Fruit/Vegetables & Production Tips

Leafy greens eyed in E. coli outbreak

By Grainews Staff, GFM Network News April 16, 2015

Federal health officials suspect leafy greens as a possible culprit in sickening 12 people in Canada, mainly in Alberta, with E. coli poisoning. The Public Health Agency of Canada on Wednesday said it’s considering a “possible link” to greens, such as lettuce, spinach, chard, kale or arugula, in 12 cases of E. coli O157:H7 poisoning […] Read more

Slices of OSF’s Arctic Granny Smith apples (top) are compared to their conventional counterparts. (ArcticApples.com)

Apples, Crops, Fruit/Vegetables

Health Canada clears Canadian firm’s ‘non-browning’ apples

By Grainews Staff, GFM Network News March 21, 2015

A Canadian company’s genetically modified “non-browning” apples have picked up federal approval for commercial sale after review from Health Canada and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency. The Arctic apple, developed by Okanagan Specialty Fruits and submitted for federal approval in 2011, “is safe for consumption, still has all its nutritional value and therefore does not […] Read more

Crops, Fruit/Vegetables, Markets, Reuters

Feared plant disease found on Australian banana farm

By GFM Network News March 17, 2015

Sydney | Reuters — An outbreak of a feared disease affecting banana plants has been confirmed on an Australian farm, raising worries over the outlook for the country’s A$550 million (C$537 million) industry. The so-called Tropical Race 4 strain of Panama disease was confirmed at a farm in Tully in the country’s northeast after tests […] Read more

Apples, Crops, Fruit/Vegetables, Markets, Potatoes

Loblaw’s ugly-duckling produce to get swan moment

By Grainews Staff, GFM Network News March 13, 2015

Produce growers supplying Canada’s Loblaw grocery chains with fruit and vegetables are expected to benefit in sales through a new in-store marketing program for “misshapen” wares. Through its Real Canadian Superstore chain, some of its No Frills stores in Ontario and some of its Maxi stores in Quebec, Loblaw on Thursday launched “Naturally Imperfect” fruit […] Read more

Crops, Features, Potatoes

New GM potato gets U.S. approval

The new gm potato variety, “Innate,” is ready for the deep fryer

By Julienne Isaacs March 9, 2015

A genetically modified potato called “Innate” has recently made headlines in the U.S. The French fry giant J.R. Simplot’s petition for “non-regulated status” for its proprietary biotechnology process called Innate has been approved by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Although McDonalds has stated that it has no current plans to utilize GM potatoes, […] Read more

Okanagan Specialty Fruit’s side-by-side comparison of its Arctic Granny apples (top) against regular Granny apples. (ArcticApples.com)

Apples, Crops, Fruit/Vegetables, Reuters

U.S. approves first biotech apple that resists browning

By GFM Network News February 13, 2015

Reuters — U.S. regulators on Friday approved what would be the first commercialized biotech apple, rejecting efforts by the organic industry and other GMO critics to block the new fruit. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) approved two genetically engineered apple varieties designed to resist browning that have been […] Read more

Crops, Fruit/Vegetables, Markets, Reuters

Starbucks eyes coconuts as non-dairy, non-soy demand soars

By GFM Network News February 6, 2015

Reuters — Starbucks Corp. said on Wednesday its 12,123 U.S. shops would begin offering coconut milk on Feb. 17, as it seeks to keep pace with soaring demand for non-dairy and non-soy milk alternatives. Starbucks began offering soy milk in 1997. Consumer tastes have since evolved, driving strong demand for other non-dairy alternatives made from […] Read more

Crops, Markets, Potatoes

New conditions placed on P.E.I. potato exports to U.S.

By Grainews Staff, GFM Network News January 29, 2015

Potato wart’s appearance in another Prince Edward Island potato field in August has led to a new round of rules for the province’s potato exports to the U.S. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) on Monday announced new requirements effective “immediately” for such exports, citing the detection of potato wart in 23 fields in the […] Read more

Apples, Crops, Fruit/Vegetables, Grapes

New chemistry launched as fruit mite control

By Grainews Staff, GFM Network News January 13, 2015

The first member of the benzoylacetonitrile group of crop insecticides (Group 25) to come to market in North America will be a mite control for fruit crops. BASF Canada announced Tuesday it has picked up registration for Nealta, a 200-gram-per-litre suspension concentrate of cyflumetofen, billed as a control for all life stages of tetranychid mites […] Read more

Crops, Markets, Potatoes, Reuters

Canada’s West Coast ports offer little relief from U.S. delays

By GFM Network News December 16, 2014

Vancouver | Reuters — Gridlock at U.S. West Coast ports that has forced McDonald’s to ration French fries at its Japanese restaurants and interrupted supplies to retailers such as Lululemon is unlikely to be alleviated by routing cargoes through Canada, whose Pacific ports face their own problems. Capacity is already limited at Canada’s largest port, […] Read more

GFM Network News

U.S. livestock: Cattle, hog futures rise on first WASDE since September

U.S. export sales include only small soybean business to China

U.S. corn and soybean yields revised down by USDA

Fruit/Vegetables