Australian fruit cannery SPC Ardmona has called on the Australian government to put in place emergency tariffs on cheap imported fruit and tomatoes in an attempt to save the local industry. The Australian newspaper reported that SPC Ardmona Managing Director Peter Kelly had written to Australian Agriculture Minister Joe Ludwig asking him to activate protection measures permitted under World Trade Organisation (WTO) rules where a surge of imports causes or threatens to cause damage to a domestic injury. “The... ...Read more »

Australian industry groups are offering support to 170 Goulburn Valley fruitgrowers after food processing company SPC Ardmona said it would not be taking their produce from 1 May 2013. The Company, which is a subsidiary of Coca Cola Amatil (CCA), said the high Australian dollar and competition from cheaper imported products have left it no choice. It forecast a reduction of up to 50 per cent in intake for some fruit categories for the 2014 season. Australian Food News reported in February 2013 that... ...Read more »

Sales of apples in US primary schools jumped by an average of 71 per cent when the fruit was sold in sliced form, according to research published in the May issue of the American Journal of Preventative Medicine. Researchers at the Cornell University Centre for Behavioural Economics in Child Nutrition Programs (BEN Centre) in New York first conducted a pilot study, asking schools to use a commercial fruit slicer whenever students requested apples. The machine cut the fruit into six pieces in three... ...Read more »

Australian Food News recently reported that the total value of food and liquor retailing in Australia grew by 4.2 per cent in 2011-12, to $135.8 billion, according to ‘Australian Food Statistics’, a yearly report compiled by the Australian Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF) from data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS). But the report found that a more detailed analysis of the data showed a more complex picture than what was suggested by the overall figures. Food... ...Read more »

Despite an increase in food prices worldwide, fresh foods remain an important part of the weekly shop globally, according to research published earlier this month by global market researcher Nielsen. The Nielsen Global Survey of Fresh Foods, which surveyed more than 29,000 respondents in 58 countries, found that consumers globally now spend between 30 and 60 per cent of their total food, grocery and personal care funds on fresh foods. The research found that consumers globally shop for fresh foods... ...Read more »

Queensland’s flood damaged produce will not be wasted in a Sydney Market initiative that is converting damaged fruit and vegetables into green electricity. Sydney Market, which saw a 25 per cent spike in perished produce last year during the floods, expects to turn the same amount of wasted fruit and vegetables into energy this time around. Early damage reports following the Queensland floods reveal that vegetable and fruit crop losses could exceed $100 million, with orchards in Bundaberg, Gayndah... ...Read more »

While it is commonly known that fruit and vegetables are a healthy option for a snack, new CHOICE research has found that consuming these in beverage form can often contain “larger serving sizes than the average plate of food.” CHOICE analysed 95 popular Australian brands of smoothies and frappes recently and found that many had “added sugar” and “fruit concentrate” which ruled them out as a healthy option. Of the smoothies and frappes reviewed by CHOICE, 81 of 95 beverages were deemed... ...Read more »

The Australian Federal Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF) is working towards permitting importation of fresh decrowned pineapples from Malaysia. The move is likely to mean that Australian supermarkets will be able to source fresh pineapples directly from Malaysia, adding significant market pressures on Queensland growers. Growcom, the peak Queensland-based industry body, in a December 2011 submission to DAFF, had rejected the DAFF’s risk assessment of Malaysian fresh decrowned... ...Read more »

UK supermarket giant Tesco have announced the launch of a ‘sweet lemon’ in the UK.  Is there a lesson here for Australian fruit marketers? These lemons are a product which has been very common in the US and Australia for the past 100 years but are now being re-launched as something new and extraordinary in the UK. Tesco citrus fruit buyer Tim Battey said: “This fruit is a cook’s dream as it has all the zestiness of a lemon but with the sweetness of a tart orange instead of a harsh sting.” Whilst... ...Read more »

The relocation of the Melbourne Wholesale Fruit and Vegetable Market from Footscray to Epping is expected to hurt everyone in the fresh produce industry, from wholesalers to retailers and consumers. A statement from the Minister for Major Projects, released on December 13th 2012, projects that rents for stores at the new Epping market are to rise from current $273 per m2 at Footscray to $450 per m2 at Epping.  For storeholders, the new rents represent a 64.8 per cent increase per square metre on... ...Read more »