wet-land soils of Latina, the management practices of Italian growers, plus the fragmented nature of the industry may have made their vines more susceptible to Psa. Elaine Fisher is visiting Italy as a guest of Zespri and Kiwifruit Vine Health.

Russia bans German and Spanish vegetables

Country to seize all vegetable imports from Germany and Spain, with threat of further sanctions against other EU suppliers

In the wake of an E.coli bacteria outbreak linked to Spanish cucumbers which has so far reportedly led to the death of 14 people in Germany and more than 300 taken ill across a number of European countries, Russia has taken the drastic step of banning all vegetable imports from both Germany and Spain.

Austria is also reported to have banned all sales of cucumbers, tomatoes and aubergines grown in Spain.

According to the Associated Press, Russian officials have also warned that it could extend the ban to other European countries if a satisfactory explanation of how the outbreak came about is not forthcoming soon.

The country's consumer consumer protection agency, the Federal Service for Supervision of Consumer Protection and Welfare, said in a statement that the ban covered "raw vegetables", including tomatoes, cucumbers and salad produced in Germany and Spain.

"This measure stems from the outbreak in Germany of the acute intestinal infection caused by Enterohaemorrhagic E. coli (EHEC)," the agency said in a statement.

Late last week, German officials said they had reason to believe that the deadly bacterial strain may have come from organic cucumbers imported from Spain.

"Moreover, in the coming hours, a decision may be taken to ban the import to or sale in Russia of vegetables produced in all EU countries," the Russian statement added.

Agency chief and chief medical officer Gennady Onishchenko urged Russians to eat only locally grown vegetables, adding that all vegetables already imported from Germany and Spain would be seized.

"We are calling on the population not to purchase fresh vegetables from Germany and Spain," Interfax quoted Onishchenko as saying. "Let them purchase domestic products."

Meanwhile, the latest reports quoting local authorities suggest 36 cases of suspected E. coli in Sweden, all of them in people who were recently in northern Germany.

A smaller number of cases have also been noted in the UK, Denmark, France and the Netherlands, all linked to recent travel to Germany.

However, Spanish authorities continue to maintain that there is no evidence the deadly outbreak has been caused by Spanish vegetables.

Spain's health minister Leire Pajin observed that no cases of E.coli infection have yet been reported within her country, and called on counterparts in Germany to provide definitive proof of what has caused the outbreak.

Germany's allegations "create alarm and affect the producers of a country without any evidence," she said.

European peach and nectarine volumes set to rise

Stonefruit volumes are expected to increase slightly in Europe in 2011, but producers are more relieved by the timing of the season

Having experienced a significant delay of up to two weeks last season due to unusually low temperatures, European peach and nectarine producers are welcoming the expected return to a normal production schedule this year.

In terms of volumes, a slight increase of 2 per cent is forecast over 2010's results, with the total European crop expected to reach 2.86m tonnes, according to figures released by Europêch' at last week's Medfel trade fair in Perpignan, France.

The largest producer country, Italy, is expected to see a fall of 2 per cent compared with last season, with volumes forecast at 1.45m tonnes.

This would represent a drop of 3 per cent in contrast to the 2005-2009 average, thanks mostly to a dramatic fall of 22 per cent in clingstone peach production.

In Spain, volumes are forecast to rise by 10 per cent to some 802,604 tonnes, with peach volumes increasing by 12 per cent to 365,134 tonnes and nectarines increasing by 8 per cent to 437,470 tonnes.

This total volume would mark a rise of 19 per cent over the five-year average, aided by a 25 per cent increase in peach production and a 14 per cent rise in nectarine volumes.

Spanish production of clingstone peaches, on the other hand, is in decline, with orchards being uprooted to make way for other varieties. 2011 volumes are expected to be 27 per cent lower than the 2005-2009 average.

Meanwhile, the planted area for flat peaches is on the rise, with production expected to reach around 81,550 tonnes this season, up from last year's 55,000 tonnes.

In France, total production is forecast to fall by 3 per cent to 308,713 tonnes, a 15 per cent drop compared with the five-year average.

While peach and nectarine volumes are expected to fall compared with last year, by 4 and 2 per cent respectively, clingstone peach production is anticipated to rise by 4 per cent.

According to Bruno Darnaud, president of AOP Pêches et Nectarines France, peach volumes are likely to rise in the future as phytosanitary issues related to apricots encourage French farmers to switch from apricot to peach production.

In Greece, stonefruit volumes are expected to rise by 8 per cent this season, to some 298,200 tonnes.

Increases of 9 per cent for peaches and 4 per cent for nectarines are forecast to make up for the anticipated 11 per cent drop in clingstone peach production.

The total volume marks a decrease of 3 per cent compared with the 2005-2009 average, with clingstone peach volumes down 26 per cent.

Chile records table grape growth

The US, Europe and the Middle East rank as the leading destinations for Chilean Thompson Seedless, Red Globe and Crimson Seedless grapes this season

Exports of Chilean table grapes have risen by 6.9 per cent to 777,150 tonnes up to week 16, according to figures released by the Chilean Fresh Fruit Exporters Association (Asoex) and reported by SimFRUIT.

The US East Coast has received the majority of the sendings, according to Asoex, absorbing 297,391 tonnes by down 7.49 per cent on the same period last season.

Europe ranks as the second-largest destination for Chilean grapes, receiving 189,879 tonnes or 12.2 per cent more than the year-earlier period.

The Middle East, meanwhile, represents the third-biggest market for Chilean grapes this season with 127,179 tonnes or 51.5 per cent more than last year.

The most exported varieties this season are Thompson Seedless, Red Globe and Crimson Seedless, Asoex said.

European apricot crop down 20%

Significant downturn in production volumes forecast for Italy, Greece and Spain, while France expects only slight decreas.

European apricot production is set to fall dramatically this season, according to new figures unveiled at this week's Europêch, the annual stonefruit sector meeting, in Perpignan, France.

As confirmed by Italian industry association CSO, overall apricot volumes across the four major European producers – France, Greece, Italy and Spain – are predicted to fall by 20 per cent compared with last season to around 414,000 tonnes.

Italy, Europe's largest apricot producer, is preparing for a 22 per cent decrease in volumes, from 228,000 tonnes in 2010 to some 189,000 tonnes this year.

The downturn is likely to most evident in the south of the country, where production forecasts are down by 28 per cent overall as a result of recent cold conditions.

In Emilia-Romagna in the north, meanwhile, the decrease will not be quite so pronounced at around 15 per cent, CSO reported.

While apricot supply in France, the next-largest producer, is set to fall by just 3 per cent year-on-year to 134,000 tonnes – still above the average for the past six years – the biggest decline is set to be visible in Greece.

There, an expected drop in output is set to mean the country will produce just 40,100 tonnes, 43 per cent less than the 70,400 tonnes it produced in 2010 – although that figure in itself was 35 per cent up on 2009 and 10 per cent above the average for 2004-2008.

Spain continues to fall away in terms of its apricot production area, resulting in an estimated 51,000 tonnes of production for 2011 and a likely 21 per cent decline when compared with the previous campaign's volume.

Last season, Spain saw its apricot output drop by 20 per cent to 69,670 tonnes, a marked 29 per cent decrease on the 2004-2008 average.

Spain anticipate fresh asparagus sales to multiply 5 times

The president for the Regulating Council of Navarra Asparagus as Protected Geographic Indication, Martín Barbarin, signalled yesterday that they're ready to multiply the sales of fresh asparagus by 5, in two years time. This means that if in the last campaign consumers bought almost 100,000 kilos of it, the amount should reach 500,000 in a short period of time. "If each person from Navarra eats a kilo per year the solution would be already there", he indicated.

He believes in the "continuity of this white gold, but not as in the 80's". The president bets in diversifying the way the product is presented to consumer, so competitiveness is kept. They're looking to encourage the consumption of fresh asparagus; and encourage peeled asparagus in small bags that go straight to the pot; but not forgetting the canned asparagus" even if there's a strong competition in that market", he added.

Barbarín classified the present situation as "transitory", since "we have the tools to make this cultivation profitable for farmers: we just have to keep working".

The Council's president said this in the tasting trip organized by UAGN and Fundagro in the Castillo Plaza, in Pamplona. An action supported by the Government of Navarra. The organization prepared a stand to inform people about the difference between canned asparagus brands coming from the community and the ones imported, mainly from China and Peru. "Only the can with Navarra asparagus has a tag from the Regulation Council, with a code bar to certify that it was cultivated and canned in Navarra, together with the certification stamp. These two stamps are not on the cans of other products", he clarified.

Ukraine 'becomes net apple exporter'

Reports reveal the country's apple exports are outweighing imports for the first time in its independent history

Analysts at the Fruit-Inform Project have noted this week that Ukraine's apple imports have fallen fivefold through the first seven months of the apple season, as the country swings towards net exporter status for the category.

Throughout the seven-month period, Ukraine's apple exports were 70 per cent higher than its imports, Fruit-Inform project revealed.

"For the first time in its independent history, Ukraine was a net exporter of apples over the first seven months of a season," said Andriy Yarmak, head of the project. "This was due to last year's domestic production growth with simultaneous decreases in most production countries of the world.

"This is a result of serious efforts in apple production development and huge investments made by Ukrainian entrepreneurs over the last 6-7 years," he added.

UK organic sales fall

Sales of organics in the UK market dropped by 5.9 per cent in 2010, but signs of a recovery are clear

UK sales of organic products fell by 5.9 per cent to £1.73bn (€1.96bn) in 2010, according to the Organic Market Report published by the Soil Association, with the rate of decline slowing significantly throughout the year.

The Soil Association described the outlook for 2011 as "cautiously optimistic", with the report showing positive signs of resilience and recovery for the organic sector in general.

According to the report, 86 per cent of UK households now buy organic products, and fresh fruit and vegetables now account for 23.2 per cent of sales.

Although sales through the main retailers fell by 7.7 per cent, to £1.25bn (€1.41bn), Waitrose and Marks & Spencer anticipate modest growth for 2011.

Meanwhile, Tesco, Sainsbury's, Morrisons and the Co-operative predict level sales year on year.

Organically farmed land decreased by 0.6 per cent to 738,709ha and now represents 4.2 per cent of UK farmland.

Over the same period, the number of UK organic producers reportedly fell by 4.2 per cent to 7,567 in 2010, from a record high of 7,896 in 2009.

Roger Mortlock, deputy director of the Soil Association, commented: "There is powerful evidence that consumers who care about the diverse benefits of organic will stay loyal, even during these tough economic times. Given the current uncertainties in the UK and global economy, it would be rash to make any predictions for the future organic market. But the instability caused by climate change, population growth and resource depletion mean that business as usual in food and farming is not an option."

Apple imports on the slide in Russia

A year-on-year import volume dip of 7.3 per cent has been noted by market analyst Fruit-Inform Project for January and February 2011

Russia has reported on a decrease in apple imports heading to the country through the early months of 2011, with shipments in January and February falling by 7.3 per cent on the same two months of 2010.

Analysts at the Fruit-Inform Project attributed the drop to price growth and an overall shortage of high quality apples from Poland and the EU.

"Russia lowered apple imports due to the growth of prices being sharper than last season, and an overall shortage of high-quality apples from Poland and the European Union," confirmed Andriy Yarmak, head of Fruit-Inform Project.

"However, decreasing apple imports were compensated for by growth in imports of bananas, oranges and mandarins, which grew by 7 per cent, 26 per cent and 14 per cent respectively over the first two months of 2011," he added.

Poland continued to lead the way in terms of export volumes with 37 per cent market share, followed by China, Serbia, Germany Moldova, Belgium and Ukraine.

NZ kiwifruit from Zespri arriving to Europe

Zespri Europe confirms 6 May as first new-season consignment's expected arrival date in the Port of Zeebrugge, Belgium

Kiwifruit picking and packing in New Zealand is in full swing, with marketer Zespri confirming that the first vessel carrying fruit for Europe has already left the port of Tauranga and is expected to arrive in the Belgian port of Zeebrugge around 6 May.

The volume of fruit anticipated during the 2011 season will be similar to last year's, with around 100m trays of kiwifruit set to be exported from the country.

Growing conditions have been described as "fantastic", with more rainfall and higher temperatures on average compared with last season.

"We are expecting a great crop as a result," said the group's European marketing manager Jean-Louis Warnimont.

Zespri's supply chain general manager, Sally Gardiner, confirmed the anticipation was building as the season got underway.

"With the start of the season there is always a real buzz in the industry as the hard work done through the growing season starts to deliver, as all those working in the industry prepare themselves for the very busy months ahead and the anticipation builds in our offshore markets for the arrival of new season fruit," she explained.

"We are confident that there will again be strong demand for Zespri's premium kiwifruit in overseas markets despite ongoing global economic uncertainty and the still-to-be determined impact on demand in our key market of Japan from the devastating earthquakes and subsequent tsunami."

Medlar season started in Alicante, Spain

Medlar campaign has just started in the province of Alicante and this year it has excellent expectations with fruits of excellent taste, color and size, and the.

The winter cold and the lack of rainfall have meant that the fruit has had a slower development and that it stays longer in the tree, to reach larger size and flavor. Thus the 2011 season of this fruit is presented with great expectations, also in terms of production; it is expected to be around 13,400,000 kilos.

Metro moving on India

German retailer Metro has signalled it will join the race to corner India's burgeoning cash and carry sector with plans to open 50 wholesale outlets in the country

Germany's largest retailer Metro intends to open as many as 50 wholesale outlets in India in the next five years as part of an expansion push in Asia, as sales at home stagnate.

Metro chief executive Eckhard Cordes told livemint.com India, along with China and Russia constituted the company's top three markets for the coming years.

Metro currently has six wholesale outlets in India since introducing the format to the country in 2003.

It will be in competition with the likes of US retail giant Walmart, which plans to open up to 12 cash and carry outlets in the country this year, and UK-based retailer Tesco, which opened its first cash and carry outlet in New Delhi in January.

"Our target of 50 stores by 2015 won't be the end, we definitely see a potential for a three-digit number for our stores here," Cordes told the website without specifying any details. "I think the market potential for cash-and-carry business in India, if you do it right, is huge."

"In the years to come, we will not distribute our investments for store openings evenly across the globe, there will be a clear focus on Asia plus comparable countries," he added.

The development of cash and carry outlets in India is attractive to retailers as it would position them to develop multi-brand retail outlets there should the government decide to remove current restrictions on foreign ownership in the sector.

Excessive nitrogen use is harmful

The Soil Association says that a new study revealing the cost of excessive nitrogen use shows the need for organic agriculture

A major new study has found that nitrogen pollution is costing each person in Europe approximately £130-£650 (€150-€740) a year, according to the UK's Soil Association.

The first European Nitrogen Assessment (ENA) was due to be launched at a conference in Edinburgh, Scotland, this week.

The study, carried out by 200 experts from 21 countries and 89 organisations, estimated that the annual cost of the damage caused by nitrogen use across Europe was £60bn-£280bn (€70bn-320bn), more than double the extra income gained from using nitrogen fertilisers in European agriculture.

Isobel Tomlinson, policy and campaigns officer at the Soil Association, commented: "Organic farmers are not allowed to use artificial fertilisers so they avoid many of the environmental problems caused by the vast quantities of synthetic nitrogen used to produce food in non-organic systems, that this report highlights.

"By growing legume crops such as beans and clover that fix nitrogen naturally, organic agriculture avoids the greenhouse gas emissions from both the manufacture and use of artificial nitrogen. Further, organic agriculture uses nitrogen more efficiently and has lower nitrogen surpluses, meaning that less nitrate is leached out of the soil where it can cause damage to the wider environment."

Costa Rica banana exports fall below 2010 expectations

Costa Rica's banana exports fell to US$109 million in January and February, compared to a result of US$123 million in the same period last year.

The data was released by the Central American country's Foreign Trade Promotion office, explaining the 2010 result was a recovery from poor 2009 figures of US$96 million.

National Banana Corporation (Corbana) general manager Jorge Sauma, told Nacion.com the recent result was due to the effects of Caribbean weather conditions.

He said temperatures fell during the two months, affecting the performance of banana crops due to the fruit's sensitivity, the story reported.

While Corbana's result for January and February was around 8% lower than in 2010, Sauma told the website he expected a rebound in the coming months.

Bananas are Costa Rica's main agricultural export product, accounting for US$702 million in sales last year, the story reported.

China: Chinese garlic prices likely to go down

Despite the high prices of Chinese garlic, Hengfeng Fresh Produce is optimistic that prices will continue to decrease. One of the main reasons is due to the new garlic season. This garlic is coming from the provinces of Yunan and Henan.

The Henan early garlic will be harvested at the beginning of May while Yunan has already been harvested.

"The new garlic season will begin at the end of May and the earliest estimated disposal will be week 23. New crops are growing in the field and there is an estimated 25% increase in the planting area. As a result, we are estimating a 10% increase in the first yield." says Karen Shen, sales manager of Hengfeng Fresh Produce.

Karen also said that the Chinese garlic prices have greatly decreased since March. For example, loose normal white garlic 5.5 cm in 10 kg carton was FOB Qingdao $2390 per metric ton and now, it is only $2175 per metric ton.

Meanwhile, it was reported that there are still 90,000 tons of garlic in the cold storage which Karen believes a sign of less demand in Chinese garlic from both domestic and foreign consumers.

HengFeng Fresh Produce offers high quality garlic bulbs. The company is now offering solo garlic for the European market. The company is also exporting ginger, apple and carrots. Products are also being offered to Middle East, Russia, SouthEast Asia and other parts of the world.

Eat it: Mexican citrus chicken salad

Eat it Grapefruit fresh from the Rio Grande Valley is still in season, and this year's crop of ruby-centered jewels tastes mighty sweet.

Share

Durian: The King of Fruits is an angry king

Durian. Oh, durian. You can't read anything about the heavy, spiky tropical fruit without finding out that "many people in Southeast Asia call it the King of Fruits," but who are these people? And, more important, why do we assume that the Fruit King is a kind and benevolent ruler, and not, say, a violent, power-mad, empire-obsessed tyrant? Because ...

Share

Himachal strawberries reap fruits of love

With Valentine's Day just round the corner, Himachal Pradesh, famous for producing strawberries, is flooded with orders for the heart-shaped fruit.

Share

Peach or Nectarine and Blueberry Crumble With Quinoa-Oat Topping

Peaches or nectarines and blueberries make a beautiful color combination and a nice package of nutrients. The peaches contain vitamin C, vitamin A, vitamin K, beta-carotene and potassium, while the blueberries have anthocyanins, compounds that some scientists believe may have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.