News (Page 246)

Restrictions to protect New Zealand’s horticulture industry which went as far as posting officials in the fruit and vegetable section of a Whangarei supermarket have been lifted more than two weeks after a lone Queensland fruit fly was found.   The Ministry for Primary Industries lifted all restrictions on theContinue Reading

Farmers of local fruit, especially salak (snake fruit), are struggling to maintain market demand due to an increasing number of imported products. I Nyoman Sepel Diantara, a member of Giri Arta agribusiness, which consists of Sibetan salak farmers in Karangasem, said the existing market had yet to support the programContinue Reading

Scientists have dispelled concerns by some fruit consumers in Tanzania that the bigger mangoes and pineapples flooding the local market could be genetically engineered varieties.   The researchers confirmed that no approved genetically engineered mangoes and pineapples are in the local market or elsewhere in the African continent.   Recently,Continue Reading

Third generation banana farmer Tim Johnson said Tweed growers were facing tough competition from Queensland farmers who could grow the fruit twice as fast. The Clothiers Creek farmer said our cooler weather was no match for the hot, tropical and ideal growing conditions enjoyed in North Queensland, which generally producesContinue Reading

A group of researchers from North Carolina State and Purdue universities have identified a winning combination for pollenizers of seedless watermelon varieties.   They found three pollenizer varieties that not only shed substantial amounts of male pollen but also are resistant to Fusarium root rot, according to a news release.Continue Reading

A variety of durian fruit that is so smelly it has never before been successfully imported to this country is set to be sold in the UK for the first time.   Malaysia’s musang king durian is described as the “king of fruits” across South-East Asia, and is said toContinue Reading

China is one of the major countries planting genetically modified (GM) crops, but only the papaya is on the market as edible GM farm products (processed products not included), as reported by people.cn, citing Chen Xiwen, office director of China’s Central Rural Work Leading Group.   Chen said the rumorContinue Reading

Research conducted by the Fiji Papaya Project has resulted in the development of a hot water treatment process that has achieved notable results in reducing diseases on export papaya fruit. The hot water treatment complements the High Temperature Forced Air Treatment (HFTA) that is currently being used.   The tests,Continue Reading

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is moving to allow the importation of fresh bananas from the Philippines into Guam, Hawaii, and the Northern Mariana Islands.   In a statement on its web site on January 28, the USDA said it is “proposing to amend the regulations concerning the importation ofContinue Reading