Srinagar: With non-Kashmiri fruit glutting markets in huge quantities outside Kashmiri, people connected with fruit industry in the valley have become extremely concerned. Witnessing foreign fruit occupying the stalls before adorned by Kashmiri apple, apricot and cherry, valley-based fruit growers accuse government of neglecting the grave horticulture industry.
"Given its huge contribution to the state domestic product government need to frame a comprehensive policy for horticulture development in the state," says Muhammad Mudassir a young fruit grower.
In apple farming that occupies a predominant position Mudassir argues government requires encouraging high-density plantations, reducing gestation period and making huge investments to lift cold storage facility.
According to agriculture minister the proposed board will assist in forming policies for the horticulture industry in the state.
The board will also discover possibilities of financing intensive projects from external sources and financial institutions besides exploring opportunities in post-harvest sector and market device for horticulture produce.
Visit Pishin at this time of the year and one would find thousands of acres of fruit orchards. The loaded harvest of apples, grapes, plums, peaches, and apricots is seen everywhere. The discovered the area, and the taste of the fruit, during a stay at the School of Infantry and Tactics, Quetta when we used to walk miles and miles for training maneuvers. It is still the same.
Legend attributes the origin of the name Pishin to a son of the Emperor Afrasiab. Until the middle of the 18th century, when Quetta lastly passed into the hands of Brahvi rulers, the history of Pishin is equal with the area of Kandahar. The earliest mention of Pishin is found in the ancient writing in which "Pishinorha" is described as a dale in an elevated part of the country containing a barren level plain.
KIDAPAWAN CITY -- The annual celebration of Timpupo Fetival has been moved from this month to October 9 to 15 due to lack of fruits.
City administrator Rodolfo Cabiles Jr. told DXND Radio for Peace that fruit growers in different parts of this city have complained about the shortage of fruits because of the erratic weather state that hit the province of North Cotabato.
In 2005 the city government has celebrated the annual Timpupo festival in August. Lanzones, rambutan, marang, mangosteen, durian, banana and pomelo were in profusion then. In fact, one might walk the street and eat the fruits for free.
Despite the lack of fruits, however, the city government still allocated half a million pesos for the celebration in October.
Eating healthy is fast becoming a way of life for many Americans. Studies show people are living longer and enjoying more active lifestyles. Consumers are increasingly interested in eating better without giving up great taste. It turns out that simple fruit might be the fountain of youth no matter what your age.
Studies show that fruit contains many usual health benefits. Due to advances in food technology, we are only just beginning to find out the many health secrets Mother Nature has placed in simple everyday fruit. In fact, in early 2005, the U.S.D.A. revealed the updated version of the food pyramid that increased their advice for fruit and vegetables to five to nine servings per day.
Ask any nutrition expert and they'll tell you that there are lots of causes to treat in fruits during the summer. "I frequently tell people that if you eat more fruit, you might feel a tendency for your sweet tooth to decline and your tendency for chocolate to decline," said registered dietician Chrisy O'Conor. As the chocolate desires decline, you waistline might, too. Plus, a new government report found that picking up fruits with the most antioxidants or disease-fighting nutrients could also help keep your heart healthy and fight off certain types of cancer. While there really are no bad fruits, scientists working with the USDA rated what they believe to be the ten best based it on antioxidant score, per serving:
1) Blueberries (nearly 13,000 antioxidant score per serving)
2) Cranberries (9,000)
3) Blackberries (7,700)
4) Raspberries (6,100)
5) Strawberries (~6,000)
6) Apples (5,900)
7) Cherries (4,900)
8) Black Plums (4,800)
9) Avocados (3,400)
10) Pears (3,200)
A serving of most fruits is about 1/2 cup or one medium apple, avocado, or pear.
Growing demand for imported fruits in the Doaba region of Punjab has lured the business, and in the seasons to come, the fruit market is all placed to be flooded with fresh varieties of imported fruits.
Industry sources said the imported fruit market in Punjab had a 25 per cent share of the sum imported fruits market in the country, which is growing at a rate of more than 25 per cent every year. In the present scenario, India has become the possible market for lots of fruit-exporting countries.
In the Doaba region of the state, which is also known as the NRI capital of Punjab, the fruit market has exposed strong positive signs of growth.
It has previously lured fruit traders to import several varieties of fruits from European countries.
Hawaii growers of tropical specialty fruit now are producing a record 1.5 million pounds of fresh fruit a year, according to latest figures from agriculture officials.
That figure, issued Friday by the National Agricultural Statistics Service Hawaii Field Office, covers 2005 and is up 41 percent from 2004.
Higher yields from growing orchards played a role in the dramatic increase, but harvested land also rose 14 percent, suggesting that the record volume is not a jinx but represents a genuine jump in Hawaii's tropical specialty fruit production.
Sales volumes, measured at the planter selling level, also hit a record in 2005, $2.7 million, up 40 percent from 2004.
Beans, cucumbers and corn aren't quite as abundant this year because of the drought. But tomatoes are mature and ready right now. The owner at Red's Market in Rothschild says the climate hasn't hurt the red fruit too much. You'll also find plenty of watermelons and musk melons, since they flourish in heat. And sure types of squash are previously making their debut.
"The heat brought the ripeness on in early August instead of early September. So we're looking at 3 weeks to a month ahead on this crop," says David McGowan, owner of Red's.
But the drought has taken its fee on the size of the acorn squash. Mcgowan says they're typically twice as large.
KUALA LUMPUR -- Pakistan is seeking for business partners and latent buyers in Malaysia for its fruits and vegetables, said Kerk Loong Sing, National Council Member of the Associated Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Malaysia (ACCCIM).
An eight-member trade allocation from Pakistan, dealing with fresh fruits and vegetables including growers, importers and exporters, today called on the chambers, here Wednesday.
Kerk, who is the chairman of ACCCIM/KLSCCI Agriculture and Primary Industries Committee, hoped that a meeting held with the deal delegation will cover way for future collaborations in the area.
He said to reporters after getting the Pakistan Delegation.
The fruits and vegetables sector accounted for only US$1.157 million or around two percent of the total exports.
Pakistan in the meantime imported US$676.479 million worth of goods from Malaysia during the same period, comprising mostly chemical products, machinery and parts, petroleum products, iron, steel and manufacturing plus agriculture products.
Kerk said that there was a lot of potential that can be gained in the fresh fruits and vegetables sector among the two countries.
The federal program that helps feed women, infants and children might soon be adding fruits, vegetables and complete grains to their approved list.
For decades WIC, or Woman, Infants and Children program has helped low-income families get their dietary needs- providing money for baby formula and for staple foods like milk, cheese, eggs and cereal for moms and kids. But for decades there have been little changes to the food list.
Now it looks like some changes would be made in an effort to curb the nation's growing obesity epidemic. The amount of juice would be abridged to make room for fruits, vegetables and whole-grain foods.
Dr. Helen Jackson of the Duval County Health Department's Community Nutrition Services said this is a greeting and much-anticipated change. "This is a positive change in our community for the health of our children," she said.
JAPANESE firm, Sumitomo Fruits Corp (Sumifru), which has been rising about 4,000 hectares of land in T'boli, Calinan, Toril and North Cotabato for its banana plantation project, plans to enlarge its plan with some P1-billion expansion fund.
Sumifru would undertake a major expansion of its banana plantation, bringing to P6.5 billion its total investment in the banana plantation while December 2004.
In December 2004, Sumifru has started its banana plantation operations, planted about 4,000 hectares of bananas and spend P800-million to develop the infrastructure to support it.
Now, Sumifru intends to plant more than 4,000 hectares to about 5,800 hectares and would spend P1-billion more said plan to contain infrastructure.
TUCSON, Ariz. wasting money on bad fruit could become a thing of the past.
A University of Arizona professor has invented a sticker that could tell consumers if a fruit or vegetable is ripe. That means no more waiting for avocados to season or throwing out fuzzy peaches.
The stickers would be available to growers next year and must make their way into supermarkets within two to three years, said Mark Riley, who is a UA assistant professor of agricultural and bio-systems engineering.
Now is the time to choose whether or not to grow fruits or nuts. Consider the time, labor, logistics, and chemicals concerned in producing these crops. Are you eager to do what should be done to insure production? Do you have an appropriate location? Fruit, such as blackberries, figs, Japanese persimmons, and pears, are low-maintenance crops. The hardest to care for are peaches, plums, apricots, and pecans.
For maximum manufacture, fruit plants need at least 6 hours of full sunlight daily. Extremely shaded landscapes are not perfect sites for fruit planting.
Soil and drainage are also significant considerations. Most fruit and nut species cannot tolerate extreme periods of ‘wet feet’. Fruit trees planted in soil with poor drainage show abridged growth, pale green leaves, iron chlorosis, zinc rosette, and in some extreme cases, drought stress. These symptoms occur when there is not enough oxygen obtainable in the soil, and the plant is unable to soak up the essential nutrients necessary for growth, even though it can be standing in water. Growing trees and shrubs on large, raised beds could progress soil drainage where the native soil is unsuitable.
You can contact Dennis Smith the Gregg County Extension Office by e-mail at dg-smith@tamu.edu or telephone at: 903-236-8429 for further information.
THE strawberry season is over for another year but 'Pick Your Own' and supermarkets are still present some tasty fare to brighten up and color our diet: raspberries, loganberries, teaberries, gooseberries, blackcurrants, redcurrants, grapes, cherries and, very soon, blackberries.
Not only are they full of water (nice in hot weather) but they also hold a wonderful range of vitamins, minerals, some fiber and some wonderful antioxidants.
Antioxidants are one of the defense mechanisms that our body uses to neutralize free radicals (which create chemical reactions in our cells, sometimes with unwanted side reactions). A balanced and varied diet is a significant source of these and this is particularly significant since our body’s' free radical load is increased by air pollution, radiation and, of course, smoking.
Dubai: Prices of Lebanese food imports have gone up as the Israeli violence continues towards its third week, while traders in Sharjah have congested receiving supplies.
The Fruit and Vegetable Market in Al Aweer has raised the prices of Lebanese create as deliveries have stopped.
"I stopped selling lettuce about a month ago, when the war first started. I now sell the ones from Iran and Syria, because the trucks that used to bring it from Lebanon do not come here anymore," said Mohammad, one of the sellers in Al Aweer.
Many stalls in the market no longer sell Lebanese-imported oranges or watermelons either, and the little that does sell them is offering them at a higher price.
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