Maine lobster fishermen will be mandated to install electronic trackers to help reduce the entrapment of the nearly decimated North Atlantic right whale. Some New England lobster harvesters have already reacted negatively to the Massachusetts Department of Fish and Game Division (DMF)’s call. However, despite a pending court case on the matter, the enforcement is nevertheless ongoing. Supporting the tracker-installation move are lobster...
Gala apples account for 20% of Washington’s apple harvest
The Pacific northwest apple harvest in Washington ended November 2023, with the Pink Lady variety picked last. The latest comprehensive storage report in January 2024 shows that galas accounted for 20% of the total output. Gala apples enjoy the distinction of being the first to harvest in the Washington apple season around August each year. Thanks to hailstorm-free weather and mild...
“World’s loneliest sheep” becomes mental health ambassador: the larger perspective
At a time when UK sheep prices are increasing while the national flock is reducing, a new sheep sensation is in town. This is Fiona, an ewe dubbed the “world’s loneliest sheep” and now a mental health ambassador. After spending 24 months on the cliffs of Cromarty Firth, Scotland, the heavy-fleeced Fiona got rescued in November 2023. Braving 820 feet of rock to reach her,...
SATI set “to maintaining world-class export standards” for South Africa’s table grapes
South Africa’s table grape data for week 1, 2024 shows some 11% rise in inspected volumes and a 4% decrease in exports. At the heart of these figures are the South African Table Grape Industry (SATI) and the Perishable Products Export Control Board (PPECB). Both entities gun for “world class export standards.” Since 1926, PPECB has been insuring the competitiveness of local table...
Cambodia’s fresh banana exports among biggest agricultural exports despite 21% dip
Fresh banana exports from Cambodia reached 290,000 metric tonnes (MT) in the 2023 market year. Despite experiencing a decrease of 21% in total shipments year-on-year, bananas were still among the four biggest agricultural exports. Irrespective of the quantity drop, domestic prices are unaffected. Bananas in Phnom Penh were costing $1.83 per kg on January 10, 2024, with a bottom retail price of...
India’s agricultural exports to increase amid grain, sugar & onion ban
Agricultural exports from India will increase in 2024 irrespective of price and export curbs on onions, rice, wheat and sugar. This is per a trade ministry’s statement on January 8, 2024. Trade minister, Piyush Goyal said that India’s agricultural exports reached $53 billion in the 2022/23 fiscal period and will improve in 2024. The expected boon for the 2023/24 period may, however, lose $4 billion, according to...
Deer harvest ends in Michigan on a low note
Michigan’s deer hunting season ended January 6, 2024 with a year-on-year decrement of 11% in harvested game. Around 590,000 hunters participated in the 2023 firearm deer meat harvest and bagged some 273,775 deer. In comparison, hunters in 2022 fell 303,082 antlered, whitetail and other deer species. The decline for 2023 occurred mostly in Upper Peninsula, an elevated forested area on the U.S.-Michigan border. Here, the harvest...
Mexico’s 2023 mango harvest eclipses 2022 production
Mexico’s mango farmers overcame the El Niño and drought to harvest a record 2.23 million tonnes, 0.03% more than 2022’s. The Agriculture and Rural Development Ministry (Sader) stated that the momentous harvest also dwarfed that of 10 years ago by 39%. Back in 2013, the count had peaked at 1.604 million mangoes. This 2023 harvest had also a slim edge of 0.18%...
USDA and Ohio bequeath farmers $12.4 million to improve food supply chain
Small and medium-size farming enterprises in Ohio will receive $12.4 million from U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and Ohio’s government. The amount will go into the state’s food supply chain. Announcing this program on January 2, 2024, Ohio Department of Agriculture’s Director, Brian Baldridge cited an intention to invest in producers. At the same time, Ohio’s Resilient Food Systems Infrastructure Program (RFSI)...
Green banana flour market to surpass $1 billion by 2030 thanks to preference for gluten-free nutrition
Consumer preference for gluten-free meals will push the green banana flour industry to a $1.026 billion value by 2030. This is according to Future Market Insights research. Green banana flour comes from immature Musa bananas such as Cavendish, which grow from India to Africa and Latin America. The current high demand for this flour owes to an increasing consumer choice for natural products. This preference...