Round-up: Stories you might have missed over Christmas

German retailers Rewe and Penny have launched their own loyalty programme, ending their longstanding partnership with the country’s largest independent bonus scheme Payback. Called Rewe Bonus, the programme has a unique colour scheme – referred to as ‘eucalyptus and dragonfruit’ by Rewe CEO Lionel Souque – and is set to give members discount offers on products including fresh fruit and veg. In the meantime, Edeka and Netto have agreed to join Payback in 2025.

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Falk Schlusnus has joined German fruit and veg supplier OGA / OGV Nordbaden as managing director of sales and operations. The former Lidl buyer spent almost six years as CEO of exotics specialist TFC Holland, part of BayWa Global Produce. “I am ready to embark on an exciting new journey,” he commented. “A heartfelt thank you goes to my colleagues and friends at TFC for their trust and dedication over the past six years.”

BayWa’s restructuring programme has begun in earnest with the sale of its almost 48 per cent stake in Raiffeisen Ware Austria, a major supplier of agricultural products. Late last year, BayWa agreed with its main financial backers and two major shareholders to embark on a long-term reorganisation plan that is expected to involve the sale of New Zealand fresh produce company T&G Global and other subsidiaries outside of Germany.

Just months after it opened its 250th salad bar in Germany, Swedish salad bar brand Picadeli has reached the 300-outlet milestone, suggesting that demand for healthy and sustainable food concepts in Europe’s largest economy continues to grow. “Growing from 250 to 300 salad bars in such a short time not only demonstrates the strength of our business model but also how well we are meeting consumers’ needs for healthy and sustainable food,” said David von Laskowski, CEO and group president of Picadeli and its parent company Greenfood.

Dutch marketer The Greenery says its member growers will double the area planted with strawberry variety Inspire this year as it rolls out what it says is a new, more transparent payment system which apparently guarantees the highest market price. “This expansion ensures a stronger position within the European market,” it stated. “With a strong customer profile, we offer growers not only stable and reliable sales, but also certainty and flexibility throughout the season.”

Staying in the Netherlands, Martin Scherpenhuizen Beheer plans to acquire all shares in Van Oers United, a vegetable specialist which trades under the name Primeale. Both companies have requested permission to proceed with the deal from the Netherlands Authority for Consumers and Markets.

Morocco’s citrus exports are due to rise by almost a third in 2024/25 following better weather conditions and greater use of drip irrigation, according to a new USDA report. Tangerine and mandarin production is set to reach an estimated 1.1mn tonnes, 16 per cent up on the previous season, with exports predicted to increase from 392,000 tonnes to 500,000 tonnes. Meanwhile orange production should increase by a slightly higher margin to around 960,000 tonnes, enabling exports to grow from 60,000 tonnes to 90,000 tonnes. Lemon and lime output is forecast at 45,000 tonnes, from 40,000 tonnes in 2023/34, with a slight boost for exports.

Meanwhile, the USDA suggests EU orange, mandarin, and lemon production will decline this season compared with previous campaigns, although grapefruit volume is expected to grow slightly. Similar trends in other parts of the Northern Hemisphere mean an increase in imports is unlikely, it said, at least until off-season produce enters the market. “In the context of a steady internal demand and regionalisation of trade, intra-EU trade from producing areas to main consuming [EU] member states is anticipated to prevail,” it noted.

Mission Produce says it expects international avocado volumes to remain steady in 2025 compared with last year, and pricing to be around 20 per up on the first quarter of 2024 over the next three months. That forecast came after it reported strong results for the final quarter of the year – including a 37 per cent increase in total revenue to US$354.4mn. Its net income for the period was US$17.3mn, up from US$4.0mn in the same period of 2023. Full-year revenue was 29 per cent higher at US$1.23bn.

Peruvian exporter Camposol has named Ricardo Naranjo as its new CEO effective 1 January. The company said Naranjo Fernández, who was appointed as CFO in November and has served as interim CEO since the resignation of José Antonio Gómez in June, had demonstrated “collaboration, teamwork, leadership and remarkable results”. The company also said Samuel Dyer Coriat will step down from his role as executive board chairman, but will remain as president.

Kiwifruit Vine Health in New Zealand says good progress is being made to place extra traps, checks and controls after the early January discovery of a single male Oriental fruit fly in Papatoetoe, a suburb of Auckland. Additional restrictions are set to be place for a fortnight, it said.

New Zealand’s kiwifruit exports were valued at NZ$3.5bn for the 2024 season around NZ$1bn higher than in 2023, according to data released by Stats NZ in late December. Gold kiwifruit tended to have a higher unit price than green, it said. “While the prices for kiwifruit remained relatively stable, the volume of kiwifruit produced this season has driven the overall increase in exports,” said international accounts spokesperson Viki Ward. “This is a great recovery for the industry after [the previous] year’s weather events, and a return to historic highs.”

Pineapple exports from the Philippines were set to grow 15.8 per cent to 692,365 tonnes in 2024, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization’s (FAO) of the United Nations. The group’s Major Tropical Fruits Market Review also suggested that global exports of the fruit would rise 4 per cent to 3.3mn tonnes.

Unifrutti Chile has installed two new cherry processing lines at its plant in Requínoa. The machines, a 28-lane line for red cherries and a four-lane line for two-tone cherries, reportedly offers greater efficiency and allows it to expand its packing capacity by more than half.

Spanish company Agroatlas has officially opened its new packhouse in Almería for organic produce. “This facility will not only enhance our packing capabilities but also provide robust logistical support for our [Nature Growers] production operations in Morocco,” said chief commercial officer Richi Menoyo.

Valencia-based post-harvest specialist Citrosol has announced that Juanjo Moragues has been appointed as the new chairman of its board of directors. The company also paid tribute to his predecessor Juanjo Febrer, whose leadership and influence had been “fundamental pillars” in its history, it said.

Orange production in Australia will increase to 545,000 tonnes in 2024/25 – the highest in two decades – from an estimated 520,000 tonnes in 2023/24 thanks to favourable early growing conditions and new plantings, says a new USDA report. Exports are forecast to rise to 190,000 tonnes, driven by higher production, and as such would be the country’s third-largest export volume on record. More of the fruit is expected to sell on the fresh market. Elsewhere, mandarin production is expected to reach a record 225,000 tonnes, with exports also projected at a record 105,000 tonnes.

Meanwhile, another USDA report predicts China’s citrus production will grow in 2024/25, despite weather-related challenges. Orange production is due to fall slightly due to a naturally smaller Navel season, while production of mandarins, pomelos and grapefruit continues to grow. With China’s large supply and increasing demand from southeast countries, the report forecasts citrus exports will continue to increase.

Abhishek Dev, chairman of export development authority Apeda, has revealed that India is targeting US$1bn in banana exports as it seeks to build on recent trial shipments and sell more to countries including Russia. Most of the country’s bananas are exported via air at present, but the development of new sea protocols for fresh fruit including bananas, mangoes, pomegranates, and jackfruit could boost sales, Dev suggested. The country’s global share of banana exports has reportedly grown from 0.21 per cent in 2013 to 1.74 per cent in 2023.

Indian berry company Fragaria has unveiled its first commercial brand, Oh Fruits. The company, which is based in Chennai, has begun to sell vertically farmed, pesticide-free strawberries under the brand and says they will be available year-round. The company is also understood to be considering potential moves into locally produced avocados and blueberries.

Hapag-Lloyd says a new feeder service will offer a direct connection between Nansha in China and its hub ports of Tanjung Pelepas and Singapore, as well as “brand new connectivity options” for the Philippines market. The first vessel for its new CPF feeder is expected to arrive at Nansha on February 14, 2025.

Nine members and ten alternate members have been appointed by USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack to serve on the US Highbush Blueberry Council. The newly appointed members include three exporters – Juan Pablo Vogt (Chile), Daniel Bustamante (Peru), and Miguel Méndez (Mexico) – as well as other representatives from across the US itself. New alternate members are also mainly from the US, but also include Ruy Barbosa (Chile), José Antonio Castro (Peru), and Raul Gonzalez Chavez (Mexico). “The blueberry industry is at a crossroads,” shared USHBC president Kasey Cronquist. “Our newly appointed council members are joining at a critical time to help ensure that our united efforts continue.”

Amanda Felder, organic integrity and environmental compliance manager at Taylor Farms, and Andrea Hatziyannis, category strategy manager at Sprouts Farmers Market, have been appointed to the USDA’s National Organic Standards Board.

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