Latest news stories from Produce Plus
News updates for the fresh produce business in Australia and New Zealand.
Storm relief announced for Victorian growers
Grants and loans offered to horticulture producers across the Sunraysia and Mallee regions
Tasmanian strawberry season kicks off early
Strawberry exports out of the Australian state continue to grow
Queensland launches support programme connecting growers with research and funding opportunities
Crop Concierge Queensland will extend the support available to growers through the state’s industry bodies by adding four dedicated specialist roles to advance productivity, innovation and business growth
De Ruiter introduces Solstic Roma tomato variety
Company says the new variety combines multi-gene intermediate resistance to ToBRFV with flexible production and harvesting options for growers
Research is underway in Western Australia to explore the root of carrot packout challenges
National project hopes to reduce risk of carrots splitting, forking and stumping an increase proportion of high-grade Australian carrots for exports
Conversations
Fruitbox 116 · Mark Landini, Landini Associates
Sydney-based retail consultant explains how supermarkets can reconnect with customers through better design, storytelling, and a renewed focus on food
Fruitbox 108 · Carlo Magni & Louise Beard, Forward Insight
Chris, Carlo and Louise consider the consumers of tomorrow, the choices they will make and how we can develop fresh produce that will appeal to them
Fruitbox 101 · Alex Garcia-Devis, GlobalGAP
Chris speaks with Alex about the scarcity of water in some of the world’s key production regions, and what this means for the fresh fruit and vegetable industry
Prevar portfolio surpasses 10mn trees as new varieties reach key commercial milestones
Achievement reflects strength of New Zealand’s breeding capability and global demand for differentiated premium fruit, says company CEO
Korean market access win for Australian citrus producers
Revised import requirements for Australian lemons set to reduce costs and administrative burden for exporters
Fiji looks to expand exports with PTI New Zealand partnership
Three-year MOU between Pacific Trade Invest New Zealand and Fiji’s Ministry of Agriculture, Waterways and Sugar Industry set to promote quality Fiji pineapples in overseas markets
Catalytic Generators ready to launch SmartRipe
New wireless technology gives fruit ripeners real-time visibility of generator status, Ethy-Gen II levels and ethylene production
BASF takes Australians behind the farm gate with new campaign
Lok Chow of Coolibah Herbs is one of the faces of the Follow a Farmer series
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Australians are buying more fruit but fewer vegetables, new ABS data reveals
Boost in Australia’s fruit consumption driven mainly by oranges, kiwifruit and grapes
Bioengineered purple tomato rolls out across Australia
Purple Bliss launched in Victorian independent grocers this month with plans in place for Queensland and New South Wales sales
N&E Innovations secures funding for food waste tech
Singapore startup raises US$1.7mn in Series A funding, which will support the launch of post-harvest shelf-life extension innovation
Elijah Etri crowned the 2026 Mango Monarch at Brisbane Markets’ annual Mango Auction
Fundraising event raised A$82,000 for charity partners Redkite and The Lady Musgrave Trust, while generating significant media exposure for Queensland’s fresh produce industry
Hectre opens multi-million dollar Auckland laboratory
Lab will be used to develop Hectre’s next-generation Arc camera, designed to identify internal fruit quality
Costa China celebrates ten years of growing in Yunnan
The Australian-headquartered company has expanded its berry production in China from 25ha to around 600ha
VentureFruit appoints X Fruit as New Zealand licensee for Tutti apples
X Fruit joins partners including FruitFutur in Catalonia, Worldwide Fruit in the United Kingdom, Copefrut in Latin America and Joy Wing Mau in China
Mountain Blue named Coles Fresh Produce Supplier of the Year
Blueberry supplier recognised for its varietal offering and efforts to extend the blueberry supply window
Perfection Fresh admits to engaging in cartel conduct
Leading Australian fresh produce company breaches competition laws while supplying fresh vegetables to Aldi
Silal Group signs blueberry deal to expand UAE production
Silal has entered into a partnership with IQ Berries’ Middle East agent Ayla Berries to introduce premium varieties suited to UAE conditions