Quinoa of organic farm “de Lingehof” in the east of the Netherlands is ready for harvesting. At the 150 ha. arable farm, 3 ha. has been dedicated to quinoa, which farmer Petra Derkzen still considers an experimental crop. “At this second experience of growing quinoa on our farm, we are hoping for a yield of … Read more
Larger import volume Last year chia imports of the European Union increased by 37%. This is compared to the year before, each year starting in April and ending in March (Figure 1). The four main chia exporting countries, Bolivia, Paraguay, Argentina and Mexico, exported a total of 16905 tons to European Union countries. Paraguay has … Read more
Smaller import volume For the first since the quinoa boom began in 2013, there is a small decrease of 6.5% in European quinoa imports instead of growth (Figure 1). Bolivian exports have grown a lot and exports from Ecuador a little, but Peruvian exports are much lower, in the year ending February 2018. The increase … Read more
As of 1 January 2018, the new Regulation (EU) 2015/2283 on novel foods (the new Regulation) is applicable. It repeals and replaces Regulation (EC) No 258/97 and Regulation (EC) No 1852/2001 which were in force until 31 December 2017. According to the new rules, all products previously approved are now included in a ‘Union List’ … Read more
Despite the severe drought from August to December last year, the quinoa crop appears to be much larger than anticipated. Recent statements from the Centro Internacional de la Quinoa (CIQ) suggest that production may be 82,500 tons. The remarkable recovery of the quinoa crop is attributed to late rains falling from December onwards in many areas. … Read more
France is still a starting market for chia seeds, but it is the first European country to produce chia. This is one of the findings of the market analysis on production and imports of chia seeds in Europe which was recently published by Michel Peperkamp of ICI Business. Uganda is a new and fast growing … Read more
By Jenneke van Vliet* and Freek Jan Koekoek In the first decade of the 21st century the millennial Andean food crop quinoa became known to the world as ‘superfood’: a gluten-free pseudo-cereal that contains all the essential amino-acids for human beings and a high content of proteins and minerals. As a consequence, we witnessed an … Read more
According to various industry experts, 15% to 30% of the quinoa harvest in Peru for 2017 has been destroyed by adverse weather. Mercadero therefore expects the production volume for 2017 to range between 70,000 and 86,000 tons.1 Due to extreme drought late last year and early 2017, at least 10% of the quinoa fields in … Read more
As a result of adverse weather the processed fruits and vegetables industry faces major challenges in the supply of raw material, and more businesses choose to take primary production in their own hands. This is one of the main trends mentioned by the expert participants during the PFV Focus Group meeting organised by CBI. Many … Read more
Coconut palm sugar, or palm blossom sugar, is gradually being discovered in western markets as a natural sweetener with some surprising benefits for companies and consumers. The product has a distinct taste and rich flavour, unlike any other natural sweetener. Compared to natural cane sugar, the sweetness is somewhat less pronounced and the flavour is … Read more