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photo report: Global Tomato Conference

"Stop with promotions, consumers are willing to pay for tomatoes"

Hexafarms bags €1.3M funding round

Forecasting yield four weeks in advance with 90% accuracy, and beyond

Producing 60 million ready-to-grow young plants in 45-acre greenhouses

Priva partners with UC Davis to support CEA certificate program

© Gert Van Santen | Dreamstime.com

UK: Government unveils major package of farming and food sector support

Delphy partners up with GTC+

Sector | Greenhouse expansion projects

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second phase

China: 11 ha glass greenhouse project completed in Beijing

Vegetable sowing areas in the Lviv region, Ukraine are set to expand, particularly for cabbage, onions, and cucumbers
MOU signed with Bom Group

Beijing HortiPolaris to expand with 10 ha in Yunnan

US (WA): 242,000 sqft lettuce greenhouse debuts
© Photographerlondon | Dreamstime.com

Us (PA): Greenhouse in community garden helps to feed community

Hong Kong: New project launched at University to yield data

CAN (BC): Large quantity of fill being placed for future East Ladner greenhouse

Sector | Cultivation

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Ambitious greenhouse vegetable grower expands at ZON

"I hope to grow 20 hectares by 2026."

High-tech boosts yields and efficiency
Las Nieves Cooperative Society (Seville)

"If no rain soon, we could lack lots of tomato harvest"
© Dragoscondrea | Dreamstime.com

US (IA): Applications open for Iowa Farm Bureau's 'Grow Your Future' award

Can we grow morel mushrooms for fun and profit?

Potential alternative crops for investment and growth
© Hwongcc | Dreamstime.com

Estonian growers battling with ongoing night frosts

Sector | Technique

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© Ilja Enger Tsizikov | Dreamstime.com

Smart agriculture empowers vegetable growers in east China

"Slimming cucumbers contains several times more propanol diacid than ordinary varieties"

Spain: Traditional greenhouses tech-up, growers notice changes

Greenhouse netting project in tomato cultivation attracts attention with independent choices
Moving away from substrate:

A propagation and plant-growing device in one

UK: Aeroponic system installed at University of Essex
Round 2 of the AGROS project is coming up

Step taken towards autonomous cultivation

Sector | Climate

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Vegetable farming concerns in regions of Bangladesh

"The situation forces us in Finland to find alternative origins for Spain and other southern producer countries"

Vegetable production crisis looms in Manipur due to hailstorm

Sweltering heat is impacting Thailand's agriculture

PBL: There is a future for climate-neutral greenhouse horticulture in the Netherlands

Local cucumbers will arrive later than usual in Moldovan markets this year
How fixing a customer's problem turned these guys into night-time heat loss science nerds:

Blazing hot by day but freezing at night

Sector | Company News

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Maersk establishes itself at SEGRO Park Amsterdam Airport in Hoofddorp

Call for fruit and vegetable growers to vote in HortNZ levy referendum
AGF Trendcafé visits Gearbox Innovations

"We are a normal company, just one that has grown quite rapidly"

Several produce companies make Canada's Best Managed Companies list

UK: Tesco adds vertically farmed salad line to its stores nationally

Carolyn Hauger appointed to Village Farms' board of directors

Mary Quaney and Johanna Brenninkmeijer appointed to COFRA’s Board of Directors

Sector | Grower in the Spotlight

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Ferme Gadbois turns to tech to grow strawberry year-round
30 years of Angus Soft Fruit

‘Run your business like you are going to run it for 100 years’

US (NH): Grants help farmers implement systems to fight climate change

Albanian greenhouse farmers continue to report large losses
© Adrea | Dreamstime.com

“We are looking for locations in Europe where sustainable energy is available”

US (MN): McGhee family usess sustainable farming practices
Local Bounti wants to expand further

US (WA): New Pasco lettuce facility officially opened

Sector | Crop Protection

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© Palex66 | Dreamstime.com

US (FL): Battling the pepper thrips invasion

Embracing a chemical-free future with digital IPM
California

Significant threat to tomato crops in Stanislaus county
© Gajendra Bhati | Dreamstime.com

Sticky traps are a great tool to keep pests out

“Raising awareness to preserve germplasm is crucial to combat climate challenge, malnutrition, and food insecurity”

New weapon in leaf-dwelling thrips control
© Vlad Teodor | Dreamstime.com

Elucidation of the seed-borne transmission mechanism of ToBRFV in tomatoes and bell peppers

Sector | Market Information

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European Council extends trade liberalization for Moldova

“There will be enough volumes of Polish blueberries this year, despite these frosts"
Fruit South Africa:

A shared South African industry-government vision makes for promising economics
© Freshhouse | Dreamstime.com

Entering the soft fruit market in Türkiye

"European retail opts for high-tech in winter tomato cultivation"

Tomato prices soar in South Africa due to erratic weather
© Jolin | Dreamstime.com

Ireland: Minister Hackett co-chairs the Spring meeting of the now bi-annual Horticulture Industry Forum

Sector | Energy

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Sweden: Residual heat steel mill investigated as greenhouse heat source
Facilitating construction of agrivoltaic systems throughout the nation

Czechia introduces first rules for agrivoltaics

China: Rural vitalization supported by State Grid's safety services

'Running a farm at twice the efficiency, half the cost'
Launch of RE-Greenhouse, an Interreg North-West Europe-project

Speeding up the uptake of renewable energy sources in greenhouses
© Trebro | Dreamstime.com

How greenhouse horticulture can benefit from carbon capture

Effect of different photovoltaic modules on cucumber crops in a greenhouse agrivoltaic system

Sector | Fertilizers

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Biostimulant company raises $1M boosting effective and sustainable farming outcomes

Ostara gets organic registration of recovered nutrients

Ginkgo Bioworks acquires AgBiome
© Ian Allenden | Dreamstime.com

Certis Belchim partners up with Landlab
© Andrii Yalanskyi | Dreamstime.com

HotiNigeria empowers 23 agro-input dealers to boost horticulture
© Kingan | Dreamstime.com

Organic farms can have mixed effects on pesticide use depending on their neighbors

New Iron Powder launched as a sustainable organic solution for plant health

Sector | Breeding

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Pop Vriend Seeds -

Dutch vegetable seed company confirms resistance to Pe. 20 for a large part of its spinach assortment

Moroccan tomato exports have increased significantly over the past decade

Wimbledon spectators will find larger and more flavorful strawberries
© MartinBergsma | Dreamstime.com

China: New farmer boosts specialty pepper with technology
© Mulderphoto | Dreamstime.com

Philippines: Dept of Ag building organic seed storage depots in Calabarzon provinces

More vegetable seed accessions sent for safety duplication
© Mulderphoto | Dreamstime.com

When might farmers access gene-edited varieties, and will they know what they're growing?

Sector | Product Info

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Pepper tote bags labeled with a spice meter

The exclusive Japanese OKU Berry strawberry arrives in Spain

Hybrid mango cultivation in Himachal Pradesh

Guinness World Record for largest fruit display set in Dallas, Texas
Ben Goodchild - Nationwide produce

"We are now seeing very good volumes arriving but quality is also very mixed"

Increasing fruit and vegetable intake among adults

40th year celebration brings new product offerings

Sector | Open field vegetables

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Bonduelle Group:

Business activity slightly down on Quarter 3 in a climate of constrained consumption

India: AI-based device to aid in cultivation of horti crops
A product by Soft NW:

Non-woven fabric resistant to frost

Sector | Substrates and starting materials

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Microchips in coconut substrate for increased rootable volume
Cocogreen receives King's Award

UK award for coco producer

What's a good substrate without rock wool?

Soil-less substrates for greenhouse strawberry production

New algorithms for sensors in 'green' substrates

"The certified organic growing media performs like a conventional growing media"
"When buying in bulk, growers can make the investment back in 1-2 years"

Moving away from substrates comes with its benefits...

Sector | Organic cultivation

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Ukrainian farmers are offering organic produce amidst the war
“a breakthrough for organic growers in North America"

On-farm bioreactor enables conversion of residual proteins into liquid organic solution
Jordi Querol, CEO and founder of Dreiskel Biodinámica, a pioneering company in biodynamic agriculture:

"Finding an aisle with only biodynamic foods in Germany is as common as finding one with organic products here"

Ukraine: The largest mushroom farm in the Ternopil region won the "Course for Independence" project
Transcarpathian farm on track to double blueberry plantations with new technology:

Ukrainian grower upscales hydroponic blueberry production
Efficient use of space, reduced land costs, environmental sustainability, and crop diversity

The advantages of vertical farming in Ukraine
Within a year, the "MicroGreen Prykarpattia" relocated to a significantly larger space:

Ukraine: Business cultivates and sells microgreens and edible flowers

Sector | Today on social media

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Cluster Manager High Tech Greenhouses @ TNO | Business Development, Horticulture

Egon Janssen
send us your novelties

White Circle

Johny Shajahan

A visit to Sustenir Group

India and Japan horticulture

Berries on the way
Dreamstime

Northern lights seen in the Netherlands and Belgium

Sector | Food Safety & Sanitation

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34th Session of the FAO Regional Conference for Europe opens with focus on bolstering resilience of agrifood systems

Food safety is focus of leadership class seminar
Vegetables and pulses outlook: April 2024

U.S. vegetable sales soar by 82 percent amid declines in harvest area and farms

Philippines: Dept of Ag bolsters health and nutrition, urban agri, food security initiatives
UV-C air disinfection in pepper packing hall:

“I have never had issues with mold again”
© Photographerlondon | Dreamstime.com

UK: Farming Unions urge major retailers to back British farming

US: Basil sold across 29 states linked to salmonella infection

Sector | Events

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July 3 and 4, Cambridge

Hort Science Live 2024 wille explore peat-free growing
Browse the photo gallery

The enthusiasm of exhibitors confirms Macfrut as an international event
Webinar:

High tech agricultural technology in greenhouse production
October 1-2, 2024, Danville, VA

Call for speakers at the CEA Summit East 2024
Trade show to be held in Izmir on 26 to 28 September

"Interfresh Eurasia trade show to become Türkiye’s showcase"
Organic Produce Summit:

Panel to explore regional differences in organic produce sales
© Dragoscondrea | Dreamstime.com

US (ID): Governor declares May as horticulture month

Sector | Labor and automation

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Lincoln Institute for Agri-food Technology

UK: Experts help assess potential for robotics and automation to alleviate labor shortages in UK food chain
UK government announces five-year extension

NFU secures win for Seasonal Workers Scheme

A fully automated cherry truss tomato harvesting robot to hit the market
© Davidleshem | Dreamstime.com

CAN (AB): Drought and Flood Protection Program now open

Farmworker Awareness Week continues to gain awareness
'potentially balance labor cost advantages of other countries'

Florida shifts towards mechanized tomato harvesting

Greenhouse cucumbers are taken to a landfill in Russia due to labor deficit

Sector | Retail

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Dreamstime
Eurocash Group has reported 'stable' sales in Q1

Alibaba announced its financial results for the quarter and fiscal year
Dreamstime
Tesco's new plant-led range offers meals packed with a variety of vegetables, grains and seeds

Asda workers at the Brighton Hollingbury superstore have confirmed the dates they will strike

Photo report: Fresh produce department at Metro supermarket, Lima
Dreamstime
Foodstuffs: 21 different fruit and vegetable items see double-digit price falls, year-on-year

Particularly fruit and vegetables accounted for 41% of Dino Polska's revenue

IFPA honors front line with Retail Produce Manager Awards
Dreamstime
Vegetable wholesaler Farm Price announced net profit

Amazon: New online store in Ireland in 2025
Dreamstime
Welsh exotic mushroom farmer wins life-changing Aldi contract

Waitrose to source fruit and vegetables from UK farms which use regenerative practices by 2035

Sector | Lighting

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LettUs Grow and Valoya India:

New partnership to bring advanced aeroponic technology to India and the Middle East

US: How Michigan growers can benefit from electric utility rebates and incentives

LED lights give strawberries special diet powers, reveal Scots researchers
© MartinBergsma | Dreamstime.com

Evaluation of compact pepper cultivars using LED lights and sunlight
A webinar:

Illuminating a path toward season extension

MechaTronix expands its presence to Canada with two new companies

What is light spectrum vs intensity and why are they important?

Sector | Irrigation

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Clean water for improved hydroponic lettuce cultivation
First increase in groundwater supplies in 4 years

Groundwater supplies increase in California
© Freshhouse | Dreamstime.com

Protecting blueberry bloom from extreme heat using overhead irrigation

Can waste water help fuel an aquaponics surge in Europe?
Robert de Hoo, Ultramins

"Less dirty water systems facilitate crop rotation"
© Jerome Chalk | Dreamstime.com

Malta: Clay-based irrigation technology being tested in Gozo could slash water use

CAN: Cleantech projects selected as “Innovations for the Future” by Axelys

Sector | Medicinal production

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"Indoor crops could be key for future food security"

Sector | Post-harvest & Packaging

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Team develops technology for producing bioplastics from agricultural and food byproducts
Fairmiles Roundtable:

'Banning airfreighted fresh produce puts millions of livelihoods at risk and does not help Net Zero'

Driscoll's Maroc is building a berry processing plant in Larache

USDA announces new fee rates for Specialty Crops Inspection Grading, Audit Services

The plant for processing fruits and veg in Galilee, Israel is closing down

Home compostable produce label launches with cost-effective advantage
AgroFresh -

12th annual Post-Harvest Academy hosted in Washington

Sector | Education and research

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© Veranika Semchanka | Dreamstime.com

US (MI): $55,000 in grants awarded to horti reserach

“I think it is important that farms can conduct their own trials and research in a practical way"
Cotton sprouts as potential vegetable source:

Alterations in metabolomics and transcriptomics between light and dark growth conditions
Don Campbell/ U of T

CAN (ON): Toronto university plant biologists use high-tech growth chambers to develop stronger crops
© Sarit Richerson | Dreamstime.com

Research discovers plants utilize drought stress hormone to block snacking spider mites

US: $1M USDA training grant enables students to work in studies in aquaponics

US: Collaboration expanded to bring indoor garden curricula to more communities

Sector | Cartoons

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Diet rich in fruits and vegetables linked to enhanced relationship satisfaction

Carrot harvest uncovers ancient coin treasure

Broccoli haircut is a hot trend

Pilot tattoos favorite crop: courgette

Man made a flute out of a carrot and it works perfectly

Why are vegetarian meals on planes so bad?

Students innovate with eco-friendly inks from fruit and vegetable leftovers