Midwestern peach growers face plenty of sales competition from other regions, but large markets and demand for local produce still give them a competitive edge.
“A fresh peach is the best peach,” said Illinois farm marketer Chris Eckert. “The closer you get to the tree, the better it tastes. That’s why it’s still a product that drives consumer demand.”
Marketing and sales were among the topics discussed during the Michigan Spring Peach Meeting in March, held at Michigan State University’s Southwest Michigan Research and Extension Center in Benton Harbor
As the imported cherry season draws to a close, the focus of the Chinese market is shifting towards imported peaches and plums, primarily sourced from Australia and Chile. Specializing in imported stone fruits, Guangzhou Green Belt Food Co., Ltd/Altaifresh Limited offers a diverse range of products in this category. Mike Wang, a representative from the company, provided insights into the current market dynamics of imported peaches and plums from these two countries. Click here to read the full Fresh Plaza article
A biosecurity levy would add further financial strain for Australia’s horticulture producers feeling the pressure of retail prices and rising input costs, according to industry experts. The Biosecurity Protection Levy, which will come into effect from July this year, will collect 6 per cent or $50 million a year from domestic agricultural, fisheries and forestry producers to help cover biosecurity costs. - Read full The Weekly Times article here
The Frutas de Chile Stone Fruit Committee has released a new estimate for this season, including nectarines, Japanese plums, European plums, and peaches. Forty-four companies, representing 84 percent of Chile’s global stone fruit exports last season, contributed to the estimate. Read the full Fresh Plaza article here.
South Australia, Tasmania and Western Australia are updating their import conditions to no longer accept methyl bromide fumigation as an end-point treatment for mangoes and plums for produce originating in Queensland fruit fly (QFF) established areas (NSW, NT, QLD, VIC). As a result, domestic trade of these commodities from Victoria will no longer be certified under ICA-04. The changes to the import conditions does not impact other commodities. The changes to the import conditions are driven by recent interceptions of QFF in mangoes. Research has determined that there is no suitable methyl bromide disinfestation schedule for adequate control of QFF in plums and mangoes.
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