New issue includes Fresh Focus Cherry with in-depth coverage of key developments in the global cherry trade, plus features on Thailand, berries and more
The November 2024 edition of Asiafruit Magazine is now available to subscribers on the Asiafruit app – Apple, Android and desktop – bringing you the latest news and views from across Asia’s fast-moving fresh produce markets.
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China’s Shine Muscat grapes have been in the spotlight following a food scare at the end of October when NGO organisation Thailand Consumers Council (TCC) – together with the Thai Pesticide Alert Network (Thai-PAN) – reported finding harmful chemical residues in random retail samples taken for laboratory testing. Asiafruit editor John Hey reports on the findings, sharing the potential implications for imports of other Chinese fruits.
Elsewhere in the Thailand feature, results from an annual consumer survey commissioned by T&G Global found fresh fruit consumption increased slightly in the Greater Bangkok area in the 12 months to July 2024, with apples overtaking bananas as the top-selling fruit for the first time. In another notable first, supermarkets and hypermarkets edged ahead of wet markets as the preferred channel for purchasing fruit.
The annual Fresh Focus Cherry curates the latest cherry news and developments, as the global trade grapples with ever-increasing production levels. Expert analysis from Fresh Intelligence’s Wayne Prowse reveals global cherry production has increased at a compound annual growth rate of 5.3 per cent over the past 20 years. Chile, which is forecasting an increase of up to 60 per cent in exports this season, is leading the charge. Elsewhere, demand outstripped supply for US cherries in 2024, new premium brands are being launched in New Zealand, and there are promising signs for South Africa as it moves into Asia.
In Asiafruit’s cover feature, Asiafruit China editor Yuxin Yang speaks with executive chairman and founder of United Exports, Roger Horak on the Ozblu varieties that continue to gain ground in the blueberry industry, including machine-harvestable genetics that are making high-cost labour markets more manageable.
All this, plus our category features spotlighting apples & pears, kiwifruit, citrus and more.
