News (Page 265)

VIETNAM – With the adoption of quality agricultural practices in the country, Vietnamese rambutan fruit can now meet the technical standards required to enter exacting markets like the US and the EU. The Ministry of Industry and Trade said rambutan accounts for the largest export earnings of any fruit, toppingContinue Reading

USA – Farmers might have a new pest on their hands after inspectors with the Department of Agriculture recently discovered an invasive fruit fly near Orlando. The guava fruit fly is most commonly found overseas. The tiny inspect poses a massive risk to crops because experts say it lays itsContinue Reading

Fruit juices provide health benefits, but drink them in moderation. A day without orange juice is like a day without sunshine, went an old TV commercial. Now we’re more concerned with the health benefits of juice than a sunny start to our day. You’ve seen the ads and read theContinue Reading

FRANCE – Will organic soon be ploughing its furrow in mango orchards? This is the challenge set for the Biophyto project, selected following the Casdar 2011 call for projects, which is starting up in Réunion. The aim is to grow mangoes without using insecticides. This is an ambitious target. Bugs,Continue Reading

SPAIN – Scientists at the Valencian Institute of Agrarian Research (IVIA, Spain) have created a machine that detects and separates rotten oranges, another that classifies mandarin segments according to their quality and another that helps citrus fruit pickers out in the field. All prototypes use computer vision to automatically inspectContinue Reading

MALAYSIA – The spiky, stinky tropical fruit known as the durian is an acquired taste. As Malaysia begins selling durians to China, farmers here in the southern part of the country hope middle-class Chinese will develop a preference for their home-grown version. “Our durians are the best. No-one else canContinue Reading