Australians over-estimate their VEGETABLE consumption - Los australianos sobrestiman su consumo de VERDURAS

Photo source: http://australianmuseum.net.au

New research has found that Australians are over-estimating the healthiness of their diets, with many consumers thinking they’re getting their full daily dose of veggies while they actually fall short by more than a serve every day. According to the report, produced by market research agency Colmar Brunton, more than a third of consumers believe they “definitely” eat enough vegetables each day – but data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics has shown that fewer than one in ten of us actually eat the 5 or more daily serves of vegetables recommended by the Australian dietary guidelines.

The report also indicates that 34 per cent of consumers believe they eat enough vegetables every day, but the average intake for these respondents is only 3.4 serves daily – significantly fewer than the 5 or more recommended for women and 5-6 or more recommended for men. “It’s concerning that such a high proportion of consumers think they’re getting enough vegetables in their diets when they’re actually missing out by more than one and a half serves every day,” said AUSVEG spokesperson Shaun Lindhe.

AUSVEG is the leading horticultural body representing more than 9,000 Australian vegetable and potato growers. A standard serve of vegetables is considered to be 75 grams, which equals roughly half a cup of cooked green or orange vegetables, a full cup of green leafy vegetables, or half a medium-sized potato. “These findings suggest that many Australians may not be aware of their actual recommended amount of daily servings of vegetables, and are basing their eating habits off an inaccurate understanding of dietary requirements,” said Mr Lindhe.

“Consumers should take a look at their daily vegetable intake, no matter how confident they are, and compare it to the five serves a day recommended by the Australian Dietary Guidelines. Every extra serving of vegetables can make a huge contribution to your health and wellbeing.” Meanwhile, 40 per cent of respondents say they “sometimes” eat enough vegetables each day, with these consumers averaging 2.6 serves of vegetables per day.

“It’s also worrying to see the low levels of vegetable consumption among other groups – for example, people who believe they definitely don’t eat enough vegetables only eat 1.5 serves per day on average, which is less than a third of the recommended daily intake,” said Mr Lindhe. Project Harvest is funded by Horticulture Innovation Australia Limited using the National Vegetable Levy and funds from the Australian Government.

Source: http://www.ausveg.com.au

Asia: A great market for ACHACHA FRUIT - Asia: Un gran mercado para la ACHACHA

Awareness and demand for achacha fruit is continuing to grow this year as chefs, foodies and the health conscious continue to explore exotic fruit and vegetables around the world. The achacha is originally from Bolivia – where it is known as achachairú and has been cultivated for many years in smallholdings and domestic orchards – but the leading commercial plantation for the fruit is actually in Queensland, Australia. Achacha grower Bruce Hill has championed the fruit since 2002, when an agreement with the Bolivian Government allowed him to start growing achacha commercially at Palm Creek Plantation, just south of Townsville in north Queensland. He says they have 120 ha dedicated to more than 16,000 achacha trees, as well as “about 60 mango trees and a few other tropical species”.

More people are discovering this unique fruit every year, with Asia a particularly strong market for the upcoming 2015/16 season. “There has been a lot of interest from that region over the last few months. And we expect exports to UK / Europe will continue,” he says, also noting that the Australian domestic market continues to grow each year. While the achacha’s unique sweet and tangy flavour is one of its main drawcards, Mr Hill also says it has a lot of health benefits that appeal to people. “It’s high in antioxidants, and very low in sugars,” he says. “There is a steady stream of customers with diabetes who buy box loads of the fruit from the plantation.”

“A recent study by the University of Western Sydney has found high levels of arginine, which benefits the cardiovascular system, in the skin – suggesting that the drink traditionally made from the skins as a hunger suppressant could have other beneficial properties as well.” Mr Hill has also noticed more interest from the culinary world, where exotic fruits and vegetables are currently very on trend. “More and more chefs are becoming aware of the fruit and what can be done with it so we expect that it will feature increasingly on menus in restaurants,” he says.

“To facilitate its use in sorbets, ice-cream, cocktails, desserts, drinks and so on, not only do we provide a Thermomix pulping method, but we are installing a processing facility to separate the pulp from the rest of the fruit.” The achacha flowers also provide a great flavour for honey, although Mr Hill says there won’t be any this season due to drought. He says dry weather has definitely affected the plantation this year – in the same way it has for many other tropical fruits grown in Australia, such as mangoes and lychees.

“We have had an exceptionally dry year, virtually no rain since March, and this no doubt has influenced the crop, which will be later than usual,” he says. “We normally follow mangoes – this year the mango harvest has been extremely poor, and drawn out, with fruit ripening over a couple of months instead of the usual three weeks or so.” With the fruit just starting to show colour on the trees, Mr Hill expects harvest will start in mid-January and hopes to have several hundred tonnes for both domestic sales and exports.

Source: http://www.freshplaza.com

ACHACHA: Una FRUTA nativa de Bolivia cuyo consumo global se impulsó desde Australia - ACHACHA: A native Bolivian FRUIT which global consumption was promoted from Australia

Achacha (Foto: http://www.vivasantacruz.com)

Garcinia humilis, conocido comúnmente como achachairú o achacha es un árbol perteneciente a la familia Clusiaceae, de 6-7 m de altura que crece únicamente en la región de las llanuras aluviales de Bolivia y cuyo fruto es una baya comestible. Está emparentado con el mangostán (G. mangostana) y el madroño (G. madruno). Se cultiva tradicionalmente en Bolivia, pero recientemente se ha plantado en escala comercial en Australia. La fruta obtuvo el tercer lugar en los Premios a la Innovación Fruit Logística 2012, celebrada en Berlín.

El fruto de la achacha tiene un color dorado intenso que llega al anaranjado rojizo brillante cuando está maduro. Tiene forma oval y llega a tener, hasta 6 cm de largo por 4 cm de diámetro. Suele tener una semilla grande de color café, en un fruto más grande pueden hallarse dos semillas. Como cultivo de fruta ecológica, que no ha atravesado cientos de generaciones de cría selectiva, cada fruto tiene sus propias características, frecuentemente con algunas pequeñas irregularidades y marcas en su piel, que añaden interés a su apariencia, pero no afectan a su calidad. Pulpa blanca comestible. El sabor es descrito tanto amargo como dulce. La cáscara es dura y amarga y se puede dividir con un cuchillo o con los dientes de la parte comestible de la fruta adherida a la semilla.
El Departamento de Agricultura, Pesca y Silvicultura de Queensland determinó que el fruto se conserva bien durante 4-6 semanas en un rango de 15 a 20ºC y alta humedad relativa. La cosecha es en el verano (diciembre a marzo en el hemisferio sur).

Source: wikipedia.org

FRUITS and VEGETABLES trading will benefit from Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) Agreement - El comercio de FRUTAS y VERDURAS se beneficiará con el Acuerdo Transpacífico de Cooperación Económica

Photo from www.hortidaily.com

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) today released a series of fact sheets illustrating how the newly reached Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) agreement can boost the U.S. agriculture industry, supporting more American jobs and driving the nation's rural economy. Created by the USDA's Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS), the fact sheets graphically depict how each state and individual commodities stand to benefit from increased agricultural trade with the 11 other TPP countries.

Trade ministers from Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore, the United States and Vietnam concluded TPP negotiations on Oct. 5 in Atlanta, Ga. Trade with these countries accounted for 42% of U.S. agricultural exports in 2014, contributing $63 billion to the U.S. economy.

"Increased demand for American agricultural products and expanded agricultural exports as a result of the TPP agreement will support stronger commodity prices and increase farm income. Increased exports will support more good paying export-related jobs, further strengthening the rural economy," Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said. "All of this activity benefits rural communities and keeps American agriculture on the cutting edge of global commerce."

The United States runs an agricultural trade surplus which benefits farmers, ranchers, and all those who live, work and raise families in rural America. Agricultural trade supports more than one million American jobs. TPP will remove unfair trade barriers and help further the global expansion of American agricultural exports, particularly exports of meat, poultry, dairy, FRUITS, VEGETABLES, grains, oilseeds, cotton and processed products.

The information released today illustrates benefits for key commodities and all 50 states. Learn more about TPP and its benefits to the agricultural economy at http://www.fas.usda.gov/tpp. Here is just a snapshot of how the TPP would boost exports of some U.S. food and agricultural products: 

Fruits and vegetables

Japan, Malaysia, and Vietnam will eliminate tariffs on all FRESH and PROCESSED FRUITS, including CITRUS. Malaysia and Vietnam will immediately eliminate all tariffs, and Japan nearly all tariffs, on FRESH and PROCESSED VEGETABLES. All three countries will eliminate tariffs on POTATOES and potato products.

Source: www.hortidaily.com

Using SUPERMARKETS as extensions of our own fridges? - Usando a los SUPERMERCADOS como extensiones de nuestras propias neveras (refrigeradores, heladeras)?

A taste for convenience could be changing the way Australians shop for vegetables, according to peak industry body AUSVEG, with new research finding that consumers are increasingly buying vegetables in formats that suit their immediate needs with little left over.

Photo from http://www.cultilene.com

The latest Project Harvest report, released by consumer research group Colmar Brunton, has found that an increase in sales of small pre-packaged vegetables and individual vegetables over the last eight months has been matched by a drop in larger pre-packaged formats. “Many consumers are mindful of not wanting to buy more vegetables than they’re going to use, and we’re seeing this in the latest research,” said AUSVEG spokesperson, Mr Kurt Hermann.

“These findings really reflect the fact that some Australians are treating supermarkets like extensions of their own fridges,” said Mr Hermann. “When they go vegetable shopping, these consumers are only planning a couple of meals ahead, because they’ll return in a night or two. This means that they’re looking for portion sizes that they can grab, use immediately and have nothing left over. In some cases this leads them to buying loose leaves, or convenient formats like salad trays and small pre-packaged bags. In other cases, it means they’re only looking to buy one or two broccoli heads or chillies instead of a full tray.”

The report has also identified that wanting to avoid waste is preventing many consumers from buying more fresh vegetables, including staples like peas and broccoli. It’s a particular concern around lettuce purchases, with nearly 40% of shoppers saying they don’t buy more lettuce because they don’t want to waste any. The amount of consumers buying individual lettuce leaves has more than doubled since March this year, and now constitutes a full quarter of shoppers. Meanwhile, the amount of consumers buying large pre-packaged bags of lettuce leaves has dropped by more than a third since November last year.

“Australian growers could capitalise on this trend by offering consumer-driven products, like pre-packing fresh vegetables in single-meal servings, either by themselves or mixed together,” said Mr Hermann. “By offering vegetables to shoppers in easy-to-enjoy formats, the vegetable industry could help Australians make healthy diet choices and increase overall vegetable consumption.”

AUSVEG is the leading horticultural body representing Australian vegetable and potato growers. Project Harvest is funded by Horticulture Innovation Australia using the National Vegetable Levy and funds from the Australian Government.

Source: http://www.hydroponics.com.au

Evitemos que los ARÁNDANOS se conviertan en las "bananas" del mercado - Let's prevent that BLUEBERRIES become the "bananas" of the market

http://www.vitacost.com

De manera inesperada, las bananas se convirtieron en un tema común durante el primer día de la cumbre anual de la International Blueberry Organization (IBO), evento que se está desarrollando en la ciudad de Coffs Harbour, al norte de Nueva Gales del Sur, Australia. Esto, porque el fruto tropical sirvió como una advertencia a los peligros de las trampas de los productos. “¿Cómo te gusta la fruta? Con adjetivos por favor”, preguntó a los presentes el Dr. David Hughes, profesor emérito en comercialización de alimentos en el Imperial College de Londres.

Ante 330 participantes -que de una u otra forma representan al 90% de los productores de arándanos del mundo-, Hughes advirtió a los proveedores sobre la necesidad de ser más descriptivos en la comercialización de los arándanos, aprovechando términos como “recién cosechado”, “amigable con el medio ambiente”, “premium”, “orgánico”, y muchos más. “Las personas pagarán más. Hay margen en los adjetivos. Si su única descripción ahora es ‘arándanos’, entonces se encuentra en los productos básicos, y luego pagarán el precio por ello”, indicó.

Hughes discutió sobre la idea de los “conocidos artículos de valor” (known value items -KVI), que sigue la noción de que los compradores sólo pueden almacenar cerca de 30 precios de productos en la cabeza en un momento dado. Siguiendo esta idea, es importante que la comercialización de los arándanos destaque frente a otros productos, para ganarse un espacio importante en el mercado y no llegar a ser un producto devaluado.

“Tienes que ser muy competitivo con los ‘artículos de valor’, y lo que ha ocurrido en Reino Unido es que en el 2000 las bananas tenían una cuota de valor del 22% en retail y un precio promedio de venta de £1,40 (USD 2.14)”. “15 años después, la cuota de valor se ha reducido al 11% y el precio promedio de venta de las bananas en Reino Unido es de a £0,89 (USD 1.36) por kilo en los supermercados. No pongan a los arándanos en esa posición”, destacó.

“El consumo per cápita de bananas ha subido de 13kg a 17kg. Es genial para los consumidores, pero las ventas de banana al por menor en términos de dinero no han ido a ninguna parte. La falta de variedad de productos ha contribuido a la mercantilización de las bananas”, agregó. Hughes sugirió que la industria del arándano debe ir mucho más lejos en términos de comercialización y asegurarse de que esta fruta forme parte de las ofertas alimenticias y se encuentre en paquetes de snacks. “Póngalos donde la gente está buscando los snacks, almuerzos… ponerlos en envases de tamaños respondan a sus necesidades; tendrán que pagar más por menos, y esa es nuestra oportunidad”.

También instó al sector a seguir publicando buenas noticias entorno a los arándanos, en base a conocimientos científicos sólidos, y ofrecer una oferta diferenciada a través de la idea ‘bueno, mejor, superior’. “Verás que en la mayoría de los supermercados en todo el mundo habrá un barato, regular y premium. Queremos ver ese rango en los arándanos“, dijo. A pesar de las advertencias, Hughes se mostró bastante positivo sobre el futuro de la fruta. “Los arándanos están pasando por un periodo de oro en términos de demanda, incluso en los mercados más maduros, donde aún hay espacio para el crecimiento”. “¿Por qué? Porque es intuitivo -las tendencias a largo plazo de los consumidores y los mercados globales están muy lejos de la madurez”.

Tras una charla del presidente de African Blue, Avi Weizman, quien mencionó que las frutillas se habían convertido en ‘las bananas de Marruecos’, el presidente de S.T.T Royal, José Gandia, argumentó que escoger las variedades correctas es clave para evitar un deterioro en los precios de la categoría. “Estamos viendo aparecer variedades en el mercado que tienen muy poco sabor, y uno de los principales inconvenientes que veo en el futuro es la presencia de variedades que tienen la apariencia, pero no tienen el sabor”. “El desafío es -que puede suceder en un futuro próximo- que algunas de las variedades que se están produciendo no sean tan buenas como los que hemos tenido hasta ahora, y habrá una destrucción de la apreciación del consumidor con el fruto que no tiene buen sabor, o es demasiado ácido o muy blando”.

Por su parte, la representante de la Unión de Productores y Exportadores de Fruta de Uruguay (UPEFRUY), Marta Bentancur, mencionó que para no convertirse en un mercado como el de las bananas, el país se encuentra trabajando en la diversificación. “Somos un país pequeño, con volúmenes pequeños, pero la trazabilidad, la calidad, la seguridad y el cuidado de nuestra gente y el medio ambiente son nuestros principales valores y oportunidades para crecer en el mercado internacional”, dijo. Por otro lado, Chaesup Rim de Very Berry Korea advirtió que el mercado coreano ya no consume tanto arroz como antes y que es necesario para los productores de este producto encontrar un sustituto que sea beneficioso, y el arándano puede convertirse en una buena opción.

Fuente: www.portalfruticola.com

How helping "SOIL life" can boost farm profits - Cómo ayudando a la "vida del SUELO" se puede aumentar las ganancias de una explotación agrícola

The self-regulating ecological balance in nature’s soils is what keeps them so sustainably productive. Graeme Sait, CEO of Nutri-Tech Solutions in Australia, says that farmers need to learn more from nature and encourage a similar productive balance in their soils.

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Healthy soil has the ‘fresh earth’ smell so appealing to farmers and gardeners. Photo: Lloyd Phillips

The key workforce in the soil consists of some of the smallest plants and animals on earth. These includes bacteria, fungi, algae, protozoa, nematodes and earthworms. A core principle in any farming operation should be to care for this workforce so that it, in turn, can care for the farm. “The main paradigm shift required to head down this path involves a recognition that the soil is a living organism and that we stand to earn a better living if we nurture that system,” says Graeme Sait, CEO of Australian firm Nutri-Tech Solutions. 

The weight of the biomass linked to this subterranean ‘livestock’ in our soils, he says, often physically outweighs the livestock above ground. However, this diverse soil life features organisms that are both beneficial and toxic to animals and people. For example, anaerobic bacteria, which thrive in compacted soils and release hydrogen sulphide that smells like rotten eggs, and butyric acid, which smells like vomit, are both toxic to plant growth. Another group of soil organisms, facultative anaerobes, are also harmful. 

Two well-known types are Escherichia coli and Enterococcus, which can cause severe health problems in people and animals. One of the many potential sources of Enterococcus is vermicompost, if the food source for the composting worms has not been subjected to the heat produced in the initial stages of conventional composting. “Then there are the pathogenic organisms that cause massive crop losses and which demand chemical intervention,” says Sait. “Thankfully, all of these less desirable organisms can be managed if we understand soil balance.” 

Smells as signposts

One of the many beneficial bacteria in soil is Actinomycetes, which emits volatile chemicals that provide the ‘fresh earth’ smell that farmers and gardeners find so appealing. According to Sait, Actinomycetes is a ‘signpost’ organism indicating good soil health. A soil without a fresh earth smell contains little or no beneficial soil life. These deprived soils inevitably require more chemical interventions, which increases production costs and reduces profitability. “There can be as many as 2,5t/ha of bacteria in healthy soil,” explains Sait. “These organisms retain nutrients in their bodies, reduce leaching and remove most toxins from the soil. They produce a sticky biofilm that acts like water crystals to retain moisture. This can help to significantly reduce irrigation requirements.

“Soil bacteria are also key recyclers of nitrogen. They have the tightest carbon (C) to nitrogen (N) ratio of any creature on the planet. Their C:N ratio of 5:1 means that their bodies effectively contain 17% nitrogen. This means that the bacterial biomass in your soil can be storing the equivalent of almost a ton of urea. “Farmers can easily, and very cheaply, improve their soil’s beneficial bacteria by brewing up their own populations in a drum or vat and then applying this new workforce via the irrigation system.”

Soil algae are plant-like organisms that contain chlorophyll and can photosynthesise. They also exude sticky substances that contribute towards binding and aggregating soil particles into a desirable crumb structure. According to Sait, healthy soils can contain up to 600kg/ha of algae in just the top 15cm of the soil profile, and it is now believed that they produce 20% of the nutrients required by other beneficial soil life. If these beneficial soil organisms are well-fed and in abundance, it is more difficult for soil-borne pathogens and damage-causing animals to compete and survive. Sait cautions that herbicides can kill soil algae on contact, resulting in less food for beneficial soil life. This reduction in beneficials can provide harmful soil life the opportunity to flourish. 

Balance: the key

“Soil fungi convert hard-to-digest organic matter, like crop residues, into forms that other soil organisms can utilise,” Sait continues. “While soil bacteria can release an alkalising slime that tends to raise soil pH, soil fungi release acids into the soil which reduce soil pH and solubilise locked-up phosphate. “A single fungus specimen can cover the area of a football field. When soil fungi die, their decomposed hyphae leave an extensive system of tiny tunnels in the soil. These tunnels are perfect for allowing water and air to penetrate into the soil. Soil fungi’s hyphal masses (mycelium) also retain nutrients, which helps to reduce leaching.”

Sait explains that some soil fungi trap destructive root-eating nematodes and feed on them. Soil fungi are also particularly important for the storage, availability and delivery of plant-beneficial calcium (Ca). When soils with high Ca levels produce plants with low Ca levels in their leaves, this may indicate low fungal activity in that soil. Soil fungi populations can be boosted by feeding them complex carbohydrates. These complex carbohydrates can be found in humic acid, kelp and aloe vera. Commercially available water-soluble derivatives of these products can be applied through irrigation systems or through tractor-drawn spray rigs.

“Mycorrhizal fungi are the greatest soil savers among beneficial fungi species. They attach themselves to plant roots in a mutually beneficial relationship. These remarkable creatures are responsible for over 30% of the planet’s humus, “ says Sait. 

Plant root system: there can be as much as 2,5t/ ha of bacteria in healthy soil. These organisms retain nutrients in their bodies, reduce leaching and remove most toxins.

Destructive practices

Soil life analysis reveals that up to 90% of mycorrhizal fungi have been destroyed by modern farming techniques. “The loss of two-thirds of the world’s soil humus to the atmosphere can be directly linked to the decline in myccorhizal fungi,” says Sait. “They offer so many benefits and can provide solutions to many of our problems. For example, myccorhizal fungi improve the plant roots’ efficiency for absorbing soil nutrients, they boost plants’ immunity to attacks from pests and diseases, and they offer primary protection against damage-causing soil nematodes.”

Protozoa

Another class of soil organisms are single-celled creatures called protozoa. Sait points out that a loss of soil protozoa not only requires a farmer to add more chemical N to the soil, but beneficial earthworm populations will decline because they feed on protozoa. “One strategy for restoring soil protozoa numbers, thereby increasing earthworm numbers and soil nitrogen recycling, is to make and apply lucerne tea,” he explains. “Chemical-free lucerne hay harbours huge numbers of protozoa because the hay is high in protein. Place the lucerne hay in a drawstring bag made of shade-cloth. Take some liquidised fish and molasses and mix them into a large tank of water. Submerge the bag of lucerne hay in the tank. Aerate the tank with a pump, venturi or aquarium bubbler and after 24 hours apply the liquid to your soils.”

Sait says he has seen significant reductions in chemical nitrogen requirements following applications of lucerne tea. Explaining the mechanics of this phenomenon, he says that protozoa have a C:N ratio of 30:1, which means that they must consume six bacteria (at C:N 5:1) to obtain sufficient C for their own survival. Protozoa need only one unit of N from the bodies of every six bacteria, so they excrete the remaining five units of N. Plant roots readily absorb this. In the absence of protozoa, the N stays in the bodies of the bacteria, leaving a large quantity of urea in the soils that cannot be utilised by plants.

According to Sait, 80% of soil nematodes are beneficial to the soil. They disappear, however, from compacted soils and, following this, N recycling disappears too. This is because nematodes have a C:N ration of 100:1. Like protozoa, they need to consume bacteria to access life-sustaining C. They need to eat twenty bacteria (C:N 5:1) to achieve the hundred units of C they require. However, they have no need for the bacteria’s N component, and so they excrete this into the soil, thereby recycling the N for crops and other plants. 

Sait explains that, due to ignorance of the importance of soil life, farmers mistakenly use nematicides, which kill all nematodes good and bad, thereby creating an opportunity for damage-causing soil nematodes to begin increasing in number. The primary natural control of root-eating nematodes are the predatory nematodes that constantly feed on them. Ironically, the first nematode to breed back after nematicide application is the notorious root-knot nematode because it no longer has any predators or competition. “The best way to control damage-causing nematodes is to encourage populations of beneficial soil nematode species that will either feed on damage-causing nematodes or simply out-compete them,” he says.

Earthworms

One of the most beneficial soil creatures, according to Sait, is “the mighty earthworm”. The 7,000 known species shred soil organic matter and compost it four times faster than conventional composting. They also aerate soil, increase its water-infiltration and water-holding capacity, aggregate soil particles, move minerals from deeper in the soil profile up to the plant root zone, and introduce beneficial microbes. A number of additional facts about earthworms should motivate farmers to encourage these animals to their soils, Sait says. The worms’ castings contain seven times more phosphorous (P), 10 times more potassium (K), five times more N, three times more magnesium (Mg), and one-and-a-half times more Ca, than the surrounding soil. They are, in effect, a living fertiliser factory.

“If you could consistently find 25 earthworms per shovelful of soil, those earthworms would be contributing 300t/ha of castings to your soil. This is the Holy Grail of biological farming, because earthworm castings cost at least AUS$100/ha (R947/ha) so you just scored AU$30,000 (R284,000) worth of free fertiliser. This means huge savings on chemical fertiliser. In fact, it’s not required,” Sait says. Earthworms also have a calciferous gland that adds calcium carbonate (CaCO3) to the soil. “They don’t just offer free fertiliser, they’re like having your own lime works,” he enthuses. 

“Modern agriculture has extracted a harsh toll on beneficial soil organisms. These organisms can, however, be regenerated in the soil. Humates, fish-based products and kelp-based products can be used to feed the existing soil workforce and it’s an inexpensive, repopulating strategy to brew up your own new recruits.”

Source:  Lloyd Phillips (http://www.farmersweekly.co.za)

¿Qué está pasando con el ARÁNDANO congelado? - What's going on with frozen BLUEBERRIES?

Photo source: http://www.whatcomfarmtoschool.org

Se sabe que el arándano fresco aporta más vitamina C que la naranja, y pese a que Chile es el principal exportador de arándanos del Hemisferio Sur, los chilenos no son muy aficionados a comerlo, quizás no por su sabor, sino por su elevado precio. Los que sí lo consumen son los estadounidenses, europeos, japoneses, australianos y coreanos, mercados a los que Chile conduce sus exportaciones de arándanos frescos. Pero, ¿qué ocurre con los congelados?

Chile tiene una extensa temporada de producción de arándanos. Se da en excelentes condiciones desde Copiapó, en el norte del país, hasta Chile Chico en el sur, y desde octubre hasta principios de abril. Por cada producción de esta pequeña delicia existe un porcentaje que no cumple con los requisitos de ser un producto fresco de exportación, y es precisamente este porcentaje el que queda para arándano congelado.

Gabriel Ormeño, presidente del Comité de Arándanos de Fedefruta, señala que el congelado oscila aproximadamente entre el 5 y 10% de la producción total. “Su exportación (arándano fresco) dependerá de varios factores, como de las condiciones climáticas, del tipo de variedad, de la cosecha, su consistencia, la dureza, tamaño, de no tener daños, y justamente el que va congelado es el que tiene algún daño y no puede ser exportado de esta manera”, explicó Ormeño.

“El arándano fresco, en cambio, es el que reúne condiciones para poder viajar y llegar a los mercados. Las exportaciones en barco demoran entre 30 y 40 días, y en avión por lo menos 6 días, entonces esta fruta para fresco debe cumplir con ciertos requisitos, y estos requisitos se revisan diariamente en el empaque y en la empresa exportadora para que llegue en buenas condiciones”, agregó.

El rico congelado

En 2014, un estudiante de posgrado con título en ciencias de alimentación de la Universidad Estatal de Dakota del Sur en EE.UU., encontró, luego de una exhaustiva investigación, que los arándanos congelados son igual de nutritivos que los frescos, incluso después de 6 meses de congelación. Su experimento consistió en observar detenidamente los niveles de antioxidantes en los arándanos congelados en el primer, tercer y quinto mes, y no encontró ninguna disminución nutricional luego de compararlos con los frescos. “La proporción de arándanos que se exportan como congelado ha aumentado durante las últimas temporadas” comentó Andrés Armstrong, director ejecutivo del Comité de Arándanos de Chile.

“De porcentajes que hace unos años no llegaban al 10% del total producido, hoy se estima que entre el 20% y 25% de los arándanos producidos en el país van a algún fin industrial, siendo el más importante el congelado. Esto se debe a diversos factores, como la disponibilidad de mano de obra en algunas zonas, la vida poscosecha de algunas variedades y también el efecto de un clima cada vez más cambiante que en exceso de calor o presencia de lluvias durante las cosechas, afecta la condición de la fruta para su exportación como fresco”, dijo.

“Esto ha implicado en orientar algunas partes de la cosecha (último tercio por ejemplo) al mercado del congelado, optimizando los costos de cosecha y de materiales, lo que ha posibilitado el desarrollo de un suministro más estable para la industria”. Luego continúa: “si bien nuestro país tiene una ventaja competitiva importante como productor en contra temporada a los principales mercados mundiales, existe un espacio que hoy es más relevante en la industria de procesados”.

Es que el congelado tiene varios usos que cada día se van haciendo más populares dentro de los consumidores. “El congelado en buenas condiciones se divide en varios tipos, para repostería, tragos y los en peores condiciones para jugos. En este caso no interesa tanto la calidad ni la condición, y este año en general tuvo un buen retorno, de U$1,30 como mínimo, y en algunos mercados llegó a U$1,5, por lo tanto valía la pena recogerlo y venderlo”, apunta Ormeño.

Hay que señalar que, fuera de lo anterior, existen dos agentes que afectan o estimulan la exportación del arándano congelado. El primero es el valor del dólar, que tiene bastante incidencia en el negocio. Ormeño explica al respecto que “este año fue bueno porque el dólar estuvo en promedio a $620, pero el año 2005 estuvo a $740 y después llegamos a $400 donde prácticamente era un desastre, casi no había retorno, ni siquiera para los arándanos frescos. No era que la producción era mala, sino que el dólar nos jugaba en contra. Hoy puedo afirmar que el dólar está a un precio de equilibrio para el productor de arándanos”.

El segundo agente es el stock estadounidense. “Al término de cada temporada, EE.UU. establece cuáles serán los stocks, y cuando estos bajan hay mayor interés de parte de ellos en comprar congelados. Cuando los stocks están muy altos en EE.UU. los precios de nuestros productos bajan y no hay mucho interés en comprar, ni a nosotros nos conviene cosechar”. “En estos momentos es muy prematuro decir lo que pasará en el futuro con respecto a los congelados, la temporada en EE.UU. termina en agosto y en esa época se conoce cuáles serán los precios que van a pagarse en Chile por el arándano de descarte o congelado”, finaliza el experto.

Valor agregado

Los hechos están a nuestro alrededor, el mercado sí está preparado para un suministro consistente de arándanos congelados. La moda de las polybags para el retail, los smoothies y la repostería de nicho está creciendo y se requiere disponibilidad de suministro para cada uno de ellos. Alifrut es una empresa de alimentos y frutas conocida en el mercado chileno por su marca de alimentos congelados Minuto Verde. Su gerente de exportaciones, Alejandro Rodríguez nos cuenta que sus principales exportaciones de arándanos congelados van a EE.UU, Corea del Sur, Australia y Europa, siguiendo con la tendencia general.

“Existen algunos factores que también podrían afectar a nuestras exportaciones de arándanos congelados, pero de una u otra forma no lo hacen. El primero es la Lobesia botrana, que, a pesar de existir, sólo afecta a los frescos, los congelados no tienen ningún problema”. “Por otra parte, la situación actual de Grecia y su crisis económica, que en ambos casos –fresco y congelado- no nos afecta”. “El principal mercado para fresco es Inglaterra y para congelado son Holanda, Alemania e Inglaterra”, concluye.

Fuente: www.portalfruticola.com

'Ugly FRUIT' campaign wins marketing award - Campaña 'FRUTA fea' gana premio de marketing

Harris Farm Markets has been awarded the PMA-Produce Plus Marketer of the

Year Award 2015 for its Imperfect Picks ‘ugly fruit’ marketing campaign. The 

Imperfect Picks product range was launched in late 2014 and set out to bring 

the issue of food waste to the public’s attention by highlighting the staggering

percentage of fresh produce that does not leave the farm gate, simply because

it does not meet the strict aesthetic specifications of food retailers.

Imperfect Picks was singled out by the judges as a pioneering, integrated and impactful 

campaign. “We’d like to congratulate Harris Farm Markets on this outstanding campaign,” 

said John Hey, managing editor of Produce Plus. “The speed and quality of execution were

impressive, and Imperfect Picks has created an exciting marketing outlet for that significant 

portion of a grower’s crop that does not meet retailers’ aesthetic standards. At the same 

time, the campaign has helped to actually grow fresh produce consumption.”

Co-CEO of Harris Farm Markets Tristan Harris (pictured above) said winning the Marketer 

of the Year Award would spur the company on as it geared up to further expand the 

initiative. “Harris Farm Markets is really excited to win the PMA-Produce Plus Marketer of 

the Year Award for Imperfect Picks,” said Harris after collecting the accolade.

“The campaign has been amazingly well received by our customers, and our growers have

been thrilled with the ability to move previously unmarketable product. With a big milestone

in terms of volume sold coming up and this award now to spur us on, we are going to 

redouble our efforts to drive this campaign forward. Stay tuned for Imperfect Picks 2.0!”

The award was announced at the PMA Fresh Connections conference and trade show in 

Melbourne.

Source: www.foodprocessing.com.au  

Methyl Bromide and STRAWBERRIES .. Shock .. Horror .. Oh, Wait a Minute - Bromuro de metilo en FRESA (FRUTILLA) .... Shock .... Horror ... Oh, un momento por favor.

 There was an article on the ABC site this morning which gave us this alarming headline “Pesticide banned worldwide still used to grow 70pc of Australian strawberries”. Shocking! Except, well, there were a few teeny tiny but important details missing. Like the fact that the rest of the world is still using the “banned” pesticide too.    

Image source: http://www.news.uwa.edu.au

Methyl Bromide (the substance involved) has been withdrawn worldwide under the Montreal protocol as it is a potent greenhouse gas (not because of toxicity, as many people have assumed from the headlines). However, world wide, there are exemptions for the use of methyl bromide as a fumigant for quarantine and production purposes (QPS) and some special (critical use) exemptions, it’s not just us. In 2005 Australia, stopped the use of methyl bromide for all but the exempt QPS uses, and for a few uses for which there was no suitable alternative to methyl bromide.
In 2012 around 12,000 metric tonnes of methyl bromide were used around the world for various QPS and critical exemption purposes, Australia’s agricultural use was 32 tonnes at this time (Japan’s was 216 metric tonnes and the US 923 metric tonnes for comparison). Critical use exemptions, the ones that allow the strawberry farmers to fumigate their soil, must be applied for each year.
Like everyone else in the world, Australia developed plans to phase out the remaining methyl bromide use. Since 2005, when methyl bromide use in general was phased out, Australia has been replacing methyl bromide in the critical use exemption and (to a more limited extent) QPS categories with alternatives, dropping from 112 metric tonnes in 2005 to 32 metric tonnes in 2015.
Methyl bromide is an important pesticide fumigant, and is used to kill pathogens and pests in imported produce and some produce for export. Finding alternatives is not straight forward, for example, phosphine, one of the alternative fumigants, is highly flammable, so new handing procedures are needed to combat the risk of fire.
While reducing the amount of methyl bromide entering the atmosphere is important, the significant risk to the Australian biota and agricultural production from invasive pests and pathogens has to be weighted against the fact that human produced brominated compounds represent less than 0.03% of the total halogens released into the atmosphere, and that unlike CFC’s, which last in the atmosphere for decades, methyl bromide’s half life in the atmosphere is less than a year.
Given the relatively small impact of methyl bromide, and the continuing reduction of methyl bromide (see here for a comparison of the progress and the contribution of the US vs the rest of the world), Shock! Horror! headlines about Australia’s use for strawberries are unwarranted.
In the strawberry growing industry, methyl bromide is used to destroy pathogens and pests in the soil the strawberry runners are planted in. In Queensland and Tasmania, methyl bromide has been replaced. However, for the soils in the Victorian strawberry growing areas, the alternative fumigants aren’t as effective.
Other fumigants are being researched, but it takes time to find something that is reasonably safe, reasonably cheap and effective. One of the potential replacements, methyl iodide, has been withdrawn from the market, so the hunt is still on for a viable replacement. It may be that we have to grow our strawberries under soil-less conditions to stop disease and pest losses.
So, like all other countries, Australia has phased out methyl bromide, except for quarantine and other critical uses for which there is no effective alternative (again, just like other countries). Since 2005 we have systematically reduced the amount of methyl bromide for these uses, and are undertaking research to reduce the amount even further.
Oh, and in case you are worried that methyl bromide contaminates the strawberries, methyl bromide breaks down in the soil, and the strawberries that grow much later do not come into contact with it. There is no toxicity issue here at all.
Sources: http://theconversation.com/, www.freshplaza.com

BERRO y SHISO, las últimas verduras de moda - WATERCRESS and SHISO, the last vegetables on fashion

Los humildes berros y el exótico shiso japonés están llegando a los platos de los restaurantes de toda Australia y se dice que al menos uno de los dos será la última “tendencia verde”

 tanto como lo ha sido la col rizada (kale) en los últimos años. “Cada vez que sale un artículo en los periódicos o hay un programa de televisión protagonizado por los berros tenemos un pico de pedidos”, señala Alberto Mollica, propietario de Mighty Micro Herbs. “No cabe duda de que los berros están en alza. Estoy produciéndolos desde hace unos 14 meses y se han convertido en un éxito de ventas. No podemos plantar suficientes”, añade. En sólo un año, el suministro de Mollica se ha cuadruplicado desde su pequeño cultivo inicial de prueba.

Aunque esta verdura fresca de ensalada tan saludable y ligeramente picante es desde hace tiempo un producto básico en otros países, los australianos parecen acabar de descubrir su gusto por ella, en parte gracias a sus bien promocionados beneficios para la salud (a menudo es descrita como “la próxima col rizada” y “mejor que la col rizada” por los expertos en salud y las páginas web especializadas).

Un estudio de 2006 llevado a cabo por la Corporación de Investigación y Desarrollo de las Industrias Rurales apunta que los australianos que habían oído hablar de los berros los habían conocido en el extranjero, en particular en Reino Unido, donde es una verdura básica de los sándwiches de huevo y berros y es utilizada muy comúnmente como verdura de ensalada o de acompañamiento.

Aunque la mayoría de sus berros van a mercados de agricultores, Mollica está seguro de que el grueso de su cosecha está destinado a restaurantes para su uso por parte de los chefs, lo que quiere decir que la tendencia culinaria no puede estar muy por detrás. Los berros se cultivan de forma hidropónica en Australia y el clima más cálido puede hacer que el cultivo sea “un poco complicado”, según él.

El otro cultivo que está superando en ventas a las guarniciones tradicionales, las hierbas aromáticas y las ensaladas suministradas por Mighty Micro Herbs es el shiso, la hierba japonesa. Es sustituta de la albahaca en muchas recetas y Mollica asegura que vende más que albahaca verde, de nuevo sobre todo para el sector de la restauración. “El shiso también se ha lanzado este año. En general, la gente me busca y aumentan sus pedidos cada dos semanas”.

Fuente: Mighty Micro Herbs (Australia), in www.freshplaza.es