Opinion: asking the right questions about protected produce labels
By Visión y Servicios president Eric Viramontes It is safe to say than in life a basic rule to follow is “never assume and always ask the right questions”. It’s an important point to take on board when...
View ArticleOpinion: using the Scholander pressure chamber to improve crop irrigation
By Arturo Calderón, Universidad de Chile researcher and University of California Davis PhD The Scholander pressure chamber is the most utilized water stress measure for wine grapevines. Although its...
View ArticleOpinion: online farming attracts young, ag innovators
By Keron Bascombe, agri-blogger and writer How does one go about creating an interest in agriculture? Many within the sector and other related fields will clearly see the importance of agriculture; the...
View ArticleOpinion: do “booth babes” bear fruit at trade shows?
By Oster and Associates president and creative director Bev Oster Using women as “bait” in trade show booths isn’t new, but concern about whether it is acceptable seems to have skyrocketed in the...
View ArticleOpinion: price hikes put brakes on South African road freight
By Gavin Kelly, technical and operations manager at South Africa’s Road Freight Association In light of the economic climate and the low growth levels, the Road Freight Association (RFA) welcomes the...
View ArticleThe Packaging Pitch: marketing “uses” prompts multi-variety purchases
By Fresh Produce Marketing founder Lisa Cork By now, most of you know I am a big fan of telling the ‘story’ of your product on your packaging. While those of us in produce know and understand our...
View ArticleThe Hass Horn: second quarter U.S. avocado supply outlook
By avocado expert Avi Crane For those of us who have spent our entire careers in the avocado industry, its current condition is nothing less than remarkable. When avocado production in California...
View ArticleQ&A: a fresh look at food security and ag development
The United Nations’ Kostas Stamoulis sat down with www.freshfruitportal.com during a visit to Santiago, Chile to discuss plans for the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). The director for the...
View ArticleOpinion: the changing shape of Russia’s retail market
By RK Marketing/Fruitnews.ru general director Irina Koziy Just few years ago the key factor for the fresh produce supplier’s success in the Russian market was the ability to interest large importers of...
View ArticleOpinion: ground rules for establishing produce safety
By Visión y Servicios president Eric Viramontes The other day my good friend William Watson from the National Mango Board invited me to participate in a panel discussion on “When a Crisis Hits Home.”...
View ArticleOpinion: Chilean blueberry industry and production recap 2012-13
By Dole Berry Company field representative Todd Mauritz The 2012-13 Chilean blueberry season will be remembered as a very complicated and challenging one. The following is a brief summary of the season...
View ArticleOpinion: surviving Panama’s banana crisis cooperatively
By Banana Link international coordinator Alistair Smith Near the archetypal banana town of Changuinola in Panama’s North Western province of Bocas del Toro, just a few kilometres from the Rio Sixaola –...
View ArticleOpinion: harvest mechanization far away but not distant
By Arturo Calderón, Universidad de Chile researcher and University of California Davis PhD I had the pleasure of being invited by the renowned U.S.-based Chilean researcher Dr. Carlos Crisosto to a...
View ArticleFruit Fanatic: hunting for rare trees in Puerto Rico
By botanist and fruit fanatic Rolf Blancke As part of his project to publish the most comprehensive book ever produced for general readers on the world’s tropical fruits, botanist Rolf Blancke is...
View ArticleOpinion: why did Chilean grapes suffer in the U.S. market?
By Isabel Quiroz, executive director of iQonsulting.com Recently I was speaking with a Flame grape producer about the disaster that the Chilean variety has faced on the U.S. market. “Don’t tell me that...
View ArticleOpinion: finding solutions for young farmers
By Keron Bascombe, agri-blogger and writer For young people in agriculture, we face many challenges and there are always problems. Suggested, proposed and implemented answers never seem to work, much...
View ArticleOpinion: ag leaders must innovate or die
Eric Viramontes argues that agricultural leaders cannot rely on good reputation alone. They must innovate.
View ArticleThe Packaging Pitch: apple marketing in Thailand
Lisa Cork discusses the shortcomings of apple packaging and presentation in Bangkok.
View ArticleOpinion: the outlook for Australian produce imports
Michael Worthington says Australian growers need to consider how to deal with potentially higher fresh produce imports.
View ArticleOpinion: the mountains and valleys that define Colombian agriculture
Enrique Villegas gives a background lesson on Colombia, a growing country with significant agricultural opportunities.
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