Reader’s Digest February 2020

• The 3^rd Symposium on Fruit and Vegetable Processing will take place in Avignon, France, from the 31^st March to 2^nd April 2020.
• The harvest season started in Cuba on January 6, as planned.
• The Egyptian company Paste & Juice has been accepted as an Associate Member of AMITOM in January 2020.
• A false advertising suit was filed against Cento Fine Foods, alleging that its certified San Marzano tomatoes were not San Marzanos. This provides a reminder to use caution is using a certification claim on packaging.
• Processing activity is increasing in Azerbaijan, with 13% more in 2019 than in the previous 3 years.
• Mizkan America is looking to exit the tomato-processing business operating out of the Stockton plant, in California.
• In Italy, the South-Central IO adopted a code of ethics aimed at the social and environmental sustainability of the tomato-processing sector.
• In New-Zealand, Cedenco Foods NZ started their tomato harvest early February.
• In Chile, paste export trade saw an increase of more than 50% in 2019.
• The French Health and Food Agency ANSES issued a warning about the Tomato Brown Rugose Fruit Virus (ToBRFV), as there is a high risk of introduction and spread in France.
• In Canada, Highbury Canco Corporation (HCC), following up on a multi-year agreement with Kraft Heinz Canada, is nearing completion of a CAD 16.8 million expansion to enhance production capabilities and reduce environmental impact.
• In Italy, Barilla and Petti decided to stop the deal by mutual consent.
• The 2020 harvest in on track in the Southern Hemisphere, with Argentina and Australia going as planned and Chile having good quality but a lower volume.
• In Italy, the price agreement for processing tomatoes grown in Northern Italy was signed in Parma in February, with a figure of EUR 88 per metric tonne, services included.
• In Iran, the Ministry of Agriculture launched a mega education project titled "Agricultural Commerce and Business Education System" (NABKA). The Central Organization for Rural Cooperatives of Iran (CORC) supports tomato growers by purchasing the production surplus.
• Paste Prices: USA, Spain, Portugal, Italy, China, Chile, as of 15 February 2020.
• Graco expands the range of its SaniForce 2.0 line, improving cleanliness, safety and ease-of-use.
• In Iran, export performances have dropped by a third in 2019, compared to the 3 previous years.
• The Pomodoro Nord Italia IO made a strong statement against the caporalato, the phenomenon of illegal employment, and intends to counter the damage caused to the reputation of "made in Italy" products.
• In Dominican Republic, the Canned Agro Food Producers Association (Afconagro) requests guarantees from the government authorities to protect the growers against an increase in imports.
• Lycored launched 2 new digital initiatives to raise awareness regarding lycopene.
• In Italy, a solution has not yet been found for Columbus that could guarantee the start of the next processing season.
• WPTC and the Government of San Juan decided to postpone the 14^th World Processing Tomato Congress and the 6^th ISHS Symposium. The new date is pending confirmation from the organizing committee.
• In Nigeria, Olam partnered with a renowned research institute, the World Vegetable Centre, to help supply 18 varieties of tomato seeds for the newly acquired farmlands in Kano and Jigawa.

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