UK government grants relief on labour shortage, but is it enough?
British ministers extended some relief to agriculture and the fresh produce industry by allowing to temporary workers to remain in the UK through 2024, though it will begin putting limits on the “reliance on foreign labour.” Affected by Brexit and COVID-19, worker shortages led to food waste and delivery issues in 2019 and early on […]
LEAF sets new targets for sustainability throughout UK supply chain
Linking Environment And Farming (LEAF) has revised its benchmarks for sustainability, saying now that 85% of fresh produce grown by the UK should be environmentally friendly. That would mean doubling of fruits and vegetables that are LEAF Marque-certified by 2026. “LEAF Marque growers are already tackling climate change through reducing carbon emissions, building healthier and […]
Fruits of Thought: The Great Resignation And The Joy of Produce
All over the United States, businesses are experiencing difficulty getting fully staffed. This is especially a problem in restaurants and hospitality establishments that downsized a great deal or even closed during the pandemic. In August one in 14 workers in these industries quit. Partly this is because it is easy to quit as comparable jobs […]
A Landmark Decision: Grower Property Rights Issue Hits U.S. Supreme Court, a Victory Almost 50 Years In Making
This column first appeared on PerishablePundit.com The Pundit grew up, of course, in a produce family. When we were around 10 years old, we remember someone in school was passing around a petition asking people to support César Chavez and the United Farm Workers Union. We can still hear her explaining that farmers were abusive toward the farm […]
South Africa protests disrupt citrus exports
South African farmers have been hit by days of unrest and looting as trucks carrying produce are prevented from delivering to markets. The country’s citrus exports through the port of Durban have been halted after violence erupted in the KwaZulu Natal and Gauteng regions. Crowds have this week clashed with police and ransacked shopping malls, […]
Australians enjoy dirt cheap avocados amid record production
A record avocado crop in Australia has sent local markets prices down to just A$1 (US$0.77), just a couple of years after prices hit A$9 (US$7) in the summer of 2018. The eye-watering drop in price is due to a bumper crop – the result of good weather and new trees. Australia is home to three […]
Retailer rescues 400 tonnes of British strawberries, puts them on sale in stores
A huge surplus of strawberries brought on by mixed weather conditions have ended up in Tesco stores. The UK retailer rescued 400 tonnes of the fruit and immediately put them on sale in supermarkets – £3 for one kilo boxes instead of the regular £2 for a 400g punnet. “Last week’s heatwave brought the strawberries […]
Cherry growers see strong season for UK consumers
Consumers across the UK can expect to see a bevy of cherries arriving in supermarkets now and through the remainder of the summer thanks to a strong crop this year. The prediction from Love Fresh Cherries, the nation’s biggest representative trade body for the sweet British fruit, is that stores will be getting a total […]
