Over the past few decades, there has been a major shift from soil to soilless media in U.K. strawberry and raspberry production. With the phasing out of peat, coconut fiber (coir) has become the preferred substrate. Compared to field soils, coir helps growers produce consistently higher yields. However,…
Italy, Greece, and Cyprus have for the second time granted farmers emergency access to Vestaron’s novel bioinsecticide SPEAR® LEP to help protect high-value tomato crops from devastating infestations of tomato leafminer (Tuta absoluta). This follows initial emergency use authorizations (EAU) for SPEAR…
Biosecurity Authority of Fiji (BAF) has placed a temporary suspension on the import of fresh Brassicas produce from New Zealand, which includes lettuce and celery. BAF said this was effective from February 24, 2025. “This action has been taken due to repeated interceptions of live pests in shipments and…
Legal controls on the movement of fruit and vegetables on Auckland’s North Shore will remain in place for the next few weeks as part of the response to the discovery of a single male Oriental fruit fly last month, says Biosecurity New Zealand. To date, no other Oriental fruit flies have been found in…
Farmers in Alberta who specialize in growing and harvesting fruit and vegetables say business has increased as more people worry about potential cost increases at the grocery store due to tariffs. Whole Leaf produces 50,000 heads of lettuce every day at its greenhouse east of Coaldale. “We’ve had a lot…
Legislation is underway to permit larger greenhouses and enhance subsidies for local farmers in Luxembourg. The sector supports the proposal but stresses the need for appropriate conditions to ensure its success. The Kirsch family, long-time vegetable cultivators near Luxembourg City, may see effects…
This report provides a trend analysis of the volume and prices of Seasonal Perishable commodities for Mexico, the U.S., and Canada. Volume represents the current week, and prices represent open (spot) market sales by first handlers on products of generally good quality and condition unless otherwise…
Moroccan cucumbers are among the cheapest in Europe. According to a report by Hort Info, referring to Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) data from 2014 to 2023, Moroccan cucumber prices were around €0.24 per kilogram in 2014, rising to €0.29 per kilogram by 2023. Meanwhile, Spanish cucumbers are…
After an intense first phase with 44 teams, 20 teams are moving forward in the ReThink Food Challenge. These teams stood out for their innovative, impactful, and creative solutions that push the boundaries of food production in space and on Earth. Their ideas not only address the constraints of farming…
The use of chemical fertilizers in agricultural production to stimulate strawberry growth and early flowering may pose food safety and environmental pollution concerns. Therefore, it is imperative to explore safer and more environmentally friendly alternatives. Researchers hypothesized that biochar could…
Bigger, tastier tomatoes and eggplants could soon grace our dinner plates thanks to Johns Hopkins scientists who have discovered genes that control how large the fruits will grow. The research—led by teams at Johns Hopkins University and Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory—could lead to the development of new…
Field cucumber prices in North America are showing slight strengthening as demand is expected to pick up after a weaker market for nearly three months. Mexico continues shipping at high volumes, while Florida’s season is beginning, and Honduras is wrapping up earlier than usual. A sunny start to March in…