Mats Jansson is new Delhaize chairman

Jansson will take over when Georges Jacobs retires from his position on 24 May this year

Belgium-based international food retailer Delhaize has announced that Mats Jansson will step into the role of chairman of the group when current incumbent Georges Jacobs steps down and retires on 24 May.

"A year ago we invited Mats Jansson to join our board and were immediately impressed by his experience and focused contributions," said Jacobs. "Today, we are pleased to welcome him to his new role as chairman of the board of directors. I am very glad to pass the torch to Mats whose experience both as a retail executive and at various boards will no doubt make him a very successful chairman of Delhaize Group."

Commenting on his appointment, Mats Jansson said: "I am honored to become the chairman of the board of Delhaize Group, a position so successfully held by Georges Jacobs.  Since joining the board in May of 2011, I have had the opportunity to meet a number of dedicated and passionate people. I am convinced of the company's strengths and look forward to working with a great team as we position Delhaize for a successful future.

Meanwhile, Delhaize has also announced that Shari Ballard has been appointed to its board of directors.

Small apples shrink NZ profits

A glut of small-sized apples is expected to dent New Zealand grower profits this season

New Zealand apple growers are bracing themselves for a tough season of poor returns, since inclement weather has reduced crop volume and fruit size, reports Fairfax NZ News.

Pipfruit New Zealand chairman Ian Palmer told the paper that the smaller average size of fruit was far from ideal, and would make it harder for growers to break even this year in both Asian and European markets. 

Cox's orange were the worst affected of the early-picked varieties. Packout rates were down on last year since much of the fruit was deemed too small to export and juiced instead, he said.

Royal Gala, which makes up 35 per cent of the New Zealand apple crop, were also smaller than average, according to Palmer. But packout rates were higher than Cox (90 per cent) because of broader market demand. Nevertheless, unfavourable exchange rates will make it tough to turn a profit, he said.

New Zealand exporters are busy trying sell the glut of smaller Galas to Asia, the paper said, which has led to undisciplined marketing and price undercutting.

Producers had to spend more on growing the crop this year to deal with the tough climatic conditions - persistant rain and a cooler summer, the report said.

Grower returns are already under pressure from the high New Zealand dollar, and producers are struggling after three consecutive bad years.

India: Poor grape prices make EU market disappointing

European table grape prices have fallen by 33% in caparison with the same time last year, due to a glut in production.

This is disappointing news for Indian growers who usually get good prices for their grapes when exporting them to European markets.

"Indian grape exporters get better prices in European markets, but the rates of grapes have collapsed in European countries due to a glut in the markets. The prices of Indian grapes, which were being sold at Rs 55-60 per kg last year, have declined to Rs 35-40 this year," said Jagannath Khapare, president of the grapes exporters' association of India (GEAI).

"Grapes from Argentina and South Africa had started arriving in European countries three months ago in large quantities, causing a glut in the markets. Moreover, Chile also started exporting its grapes to European countries at the same time as India, worsening the situation. This has led to declining prices in Europe," he added.

The contribution of European exports to the Indian total is around 30-40%, however, the value is typically high - representing around 50-55% of total export value, as Europe pays a premium price for Indian grapes.

In 2010-11, India's total grape export was 99,278 metric tonne, amounting to Rs 412 crore. Of this, 30,284 metric tonne of grapes amounting to Rs 200 crore were exported to European countries.

Grape export from Nashik district has already commenced. So far, 330 containers of grapes (3,960 metric tonnes) have been exported to the UK, Holland, Sweden, Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Cambodia, Singapore, Malaysia, Egypt, and Hong Kong, sources said.

Germany, which had blocked the import of Indian grapes for the last two years due to the presence of chemical residue (in 2010), has started placing small orders with Indian exporters.

Source: timesofindia.indiatimes.com

NZ: Zespri to test every orchard for wrong use of sprays

Zespri is going to test every orchard in New Zealand to see if desperate growers have been misusing sprays to try and save their vines from the onslaught of Psa-V.

Kiwifruit Growers president, Neil Treblico, said that this may have been taking place in September when the disease became prevalent in the Bay of Plenty.

"There may have been some growers who were desperate enough to use products that they shouldn't have used, and obviously, as an industry, we'll be looking at that and making the appropriate decisions to make sure that none of that product gets to market."

Zespri conducts tests anyway, but these are random and they are now stepping up their surveillance. With the harvest due to begin in a few weeks Treblico urged anyone who may have been misapplying any substances to come forward as soon as possible. Some growers have responded to this call already.

"There's literally hundreds of products and a lot of them are not permitted for use [here] so if growers have used it we want to know about it.

"We are absolutely aware that we need to protect our markets."

Government agencies have been testing a range of sprayed and injected antibiotics to counter the disease, but the injected product was abandoned and approved sprays had to be used within strict timeframes.

Zespri chairman John Loughlin knew of no actual cases of growers ignoring the withholding periods although he acknowledged there were rumours. "Our position on testing was formalised right at the outset when we approved the tool. We are wanting to protect the 99.9 per cent of growers who have done everything properly ... and secondly we want to protect our brand and our message for global consumers."

He said the risk to human health as a result of any misapplication was not great. he said the risk was more to the industry - that the use of anti-biotics outside of controls would lead to a building up of resistance and the decline in a treatment's efficiency.

Source: www.stuff.co.nz

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.