 A Pakistani delegation of date growers and exporters has arrived in Sri Lanka to explore the country's market for their products. The delegation is here to enhance the bilateral trade between the two countries and introduce different varieties of Pakistani dates to Sri Lankan consumers. During their stay in Sri Lanka, the delegation is expected to meet fruit and dry fruit importers of the country. According to Associated Press of Pakistan, the country is the second largest trading partner of Sri Lanka within the South Asian region. The bilateral trade between the two countries had sharply increased since the signing of the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) Pakistan and Sri Lanka in 2002. The FTA is operational since June 2005. Trade between the two countries has increased from US$ 150 million to over US$ 300 million during last three years. Source: colombopage.com Publication date: 7/18/2011 Add Comment  Mr. Obaid Khalfan Al Mazrouei, member of the Higher Organizing Committee and Director of Liwa Date Festival 2011, said the exhibition area has increased by 20 percent this year as compared to the figures of the last year. This proves the festival management's keenness to enable the participants to increase the displayed items and receive larger number of visitors. He said the number of visitors this year was over 70.000, which is around the figure of the last year. Al Mazrouei stated that the number of entries in "Mzainat Al Rutab" category has reduced this year, as the festival management was keen to improve the quality of entries and to focus on quality rather than quantity. Source; AMEINFO.com Raisin Rebound! 07/26/2011
 Demand for raisin grapes is so hot that the industry's packers are working feverishly to make sure they have enough raisins to sell. Raisin farmers have struggled over the years with too much fruit and low returns -- but now they may have one of their best years ever as prices reach a near record. "I can't remember when it has been this good," said Monte Schutz, a raisin grower from Caruthers. The reasons for the rebound: steady consumer demand, smaller crops and growing interest in raisin grapes among the state's wineries. Demand for raisin grapes is so hot that the industry's packers are working feverishly to make sure they have enough raisins to sell. All this comes as welcome news to central San Joaquin Valley growers, who produce nearly the entire U.S. crop and employ thousands of workers for the late-summer harvest Source: Western Farm Press  THE Turkish sultana market is still active as buyers are covering their summer needs before the new crop starts in September 2011. Supply of last year's crop is said to be limited at 10 000 tonnes, with the majority of sultanas already exported or traded internally. Friday June 24 2011 FoodnewsVolume: 39 Issue: 25  ALMOST all of the grapevines in the Axarquia region have been affected by a plague of mildew. Losses on crops are expected to reach up to 80 per cent according to the mayor of El Borge, Salvador Fernandez, who also said that the plague, caused by a fungus which has grown stronger thanks to the heavy rains and high temperatures of the past spring, is causing severe damages in the town which is one of the area’s main producers of grapes and the main source for Malaga raisins. Experts from the Velez Regional Farming Office and the Junta de Andalucia Agriculture and Fishery Delegation have visited El Borge to evaluate the damages. This report will be used to carry out necessary procedures so that the loss of crops is not included in the reduction of amounts subsidized by EU funds. The Mayor plans to meet with the provincial representative of the Agriculture and Fishery Department, Monica Bermudez, to speed up the process. Source: Euro Weekly News  DRIED fruit growers have been urged to put the pain of this season behind them and look forward to a bright future. The Dried Fruit Australia annual growers' forum at Mildura last week heard strong demand for Australian-grown quality, light-coloured fruit, locally and overseas, and the loss of half of this year's crop to rain damage and disease had kept prices up. In what was almost a carbon copy of last year's presentation, Sunbeam Foods chief operating officer Richard Findlay came close to begging growers to consider expanding the area planted to dried fruit varieties. His plea was echoed by DFA chairman Mark King ,who said it had been "the worst year", but dried fruit producers were still in a better position than wine grape growers. "I've asked myself several times this year, why would you want to do this?" Mr King said. "But mates of mine went off to an Orlando (wine) meeting the other day and told me they were told it's going to be four or five years before they turn around, so where we are is a lot better." Mr Findlay said everyone involved in dried fruit had suffered from the disastrous season, which yielded a record-low crop of about 7000 tonnes, but it was time to look forward. "In Australia, we simply haven't got enough of what people want," he said. "There is domestic demand for 40,000 tonnes. We produced 15,000 tonnes last year. If we could get back to 25,000 or 30,000 tonnes, there is a good opportunity for us. "We want an industry that is sustainable." Mr Findlay said the new varieties, sun glo sultanas and black gem currants, which were much more resistant to disease and rain damage than existing varieties and due to be released this year, would be helpful for the industry. Source: Sandra Godwin - Weekly Times California Raisins Sees Strong Growth 07/10/2011
 California Raisins sees strong growth - Published: 07 July, 2011 The use of California Raisins among craft bakers has doubled in the past five years to an average of 11 tonnes per baker, according to UK and Europe marketing director Peter Meadows. Speaking at the annual National Dried Fruit Trade Association Review, where he was elected to the council for the first time, Meadows attributed the rise in use to strong listings in bakery wholesalers Bako and BFP and strong promotional activity throughout the baking industry. Meadows told British Baker: "We also devised a national strategy for those with 15-50 shops. We had to wear a 30% price increase overnight last July, but bakers pay more for quality. They also like the fact the raisins are seedless, nutritious and perform very well in bakery. They help attract repeat sales." He said: "We have worked hard, building relationships with bakery students, the National Association of Master Bakers and Scottish Bakers. And we have given promotional incentives to those previously wedded to sultanas, getting people to test and try the raisins." He said he was "anticipating a good crop of 310,000 tonnes for the coming year". Efficiency has also improved with the crops now harvested mechanically. -Source: British Baker Magazine  The INC is proud to announce that the upcoming XXX World Nut and Dried Fruit Congress will hold an International Dried Fruit Round Table on Saturday, 21 May, where outstanding scientists and health professionals will present a paper that has been collaborated by a dozen international researchers and health experts from Greece, Japan, Turkey, UK, and USA, according to whom traditional dried fruits should be viewed as equivalent to fresh fruits. It is the position of the paper that traditional dried fruits should be included together with fresh fruits fruits in dietary recommendations for fruit and vegetable intake around the world. Dried fruits provide essential nutrients, and an array of health protective bioactive compounds. They are devoid of fat, very low in sodium and have no added sugars. Because they are naturally resistant to spoilage, easy to store and transport, available year round, readily incorporated into other foods, dried fruits represent an important means to increase overall consumption of fruit, to bridge the gap between recommended intake of fruits and the amount populations actually consume. Click here to see the paper Traditional Dried Fruits: Valuable Tools to Meet Dietary Recommendations for Fruit Intake. Click here to see the brochure “Food Policy Makers Asked to Consider Dried Fruits Equivalent to Fresh Fruits”. Click here to see the short-bios of the scientists and health professionals that have collaborated.  California Raisins have launched a new consumer advertising campaign throughout the UK to help consumers understand that despite recent retail price increases, California Raisins still represent incredible value when compared with some other dried and fresh fruit. Recent retail price increases, some as much as 30% have caused concern among UK buyers as to how demand may be affected by the increases. “While the California Raisin industry kept us fully up to date as to why the increases took place, it doesn’t mean that consumer demand will remain at the level it was prior to these price increases” said a spokesperson from one of the major national UK retailers. “Following the announcement of the price increases late last year, we’ve worked very hard to try and help retailers and their customers to appreciate what excellent value raisins still provide when compared with other fruit” said European Marketing Director, Peter Meadows “Where else can you buy 1,200 pieces of fruit for less than £4? Plus let’s not forget the nutritional benefits California Raisins offer” he continues. Following the removal of the grower funded Export Replacement Offer (ERO) in October 2010, the raisin export ‘subsidy’ so long enjoyed by UK buyers, was removed causing prices to rise to unprecedented levels and caused concern among key British retailers over the increase’s possible affect on consumers. “It’s still too early to say whether the increases have actually made a difference” said one retailer “but we are grateful to California Raisins for helping educate consumers regarding the value that raisins provide” The new advertising campaign is aimed at over 5 million core consumers across 12 publications and 6 online advertising banners. The target audience will be women aged 25-50, parents with pre-and primary at school children and health conscious adults. In addition to the general facts about California Raisins, we will also offer a FREE 12 page booklet to encourage consumers to use and experiment with California Raisins and show how they can use the product within starters, main meals, desserts and snacks. This will also form part of the research data to enable the RAC to monitor the uptake of this campaign. Arat Company will attend Anuga 2011 07/05/2011
 Arat Company Pjs would like to invite you to participate in the ANUGA Show, Cologne Germany from October 8-12, 2011. Visit us at Hall No.1.1, Aisle D, No:032 ANUGA is the largest food and beverage trade show in the world; it's also the sector's most important trade show for new markets and target groups. It's the perfect venue for all the latest trends and themes and is an ideal venue for meeting existing international buyers or for developing new business. Over 6,500 exhibitors with 150,000 trade visitors from 185 countries sets the stage to make first-rate contacts and business deals. |  Blog News!Get the latest industry updates, Crop reports and share your thoughts with others ... ArchivesMay 2012 Categories |
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