New York | Reuters — Hurricane Ian is likely to have worsened what was already expected to be the smallest U.S. orange crop in 55 years after it blasted through a large fruit producing area when it passed through Florida this week, flooding farms and causing oranges to drop from trees. Precise information on losses […] Read more
Tag Archives Fruit
Hurricane Ian to worsen bleak outlook for U.S. orange juice industry
Vertical farm research shows increased nutrient density with amber LED exposure
Impact of amber LED could be a game changer for northern Ontario food production
The impact of amber LEDs (light emitting diodes) on Brassica microgreens highlights the potential for year-round nutrient-dense vertical greenhouse growth in food security-challenged areas. “By increasing amber-blue LED lights while decreasing red, microgreens showed increased production of antioxidants, particularly the carotenoid nutrient,” said Dr. Xiuming Hao, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) research scientist. Why it […] Read more
OGVG hosts tomato brown rugose fruit virus (ToBRFV) symposium
The Ontario Greenhouse Vegetable Growers (OGVG) hosted a tomato brown rugrose fruit virus (ToBRFV) symposium on Aug. 22 in Toronto that brought together top researchers from countries across Europe, North America and Israel to share insights, experiences and learnings about the virus. Postponed from its original date in 2020, the anticipated event was the first […] Read more
Produce prices spike in flood-hit Pakistan as food crisis looms
Flooding wrecks crops, hampers logistics
Lahore | Reuters — Vegetable and fruit prices have soared in markets across Pakistan as devastating rains ruin crops and disrupt supplies, an early sign of how the worst floods in decades are creating food shortages at a time of financial crisis. Pakistan’s 220 million people are already facing rampant inflation, with consumer prices up […] Read more
B.C. cherries cleared for export to Korea
Canada-Korea free trade pact a step ahead on lower tariffs
Canada’s seven-year-old free trade pact with South Korea already provides for reduced tariffs on cherries from British Columbia — a commodity that’s just been approved for export to Korea for the first time starting this month. Canadian agriculture and food safety officials announced Aug. 10 that talks with Seoul on import rules and certifications had […] Read more
Bayer, BASF win new trial on damage award in U.S. dicamba suit
Reuters — Bayer and BASF have won a new trial on US$60 million in punitive damages they were ordered to pay a Missouri peach farmer who said dicamba, a herbicide they produced, drifted onto his orchard and harmed his crops. The Eighth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals found that a federal jury was wrongly told […] Read more
Waste not: Adding value on horticultural waste
A recent study maps out how the horticulture sector can gain value from waste
Nearly three-quarters (74 per cent) of Canadian fruit and vegetable waste occurs before it reaches consumers, according to a recent study by the Vineland Research and Innovation Centre (Vineland). One-third of that is landfilled and is considered unavoidable due to current processing and grading standards. To help the horticulture sector improve its environmental sustainability, Vineland […] Read more
Hepatitis A outbreak linked to organic strawberries
Cases reported in two provinces, three states
Washington | Reuters –– Food safety regulators in both Canada and the U.S. are investigating a hepatitis A outbreak potentially linked to tainted organic strawberries that has sickened 17 people in the U.S. and 10 in Canada, the agencies said. Fifteen illnesses were reported in California, and one each in Minnesota and North Dakota, the […] Read more
Demand remains strong for processing tomatoes
Ontario’s contracted acres anticipated to be at least 450,000 tonnes
Ontario’s processing tomato crop is anticipated to reflect last year, if not slightly higher, barring significant production complications. According to the Ontario Processing Vegetable Growers (OPVG), there also continues to be high demand for processing tomatoes worldwide. Why it matters: Demand for tomato products remains high but global supplies are tight. Tom Keller, a Leamington-area […] Read more
Motivating and managing employees for farm markets
Pandemic pressures taught farm market businesses lessons on employee engagement and retention
Labour attraction and retention are challenging in agriculture, especially for seasonal vegetable and fruit operations. Whether front-line or field workers, maintaining and managing seasonal employees through pandemic burnout, consumer aggression and high expectations led growers to try new tactics to keep staff. Why it matters: Effective orientation of new employees and fostering emotional investment in […] Read more
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
