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Zummo presents its new improved version of the Z40 Nature, which replaces the previous one, the main change being in its tap tray.

The company estimates to produce 700 tons throughout the whole season, that will last until April

Even though it is a seasonal product, the company bets on deseasonalizing asparagus crops so by the end of the year the first harvesting in Almería will be carried out.

Haciendasbio, the first producer of organic fruit and vegetables in Spain and leading in exporting to Europe- starts harvesting the first asparagus of the season that will last until April.

What are the outcomes of a no-deal Brexit? The contents of shelves in UK supermarkets could change. About 30% of the UK’s food currently comes from the EU, and fresh vegetables and fruit will become more expensive due to increased import taxes and transport delays. Moreover, there may be a fall in the value of the pound, which would compound the price rise. Supermarkets themselves have already warned that there could be empty shelves and higher prices and the Bank of England has said that shopping bills could increase by 10% in a worst case scenario.

Following criticism last month from the Competition and Markets Authority about the impact on customer choice and prices of Sainsbury’s and Asda merging, Mike Coupe, chief executive of Sainsbury's, and Asda's chief executive, Roger Burnley have issued a joint statement contesting the authority’s findings and stressing the benefits for customers regarding savings :

In the past five years, strawberry consumption in Italy has slumped by around 3,000 tons, due mainly to consumer dissatisfaction. According to a study by Agroter's Fruit and Vegetables Monitor, it emerges that 72% were not satisfied with the last purchase of strawberries. Of these, 27% have never found strawberries they liked. Italians feel that the taste of strawberries has deteriorated in recent years - 54% of those interviewed stated that the taste of the strawberries they bought worsened and for 9% this was definitely worse.

Source: Italiafruit.net

Defra has announced that rather than border checks, should there be a no-deal Brexit, food inspections will take place inland to ensure compliance with protocols. With the official Brexit date looming (29th March), Defra has confirmed that marketing standards processes at UK borders will not change in the short term if the UK leaves the EU without a deal. However, these arrangements are only temporary. The measure does not apply to green banana imports from the EU, with importers told to contact the PEACH helpdesk or the SASA Horticulture and Marketing Unit as appropriate.

The world’s tomato trade was worth US$9.16 billion in 2017, a 4.6% rise from 2016, but a drop of 0.9% from 2013. The EU imported $5.8 billion worth of the total (63.4%), followed by North America (28.5%), Asia (7.4%), Africa (0.3%), Latin America (0.3%) and Oceania (0.1%). In terms of countries, the US was far and away the world’s number-one importer of tomatoes in 2017, with volumes received totalling around US$2.5 billion – an increase of 2% on 2016. The next largest tomato importer was Germany, with imports remaining flat at US$1.48 billion.

The first shipment of the Posy variety of apple sailed from New Zealand to China last week. Bostock New Zealand and Mr Apple have developed the Posy, an apple with great pink colouring and high brix content, which should appeal to the Chinese market. The variety was bred by David Cranwell and is grown exclusively by Bostock and Mr Apple in New Zealand. The Posy apple is harvested at the start of February and will therefore hit the Chinese market ahead of other varieties from the Southern Hemisphere. The Posy apple is a cross between the New Zealand Rose and Royal Gala.

Cherry cultivation is one of the most complex and delicate crops. Like other fruits such as kiwi, peach or plum, it can suffer important negative effects from excessive rainfall, increasingly common in the season of fruit ripening (starting from the second decade of May).

China’s second-tier cities, many of which have more residents than the largest U.S. cities of Los Angeles or New York, boast growing populations, increasing disposable incomes, upscale retail development, savvy e-commerce customers and improved cold chain and distribution networks. China now has over 600 cities that fall somewhere within the tier system, and many of these cities are untapped treasures for U.S. agricultural exporters. U.S. exporters are encouraged to develop a second-tier marketing strategy that works well for their products.