Photos: Zespri™

This year, Nergigrowers started picking more than 10 days earlier than usual. Orchards conditions have been particularly favourable for fruit with excellent flavour qualities in our main production areas in France, Italy, Portugal, and Spain. Market volumes have steadily risen. More than 6 million 125g punnets should be distributed by our 4 approved European Commercial Operators: PRIMLAND, ORTOFRUIT, PORTPRIMLAND, and BFRUIT, according to Jean Pierre Caruel, head of licensing for SOFRUILEG. 
 

Demand among New Zealand producers to produce SunGold kiwifruit continues to surge. Farmers Weekly reports that once again, the annual offering of 700ha of new licences for producing SunGold was oversubscribed, with bids totalling 1,660ha, reflecting the ongoing optimism among growers about SunGold’s value and prospects. At NZ$400,000/ha, SunGold is the most valuable fruit license, with the next being Envy apples at around $100,000/ha. Licence income has now become an integral part of Zespri’s non-fruit earnings, accounting for $211 million, or 6% of company revenue.

Image source: Origine Group /// PRESS RELEASE

The top-quality brand of Origine Group for the first time in Walmart shops and online in China

Alessandro Zampagna (managing director at Origine Group) /// © Eurofresh Distribution

The Origine Group has made exceptional progress with Italian kiwi this season. Despite the Covid-19 pandemic coming in the middle of the season, sales are up sharply.

Press release

As it has done each season for more than 20 years, Primland is supplying its clients with Chilean kiwis. Primland is even offering higher volumes than it has in past years, regardless of the lower national production. This situation has become possible thanks to its special relations with local farmers, despite the COVID-19 epidemic, which is hitting the country hard.

Health and safety are central

A cold snap in Italy has caused sweeping damage to the country’s agriculture in the past month, with asparagus, carrots, artichokes, fennel, turnips and beets all affected. Coldiretti is now fearful for the upcoming peaches, apricots, plums, pears, and apples, which are either in full bloom, budding or with small fruits ready to grow.

The annual problem faced by New Zealand’s horticulture industry regarding the lack of seasonal labour has actually been eased in recent weeks. The rising unemployment prompted by the coronavirus pandemic is leading to locals looking for employment in agriculture, one of the few essential services allowed to operate in the current lockdown conditions across the country. This comes at a critical point as the harvests of apple, and pear and kiwifruit hit their peaks.