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Opportunities in the EU for US exporters of organic produce

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The growing market for organic products in the EU offers opportunities for US exporters affecting various kinds of produce, a new report by the US Department of Agriculture says.

The USDA said while trade is generally determined mainly by quality, price and local availability and demand, opportunities for US exporters include:

  • Sweet potatoes: the market for sweet potatoes is growing. EU demand for potato varieties is up. The US is the best year round supplier of sweet potatoes at competitive prices.

  • Fresh vegetables like onions, broccoli and lettuce: especially the UK.

  • Fresh fruit: especially in those countries with no local availability, there is demand for a great variety of fresh fruit from the US. There is seasonal (October through March) demand for apples and pears in northwestern Europe. Demand in the same region is also strong for US citrus (grapefruit and minneola). There is year round demand for fresh, dried, sweetened cranberries and demand continues to grow. Growing demand for other fruits includes grapes, strawberries and cherries.

Trade in organic products between the US and the EU

The report says that from 2011 to 2014, the largest increase in US exports of organic produce to the EU occurred in fresh grapes and reached USD 4.7 million in 2014 (2011: USD 0.8 million). In 2014, the value of US organic grape exports to the EU exceeded the export value of organic apples which used to be the most important US organic export commodity in 2012 and 2013.

Other important US organic export products to the EU after grapes and apples include strawberries, blueberries, peppers, and cauliflowers.

In 2014, most US organic exports to the EU occurred during October (grapes and apples) and November (grapes).

US exports to the EU of organic products which are covered by HS codes (introduced in 2011) reached USD 12.3 million in 2014. This compares to an increase of 77 percent from 2011 to 2014, the USDA said.

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Figure 2. Top 10 EU countries with the highest organic sales USD per person, 2013 figures

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Top 10 largest organic markets in the EU, million USD, 2013 figures

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Read “Plenty of opportunities for U.S. organics in the EU market”

USDA Foreign Agricultral Service (FAS) Global Agricultural Information Network (GAIN) report

 

 

 
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Codex Committee on Fresh Fruits and Vegetables meeting in Mexico in October

The 19th session of the Codex Committee on Fresh Fruits and Vegetables will be held in Mexico from October 5–9

 

The 19th session of the Codex Committee on Fresh Fruits and Vegetables will be held in Mexico from October 5–9.

The agenda is yet to be set but at the last session, proposals for new work on standards for ware potatoes; garlic, aubergines and kiwifruit were among matters dealt with.

The 18th session, held in Phuket from February 24-28 last year and co-hosted by Mexico and Thailand, included a Codex/OECD side event on pomegranates.

Among the decisions taken at that session were:

  • to incorporate a reference to the Code of Practice for the Reduction of Hydrocyanic Acid in Cassava and Cassava Products into the section on contaminants of the Standards for Sweet Cassava and Bitter Cassava;

  • to forward the standards for passion fruit, durian and okra to the Codex Commission for final adoption;

  • to retain the maturity requirements in the standard for table grapes;

  • to forward proposal for new work on standards for ware potato; garlic, aubergines and kiwifruit to the Codex Commission for approval.

Codex Committee on Fresh Fruits and Vegetables

The committee’s terms of reference are:

(a) to elaborate world wide standards and codes of practice as may be appropriate for fresh fruits and vegetables;

(b) to consult with the UNECE Working Party on Agricultural Quality Standards in the elaboration of world wide standards and codes of practice with particular regard to ensuring that there is no duplication of standards or codes of practice and that they follow the same broad format; and,

(c) to consult, as necessary, with other international organizations which are active in the area of standardization of fresh fruits and vegetables.

Draft report from 18th session of the Codex Committee on Fresh Fruits and Vegetables

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EU competition watchdog to check if Carrefour breaching rules

The European Commission is looking into whether Carrefour’s policy of offering only “France Origin” seasonable vegetables in nearly 1,200 of its stores in France breaches competition rules.

The European Commission is looking into whether French retail giant Carrefour’s new policy of offering only ‘France Origin’ seasonable vegetables in nearly 1,200 of its stores in France may breach competition rules.

Margrethe Vestager, European commissioner for Competition, said the Commission is currently looking into the issues and liaising with the French competition authority.

“It appears from the press release issued in November that Carrefour and France’s federation of vegetable producers announced a new partnership agreement to offer only ‘France Origin’ seasonable vegetables in Carrefour’s 1,200 retail stores in France.”

“It is a priority of the Commission to protect the internal market and avoid restrictions of competition to the detriment of the consumer. It appears from the announcement in question that imported products will not be sold in Carrefour’s shops in France. In order to investigate whether the situation, and in particular this partnership, entails a breach of competition rules a number of facts would need to be ascertained.”

“The Commission is currently looking into these issues and liaising with the French competition authority,” she said.

Dutch MEP asks what what action will be taken if rules are being broken

Vestager was responding to a written question from Dutch MEP Jan Huitema (ALDE), who began by saying that the Carrefour announcement in November that in the next 10 months it would purchase fruit and vegetables only from French producers, meant imports of produce from other EU Member States would be blocked.

“Carrefour sees this as a means of supporting French farmers who have been hit by the Russian boycott, adverse weather conditions and low prices,” Huitema said, but he went on to ask, “if Carrefour is breaching EU competition rules with the measure and undermining free trade within the European Union.”

“What measures will the Commission take if it turns out that Carrefour has broken the rules and when will the Commission take action?” he also wrote.

Carrefour says “first of its kind” move aimed at helping French growers

In a November press release, Carrefour said  its agreement with France’s federation of vegetable producers to offer only France Origin seasonable vegetables was the “first of its kind” and “consistent with the group’s ongoing commitment to supporting farming and to working in close partnership with farmers. It will also apply to spring and summer vegetables.”

“Following the highly unusual weather conditions that 2014 has seen, together with the serious disruptions that have resulted from the sanctions imposed on Russia, Carrefour – in partnership with Légumes de France – has decided to support French producers of everyday vegetables and promote production in France of carrots, potatoes, onions, turnips, chicory, shallots, etc. while they are in season.”

“This commitment covers all of the group’s Carrefour hypermarkets and Carrefour Market supermarkets in France – a total of nearly 1200 stores. And so that customers know what exactly they’re buying, special signage will be used to identify all France Origin products,” Carrefour said.

Read more about the Carrefour Group on p26-27 of our latest edition, number 135.

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Tomato Inspiration Award 2015 won by Duijvestijn Tomaten

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The Dutch company Duijvestijn Tomaten has been deemed the best tomato grower in the world in the field of crop and process technology after winning the Tomato Inspiration Award 2015.

The prize was announced in Berlin last Thursday, February 5, during the 2nd edition of the Tomato Inspiration Event, and presented by John Newell, from last year’s winner Windset Farms.

Duijvestijn Tomaten was particularly praised by the jury of experts for its efforts in the field of geothermal energy and development and realization of the ID Kas, a new sustainable and energy-efficient greenhouse concept.

R & L Holt from England finished in second place with its ultra modern Springhill Nurseries.

Houweling’s Tomatoes from Canada and Royal Pride Holland from the Netherlands shared third place, while United Farms from Mexico completed the top 5.

Other nominated companies were Wiig Gartneri from Norway, D’Vine Ripe from Australia, Matysha Maroc from Morocco, Scherzer Gemüse from Germany and RedStar from the Netherlands.

The Tomato Inspiration Event was attended by more than 200 horticultural representatives and among them the top 100 tomato growers in the world, of which 10 were nominated for the award for the world’s most innovative tomato grower in the field of crop and process technology.

The jury consisted of Gene Giacomelli, director of the Controlled Environment Agriculture Center at the University of Arizona in Tucson (US), Ep Heuvelink, professor at the chair group Horticulture and Product Physiology at Wageningen University (Netherlands),  Stefania De Pascale, professor of horticulture at the University of Naples Federico II (Italy) and Tadahisa Higashide, chief researcher at NARO Institute of Vegetable and Tea Science in Tsukkuba (Japan).

 

Click here for more information about the Tomato Inspiration Event.

 

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Israel’s Aurora Seedless Papaya wins Fruit Logistica 2015 Innovation Award

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Trade visitors at last week’s Fruit Logistica fair in Berlin chose the “Aurora Seedless Papaya” as winner of the Fruit Logistica 2015 Innovation Award (FLIA). It was selected out of a field of 10 finalists, all of which were on display at the event.

 

From Aviv Flowers Packing House Ltd. in Israel, “Aurora Seedless Papaya” has a delicate fragrance and firm, full-flavoured pulp. The product of natural selection and crossing, its target markets include the EU,, Switzerland and Canada.

 

  

The second place FLIA winner was the “Lemoncherry” tomato.



Developed by BelOrta, a growers’ cooperative based in Belgium, this yellow, sweet-tasting cherry vine tomato features a distinctive, lemony aroma.

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Third place honours went to the “DIY Fresh Packs” produced by Bakker Barendrecht (part of the UNIVEG Group) in the Netherlands.

 

These products are designed for consumers who want to use fresh ingredients to prepare a full meal, soup or side dish for four people.

 

Fruit Logistica’s showcase of fresh product ideas

Fruit Logistica global brand manager Gérald Lamusse described the ten finalists for the award as “outstanding new fruit and vegetable industry products and services that are driving new trends in the international marketplace.”

The other finalists were :

  • “Eye-Catcher” – A product display system for crates at the POS, from Cabka Group GmbH, Germany;

  • “FC 15 Fruit Chunker” – A cutting machine for pineapple and melons, from Atlas Pacific Engineering, Inc., USA;

  • “Holzdekor-RPC” – Reusable plastic crates with a natural wood look from Polymer Logistics, Germany;

  • “Low Carbon rPETeCo” – Packaging material consisting of 90% recycled plastic bottles, from Holfeld Plastics Ltd, Ireland;

  • “Portable Nondestructive Fruit Quality Meter” – A portable quality-control measuring device, from Sunforest Co. Ltd., South Korea;

  • “Regal’in™ Apple” – A new apple variety, from Regal’in Europe, France;

  • “UP-8000” – A peeling machine for carrots, cucumbers, white radishes and other long vegetables, from Hepro GmbH, Germany.

Lamusse said the award is “the industry’s most coveted distinction” and attracts huge international media attention.

 

See more photos at the Fruit Logistica site.

 
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Slight growth in US banana imports

Bananas

Guatemala remains top US banana source

US banana imports inched up just under 1% last year to nearly 4.9 million tons, with Guatemala remaining the top supplier.
Figures from USDA Foreign Agricultural Service’s Global Agricultural Trade System (GATS) also show that compared to 2013, the biggest growth was in imports from Peru, Nicaragua and the Dominican Republic, while the totals from Panama, Colombia and Honduras fell.

 

2012 tons

2013 tons

2014 tons

% 14-13

Guatemala

1,517,328

1,680,028

1,756,187

4.5%

Ecuador

851,567

889,711

905,021

1.7%

Costa Rica

850,21

798,698

828,526

3.7%

Honduras

536,257

603,309

572,971

-5%

Colombia

507,573

535,527

444,334

-17%

Mexico

238,376

272,548

273,493

0.3%

Nicaragua

43,857

41,372

58,929

42.4%

Peru

25,900

22,624

40,216

77.8%

Panama

65,553

13,240

10,065

-24%

DomRep

2,727

6,197

7,515

21.3%

El Salvador

96

487

1,930

  

TOTAL

4,639,444

4,863,741

4,899,187

0.70%

source: http://apps.fas.usda.gov/gats/ExpressQuery1.aspx

Guatemala, which has a competitive edge thanks to its proximity to the US, was the source of nearly 36% of total US banana imports, followed by Ecuador with 18.5% and Costa Rica with 16.9%.

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US imports of agricultural products from Guatemala totaled US$1.8 billion in 2013 with leading categories including bananas and plantains ($729 million), coffee (unroasted) ($411 million), fresh fruit (excluding bananas) ($182 million), and processed fruit and vegetables ($108 million).

US banana production is very limited, with Hawaii by far its largest banana producer.

 

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Asda says its “no tears” sweet red onion is a UK first

Asda onion

 

Asda has just started selling what it calls the UK’s first sweet red onion.

The UK retailer said in a press release that a total of about 40 tons of Sweet Reds are now on sale at selected Asda stores.

It claims the onion’s lower pungency levels means less tears while chopping and an odour that doesn’t linger on the breath as long as that from a regular onion. The new bulb is also said to boast a milder, juicier and crunchier flavour.

Asda said the sweet red is the result of work spanning more than 20 years by Bedfordshire Growers farmer Alastair Findlay, who evaluated 400-500 bulbs per season in order to cultivate the new onion.

Asda’s vegetables buyer Andy Wareham said the company is proud to have supported Findlay on the project. “Introducing the UK’s very first sweet red onion is a fantastic achievement.” Wareham said that like in the USA, people in the UK tend to have a sweeter palate “so will appreciate the same tangy flavour, without the strong acidity of some onions.”

“It’s funny to think that prior to the 1990s, there were no red onions grown within the UK. However due to the popularity and versatility of the variety, they now account for 20% of the total onions sold within the UK,” Wareham said.

Findlay is already working on an improved version of the onion to launch next year. “There are so many interesting flavours just waiting to be discovered,” he said.

Read more about Asda on p34 of our latest edition, number 135.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Call for EU to help fruit and veg farmers gain clout with retailers

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The European Commission needs to intensify its efforts to protect farmers from unfair trading practices by large retailers, according to a draft report to the European Parliament by the Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development rapporteur Nuno Melo.

“There seems to be little point in investing resources in strengthening and creating POs (producer organisations) – a slow and difficult process – if negotiating power in the food supply chain remains highly concentrated in retailers’ hands,” the draft report, dated January 29, says.

Because fruit and vegetables (F&V) are mostly perishable products that must be sold quickly, this leaves farmers in a structurally weak bargaining position vis-à-vis major retailers.

 

Need for improved crisis measures

And while market crises occur frequently in the F&V sector, since even small production surpluses can cause large falls in producer prices, “there seems to be a consensus that crisis prevention and management (CPM) instruments are not being sufficiently used.”

“This is a worrying a situation, given that market crises are a regular feature of F&V production, since even small increases in production, due to favourable weather conditions for instance, can cause large falls in prices.” The draft report therefore calls on the commission to consider making contributions to mutual funds eligible as CPM measures, to help farmers protect themselves against large drops in income.

 

Too much uncertainty and complexity

It also says that associations of producer organisations (AOPs) could play an important role in increasing the bargaining power of farmers and urges the commission to reinforce incentives for setting up APOs and to envisage a greater role for them in the future.

Reducing legal uncertainty and administrative burdens “should be a first step in making POs more attractive,” it says.

However, the report also stresses that the basic architecture of the EU fruit and vegetables regime should not be changed as part of the commission’s ‘simplification’ agenda and its upcoming review of the implementation of rules on producer organisations, operational funds and operational programmes in the fruit and vegetables sector since its 2007 reform.

 

Read the full draft report here.

 

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Fruit Logistica 2015 sets new visitor record

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About 65,000 trade visitors – up from from 62,000 last year – attended Fruit Logistica 2015 in Berlin, setting a new attendance record for the annual event.

Held February 4–6, the fair featured 2,785 exhibitors from 83 countries, compared to last year’s more than 2,600 exhibitors from 84 countries. They presented information to trade visitors from about 130 countries, compared to 141 in 2014.

According to organisers, both exhibitors and visitors praised the complete market overview of the fresh produce industry the event provided and its excellent opportunities to make contact with wholesalers, retailers, fruit and vegetable growers, importers and exporters. The 2015 edition cemented Fruit Logistica’s role “as the world’s leading trade fair for the fresh produce industry.”

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Messe Berlin GmbH CEO Christian Göke said that “in addition to its undisputed position as a business platform, this year’s Fruit Logistica strengthened its leading role as a platform for innovation for the international fresh produce trade.”

Products on show included fresh, unprocessed fruit and vegetables; dried fruit; nuts; herbs and spices; organic products and flowers.

Suppliers of products and services for packaging, storage, transport, warehousing and product presentation also exhibited.