Reader’s digest January 2021

In January 2021, we published the following articles:

• The Belgian start-up Ask Attis B.V. launched a mobile application called PLANTICUS, in order to detect disease and vermin on food crops.
•  The Italian association Assoplant published a number of observations regarding the plant nursery industry.
• In Italy, Princes Industrie Alimentari met virtually with its agricultural suppliers to take stock of the 2020 season and present the strategic directions for 2021.
• The U.S. Processed Tomato Stocks-on-Hand Report for December 1, 2020 shows that inventory is down 13.3% from the prior year level.
• The Dutch food maker Enrico-Glasbest took over Bertolli from Unilever and is planning to unlock its "enormous potential".
• The International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (icipe) released a parasitic wasp, imported from Peru, which will control Tuta absoluta in a natural way.
• Researchers from the University of Tsukuba used Target-AID gene editing technology to introduce single-base changes into multiple genes in tomato. Their experimentation on genes associated with carotenoid accumulation resulted in elevated levels of carotenoids.
• In Japan, a tomato made with CRISPR/Cas9, developed by the University of Tsukuba and startup Sanatech Seed, has been approved for growing and consumption.
• U.S. Stocks as of 1 December 2020.
• In Argentina, the processing tomato harvest started in mid-December in the region of Valle Viejo.
• Paste Prices: USA, Spain, Portugal, Italy, China, Chile.
• The American company Agdia, Inc added another test kit to their Tomato brown rugose fruit virus (TbBRFV) diagnostic suite: a rapid, RNA-based isothermal molecular kit.
• The University of California Cooperative Extension (UCCE) is organizing an online workshop on Friday 22^nd January.
• Global Trade of Tomato Paste, updated 14 January 2021.
• In Europe and the USA, the pandemic had positive effects of sales: La Doria increased its revenues by 18,9% in the first nine months of 2020, pizzas' consumption in increasing and sales are up for Campbell Soup, specially the condensed soups with an increase of 21% compared to last year.
• A new plant will be built in Kyzylorda region, in Kazahkstan. In Pakistan, the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Authority (SMEDA) planned to establish an agro-food facility to promote export. Indian government is spending about INR 10,000 crore on augmenting infrastructure in the food-processing sector.
• The Spanish Ministry of Agriculture, Rural Development, Population and the Territory released funds to support the development on 16 companies in Extremadura, such as Pronat, Alsat and Monliz.
• An online public auction will be conducted in February for the former Mizkhan plant in Stockton, California.
• Russia continues to increase its capacity in order to achieve self-sufficiency, however they are still dependent on external supplies for some product categories.
• California's tomato processors have contracts for 11 million tonnes in 2021.
• CGTA published the first seven price proposals from California tomato processors for 2021.
• The OI Pomodoro Centro Sud published a tender "Golden Red from EU", to promote agricultural products in India. 
• The processing season started early January in Upper Egypt for the sun-dried tomatoes.
• In The Netherlands, Unilever is currently trialing portable travel factories. They operate inside a 40ft see container and can be shipped worldwide.
• WPTC released a preliminary forecast for 2021 for some countries; the first global world production estimate will be released mid-February.
• In Italy, ISMEA published an annual trade report, confirming the essential role played by Italy at a global level. 

You can find the individual articles in the NEWS list and/or search by keyword, date etc.