Pakistan Food Journal, March - April 2022

March - April 2022

Calendar of Events Fruit Logistica 2022 Date: 5 to 7, April 2022.

Venue: Berlin, Germany.

EIMA International 2022 Date: 9 to 13, November 2022.

Venue: International Agricultural and Gardening Machinery Exhibition, Bologna, Italy.

Dates: 12 to 14 May 2022.

ANUGA FOOD TEC

Venue: Shanghai World Expo Exhibition & Convention Centre, China.

Dates: 26 to 29, April 2022 Venue: Cologne, Germany.

International Green Week Date: 20 to 29, January 2023.

Date: 26 to 29, July 2022.

Venue: Berlin, Germany.

Venue: Exhibition Centre Nuremberg, Germany.

IFTECH Pakistan 2022 Date: 22 to 24 September 2022.

FOOD + TECH Pakistan Dates:

August 2023.

Venue: Expo Centre, Lahore.

Venue: Lahore Expo Centre.

Asia Fruit Logistica 2022

GULFOOD 2022

Date: 7 to 9, September 2022.

Dates: 20 to 24 February 2023.

Venue: AsiaWorld Expo, Hong Kong

Venue: Dubai World Trade Centre, Dubai.

Gulfood Manufacturing 2022

Anuga 2023.

Date: 8 to 10, November 2022.

Date: 7 to 11, October 2023.

Venue: Dubai World Trade Centre.

Venue: Berlin, Germany.

Contents

Editor’s Note Dear readers, In March- April 2022 edition, the editorial board of Pakistan Food Journal is focusing on the Fruits sector of Pakistan, in which as a cover story on this theme is also published on the importance of Mangoes. Widely cultivated in Sindh and Punjab, the aromatic pulpy fruit is easily one of the most popular seasonal delicacies not just in Asia but also in the West.

Mangoes are one of the major agricultural exports of Pakistan with high demand all across the world.

Pakistan Food Journal, March- April 2022

Food Briefs National and International . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4 News and Views . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6 Around the World . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12 Corporate News Botanical extracts may support healthy ageing and an active lifestyle . . . . . .20

The great exhibition of machinery for agriculture, landscaping and related components EIMA International, offers the entire lanscape of technologies and electronic devices for the correct use of natural resources and the implementation of eco-sustainable processes. EIMA International makes a contribution of high strategic value. A detailed report of the future exhibition is also published in this magazine.

Study on spinach extract shows positive effects on skeletal muscle fitness

A detailed report on the rice is also in the Magazine. In Pakistan’s agrarian economy rice plays multifarious roles. Firstly, it is a second staple food and contributes more than 2 million tonnes to our national food requirement.

Secondly, the rice industry is an important source of employment and income for rural people.

Thirdly, it contributes to the country’s foreign exchange exchequer.

Mango, the world's most popular fruit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26

Gulfood marked a number of editions of aligning food and beverage industry players from across the world with emerging markets across the Middle East and beyond when the world’s largest annual F&B trade exhibition returned to Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC).

Amina Baqai Editor in Chief

Wheat-based ingredients for a sustainable future . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22 Loryma presents innovative extrudates, wheat starches and functional blends for improved meat products and meat alternatives

Loryma develops authentic plant-based chicken concept . . . . . . . . . . . .23 Wheat-based meat alternative promises a crispy outside and tender inside

Taiyo presents innovative concepts for natural-based products . . . . . . . .24

Exclusive Interview

by Professor Dr. Noor Ahmed Memon, Dadabhoy Institute of Higher Education

Pakistan harvested a record rice crop of 8.9 million tonnes in 2021-22 . . . .30 Chilli growers cry as substandard seeds, fertilisers singe yields . . . . . . .33

by Jan Khaskheli

Tate & Lyle reveals key global consumer trends driving food and beverage product innovation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .36 Networked, reliable and efficient: a new dimension in tray packaging . . .38

SIAL Middle East 2022 SIAL Middle East 2022 The Ultimate Solution to all the Food and Beverage Industry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .42

IPACK-IMA The triennial IPACK-IMA is one of the main hubs for the processing and packaging sector. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .46

EIMA International 2022 EIMA 2022: global market and Mediterranean agriculture

GULFOOD MANUFACTURING 2021 Editor-in-Chief Amina Baqai Managing Editor / Publisher Sohail Aziz Senior Editor / Publisher Nadeem Mazhar

Hony. Editor Dr. Noor Ahmad Memon Shahzad Umer Sama

“Taste testing taps into the modernized speed of artificial intelligence” . .51

FRUIT LOGISTICA 2022

Marketing Executive Asim Shamsi

Best business at FRUIT LOGISTICA 2022 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .53

Layout & Design Mazhar Ali

GULFOOD 2019

Suite B-4, & B-6, 2nd Floor, 64/21, Miran M. Shah Road, M.A.C.H.S, Karachi - Pakistan.

Tel: +92-21-34311674, 34303101 Email: info@foodjournal.pk, Url: foodjournal.pk Printed at Color Plus, Korangi Karachi.

Available on Gale Factiva and affiliated international databases through Asianet Pakistan.

Omani companies ink contracts and deals at Gulfood in Dubai . . . . . . . .54 Pakistani exhibitors at Gulfood 2022 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .50

Food Briefs National

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Pak-Uzbek agreed for enhancing cooperation in agriculture sector. cooperation in production technologies of cotton and high value horticulture crops such as kinnow, dates and mangoes can be beneficial for Pakistan.

The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) announced that a task force has been established with increased participation of banks to boost the Electronic Warehouse Receipt Financing (EWRF) in the agriculture sector.

with its attacks in Ukraine. The import of gas will meet Pakistan’s rising domestic and industrial needs. 

Pakistan’s oil and eatable import bill surged by 59.98 per cent to $21.87 billion in the July-March period compared to $13.67bn in the corresponding period last year owing to higher international prices and massive depreciation of the rupee.

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The wheat harvesting season in southern Punjab has started early and so far, the provincial food department has purchased half a million tons of the grain by the beginning of the second week of this month, and the average daily arrival of the commodity at the food department’s procurement centers in the region is around 100,000 tones.

Farmers have asked the government to help resolve their problems as agriculture was the mainstay of the country’s economy. The growers said the rising prices of seeds, fertilizers and pesticides have crippled their economic condition Pakistan will import 2 million metric tons of wheat and natural gas from Russia despite the international sanctions on Moscow that came

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year, but farmers, on the other hand, did not consider the survey to be factual. 

Inflation measured through the Sensitive Price Index increased 0.43 per cent during the week ended on April, owing to a rise in the prices of essential food items, Pakistan Bureau of Statistics data showed recently.

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Egypt’s Ministry of Agriculture is considering the purchase of wheat from Pakistan to diversify and increase the approved suppliers’ list, which includes 22 countries.

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Patron in Chief, All Pakistan Fruits and Vegetable Exporters, Importers and Merchants Association (PFVA), said exporters were lucky to get a good price of fruits, especially mango, kinno and dates which hold 90pc share in total fruit exports despite a massive hike in freight rates.

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Egypt is keen on boosting local

The overall wheat production in rain-fed and irrigated areas declined by 0.1 per cent over the previous

Food Briefs International 

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4

Australia's wheat output is likely to decline sharply on the year in marketing year 2022-23 (OctoberSeptember) due to an anticipated drop in sowing area and yield on account of rising fertilizer costs, the Canberra attache of the US Department of Agriculture's Foreign Agricultural Services said.

Supporters of crop biotechnology in Africa argue that transgenic crops will aid farmers in reducing the burden of pests, drought and improve yields and quality with limited cost and effort. The Genetically Modified (GM) crops as being touted as the solution to ensuring food security.

Azerbaijan exported more than 74,726 tons of fruits and vegetables from January through February 2022. According to a report of the Azerbaijani State Customs Committee, this is 11.9 percent more than in the same period of last year.

Brazil is expected to harvest a record 115.6 million mt of corn in marketing year 2021-22, spread over February 2022 to January

2023, including the first-corn output, according to Conab. 

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Khalid Al Amin, Head of Food and Agriculture Committee at Bahrain Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BCCI), said that prices of many vegetables have fallen between 30 percent and 50pc after hitting peaks during the start of Ramadan. He expects prices to continue to fall until they normalize.

wheat cultivation in a bid to attain self-sufficiency, as for the price of local wheat; the spokesman said that the price of supplying ardeb was set at EGP 725 pounds last year, with an increase of EGP 65, reaching up to EGP 885. 

products rapidly rising - and new

According to data from China’s Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, the average wholesale price for six monitored fruits during 2022 was 7.14 Chinese yuan ($1.12) per kilogram, corresponding to an increase of 3% compared with the previous and an increase of 9.9% compared with last year.

The fruit and vegetable market in Colombia is expected to witness an incremental growth of 7.76 million tons between 2021 and 2026. The report provides a comprehensive analysis of recent developments, new product launches, major revenue-generating segments, and market behavior across geographies.

With the cost of certain consumer data on producer prices suggesting that further price hikes could be on the horizon - the consumer organizations have all called on the federal government to make use of a new EU regulation and scrap VAT on certain food items.

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According to experts in Hungry, a significant increase in flour prices is expected after the end of the price cap period. This assumption is based on the fact that current flour prices are based on a wheat price of around EUR 270-283 (~HUF 100105,000) per tonne. 

News & Views

Pak-Uzbek agreed for enhancing cooperation in agriculture sector Uzbekistan Minister for Agriculture Jamshid Khodjaev and Minister of National Food Security and Research Syed Fakhar Imam agreed for enhancing bilateral cooperation to promote and develop agricultural sectors of both the countries.

The Uzbek Minister of Agriculture called on Imam and discussed prospects of cooperation in different areas of agriculture sector development. Fakhar said that sharing of germplasm on reciprocal basis of cotton, melon, cereal crops, and other high value horticulture crops and livestock can enhance the agriculture sector of both countries.

He said that cooperation in production technologies of cotton and high value horticulture crops such as kinnow, dates and mangoes can be beneficial for Pakistan. Pakistan has immense export potential with respect to citrus fruits, rice, mangoes, onion, potatoes, fisheries and livestock, he added.

Over 8 million tonnes of surplus rice available with the country, which can be exported, he said adding that Pakistan exported 144,000 tonnes of mangoes internationally and hence its export to 6

Pak-Uzbek agreed for enhancing bilateral trade in agriculture

Uzbekistan also has huge potential.

Fakhar Imam said that Uzbekistan has mechanization expertise which can benefit Pakistan.

Speaking on the occasion Agriculture Minister of Uzbekistan said that Pest Risk Analysis has been completed by their side and they are willing to export melon, pomegranate, apple, water melon, grapes and cherries to Pakistan. He welcomed Fakhar Imam’s suggestion of exchange of university students and professors. He said that exchange of technologies for processing and value addition of fruits, vegetables, meat and dairy products can reap positive result for both countries.

He said that the Uzbekistan has accepted to import meat under World Organization for Animal Health and that two slaughter houses have also been approved. He said that technological collaboration in livestock breed improvement programs can upgrade the livestock productivity of Pakistan. Federal Minister thanked the Uzbekistan’s Minister and highlighted the cordial and friendly relations between the two countries.

Task force to boost financing for agri warehousing The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) announced that a task force has been

News & Views

established with increased participation of banks to boost the Electronic Warehouse Receipt Financing (EWRF) in the agriculture sector. SBP Governor Dr Reza Baqir and Punjab Chief Secretary Kamran Ali Afzal chaired the first meeting of the task force.

“The goal of the EWRF is to promote agriculture finance and food security. The task force is established as part of a recent initiative by SBP to synergise the efforts of all stakeholders for the promotion of EWRF in Pakistan,” said the SBP. The SBP said the EWRF task force is a high-level forum led by the central bank governor and comprises of senior officials from the federal and provincial governments, SBP, CEOs of banks and includes chairmen and managing directors of the SECP, PMEX, PBA, Passco and a collateral management company.

Earlier, 25 banks signed the Service Usage Agreement with the collateral management company to commence EWRF operations. The SBP announced a number of facilities for EWRF including subsidised financing, while the payment period was also extended.

During the meeting, the SBP governor announced measures to attract investment in the construction of new warehouses and silos through its Financing Facility for Storage of Agricultural Produce (FFSAP) in order to boost EWRF. The facilities include increase in tenor of FFSAP loans from current seven years to 10 years; increase in the grace period from one year to up to two years to provide additional flexibility to investors and

revision in repayment terms from monthly to quarterly or six monthly to align the facility with the seasonality in agriculture sector.

“Financing under FFSAP is available at six per cent per annum to end users on longterm basis for construction, expansion and balancing, modernisation and replacement (BMR) of steel, metal, concrete silos, warehouses and cold storage facilities for storing agricultural produce,” said the SBP. The Task Force deliberated on the future course of action to enhance the uptake of EWRF in the country.

Farmers seek agricultural subsidies to boost farming Farmers have asked the government to help resolve their problems as agriculture was the mainstay of the country’s economy. The growers said the rising prices of seeds, fertilizers and pesticides have crippled their economic condition.

The government, they said, should improve the condition of the water channels and provide subsidies to the farmers on seed, pesticides and fertilizers to ease their problems.

They also expressed concern over the mushroom growth of housing societies being established on agricultural lands,

saying that cultivable land was fast shrinking due to unchecked urbanisation.

They lamented the indifferent attitude of the government towards the agriculture sector and said the situation would further deteriorate if proper measures were not taken for the improvement of this neglected but important sector.

The farmers are unable to buy pesticides and other required items for their crops owing to their falling purchasing power.

Pakistan to import wheat, natural gas from Russia Pakistan will import 2 million metric tons of wheat and natural gas from Russia despite the international sanctions on Moscow that came with its attacks in Ukraine, according to the prime minister.

Announcing the development, Imran Khan said Islamabad will import the gas to meet Pakistan’s rising domestic and industrial needs.

“We have signed agreements with them to import natural gas because Pakistan’s own gas reserves are depleting,” he said in his televised address to the nation earlier this week.

“Insha’Allah (God willing), the time will tell that we have had great discussions.” In his address, Khan, who paid a two-day maiden visit to Moscow last

March - April 2022

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News & Views

week, said Islamabad would toe an “independent” foreign policy, and no longer join “anyone’s” war.

“My two recent visits to China and Russia have earned respect for Pakistan.

You will soon see the benefits of these visits,” he contended.

Khan has expressed concern over the attacks in Ukraine. A post-meeting statement said Khan told President Vladimir Putin he “regretted the latest situation between Russia and Ukraine” and had hoped “diplomacy could avert a military conflict.”

Now, the top diplomats of 22 countries stationed in Islamabad have urged Pakistan to support a resolution condemning the violence in Ukraine in the United Nations General Assembly.

Pakistan and Russia have inked two agreements — in 2015 and 2021– for the construction of a 1,100-kilometre (684mile) gas pipeline, known as the Pakistan Stream Gas Pipeline Project, from Karachi to Punjab. The $2.5-billion project is slated to begin next year, but analysts see dim chances for meeting the deadline due to myriad global sanctions on Moscow, which will have longtime impacts.

Pakistan’s Petroleum, food imports surge 60pc Pakistan’s oil and eatable import bill surged by 59.98 per cent to $21.87 billion in the July-March period compared to $13.67bn in the corresponding period last year owing to higher international prices and massive depreciation of the rupee.

The country’s overall import bill increased by 49.10pc to $58.87bn in 9MFY22 against $39.48bn in the corresponding period last year.

The share of these products in total import bill also rose to 37.14pc in 9MFY22. The steady increase in import bill of these two sectors are triggering trade deficit and pose a threat of exerting pressures on the external side of the government.

Data released by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics showed that the import bill of oil increased by over 96.09pc to $14.81bn in 9MFY22 from $7.55bn over the corresponding months of last year.

Also the unprecedented increase in prices of petroleum products for domestic users was seen during the period.

Further breakup showed that the import of petroleum products went up by 111.45pc in value and 20.05pc in quantity. Crude oil imports rose by 82.25pc in

value and 3.50pc in quantity during the period under review while those of liquefied natural gas increased by 91.78pc in value. Liquefied petroleum gas imports jumped by 46.32pc in value in 9MFY22.

The food import bill rose by over 15.46pc to $7.06bn in 9MFY22 from $6.12bn over the corresponding period last year to bridge the gap in food production. The rising food imports and the consequent trade deficit is yet another source of worry for the government.

Pakistan spent over $8bn on the import of edible items in the last fiscal year.

The import bill will go up further in the coming months because the government has decided to import 0.6m tonnes of sugar and 4m tonnes of wheat to build strategic reserves. The import bill of pulses, tea, and spices also grew rapidly during the period under review.

Wheat, an expected bumper crop There are glad tidings concerning availability of wheat and wheat flour — the staple food of Pakistanis. The wheat harvesting season in southern Punjab has started early and so far, the provincial food department has purchased half a million tons of the grain by the beginning of the second week of this month, and the average daily arrival of the commodity at the food department’s procurement centers in the region is around 100,000 tones. Last year, the department had bought only 13,000 tones.

Favorable weather conditions have

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News & Views

helped the good harvest of the wheat crop. The rains in January and early start of summer in March have greatly helped in the expected bumper wheat crop in most parts of Punjab. Because of the high temperature in March, the crop has matured early. There was only one spell of rain in March against the predicted four-five spells and the rise in temperature in this month has resulted in early maturing of the crop. Grains too have grown to their normal big size, as the weather protected them from shrivelling.

There are, however, reports that in parts of central Punjab, grains have somewhat shrivelled. Going by the harvest trend the provincial government is likely to revise its wheat procurement target upwards of the current 3.5 million tonnes.

PM directs Punjab govt. to provide 0.2m MT wheat to K-P Premier Shehbaz gave the orders in response to Awami National Party (ANP) leader Aimal Wali Khan’s request. In a tweet on social media platform Twitter, Shehbaz said, "Dear Aimal sb: I have directed the Punjab govt to immediately procure 200000 metric ton of wheat for KP so that the province's food needs are sufficiently met. More wheat can be purchased if KP needs more. Thank you for bringing this to my knowledge! " Aimal replied, “I truly appreciate your prompt attention to the wheat procurement matter and the pledge to settle it in

a timely fashion. We look forward to working with you & the provincial government(s) to proactively identify and address other issues as well.”

However, the wheat production target in Punjab is likely to be affected this year due to below normal rainfall and abnormal rise in temperature during Rabi season. According to experts, premature heat wave has affected wheat crop in many districts. But agriculture department officials said that the crop which was sown on time would have an improved yield.

Farmers in Lahore, on the other hand, claimed to have grown 10 to 15 tonnes per acre more wheat through unconventional methods. According to Punjab Crop Reporting Service, 75% wheat has been harvested in Punjab by mid-April. The yield in rain-fed areas, according to a

survey, is 32.32 tonnes per acre as against 33.21 tonnes per acre last year.

The overall wheat production in rainfed and irrigated areas declined by 0.1 per cent over the previous year, but farmers, on the other hand, did not consider the survey to be factual.

Agriculture Republic head Aamer Hayat Bhandara said the total wheat production declined by six to nine per cent, while areas where average wheat production was 40 to 50 tonnes per acre declined to 32 to 40 tonnes per acre. He said that Punjab's total wheat production was expected to be 20.36 million tonnes by mid-April but it was less than expected. The Punjab Agriculture Department officials are hopeful that now that the wheat harvest was under way in Lahore, Faisalabad and Gujranwala which will be completed by mid-May, there was a strong possibility that they would get closer to the production target but experts fear that wheat production in Punjab may decrease by 100,000 to 200,000 tonnes.

Dr Anjum Ali, the director general of Department of Agriculture (Extension), Punjab, told The Express Tribune that they were hopeful that the wheat production target would be achieved.

“Wheat production may be affected in areas where wheat was planted late and farmers did not irrigate their crops during the early onset of heat wave.”

He said that this year as the rainfall was less than normal and the melting of snow in the mountains was also affected, the Anhar (irrigation) department had

March - April 2022

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New & Views

reduced the canal water by 47% in March. On the other hand, Syed Babar Ali Bukhari, a farmer and agronomist, claimed that despite the current unfavourable conditions, he achieved a wheat yield of 50 tonnes per acre, which was 10 times more than the normal production in the area of 15 tonnes per acre.

Bukhari said that he used organic formula for better production of wheat which not only increased the yield per acre but also the size of wheat stalk and the number of grains was more than that of ordinary wheat. (With input from app)

Weekly inflation spikes on costly food Inflation measured through the Sensitive Price Index (SPI) increased 0.43 per cent during the week ended on April, owing to a rise in the prices of essential food items, Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) data showed recently.

The price of tomatoes increased tomatoes 42.85pc, onions 13.11pc, eggs 3.67pc, chicken 2.02pc, pulse masoor 1.46pc, vegetable ghee one kg 1.26pc, cooked daal 1.18pc, vegetable ghee 2.5 kg 1.15pc, rice Irri-6/9 1.08pc, and cooking oil 0.99pc.

This increase in weekly prices was noted in the week under review. Since April 7, it is the lowest increase when the SPI jumped 1.53pc.

In the non-food items the price of toilet soap increased 2.06pc, cigarettes 2.03pc, and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) 11.67kg cylinder 0.87pc.

One reason behind rising prices is the advent Ramazan, when the consumption of vegetables, especially potatoes, onions and tomatoes, and fruits goes through the roof.

On the other hand, the prices of four items declined during the week, including wheat flour 9.96pc, gur 1.27pc, sugar 1.04pc and pulse gram 0.34pc.

Data shows that the prices of 25 essential food items increased during the week under review compared to the previous week.

The SPI increased by 0.46pc for the lowest income group (i.e. people earning below Rs17,732 per month) and by 0.45pc for the group with a monthly income of above Rs44,175. Of the 51

items whose prices were surveyed, the prices of 25 items increased, that of four items decreased, whereas the prices of 22 items remained constant.

Egypt Considers Adding Pakistan to Wheat Suppliers’ List Egypt’s Ministry of Agriculture is considering the purchase of wheat from Pakistan to diversify and increase the approved suppliers’ list, which includes 22 countries.

Ahmed Al-Attar, head of the Agriculture Ministry’s Quarantine Authority-who is in charge of controlling exports and imports, said that the talks with Pakistan started two years ago and have now reached almost the final stages.

Moreover, Al-Attar added that the adoption of Pakistan as a new wheat market requires good studies of the technical file sent by Islamabad, as well as organizing field visits to inspect farms, places of export, logistics, and others. It is worth mentioing that, Egypt saw a surge in grain imports from Russia in March despite supply and payment disruptions following its invasion of Ukraine, which also prompted traders to order shipments from other suppliers.

Egypt received 479,195 tons of wheat from Russia in March, up 24% from the same month last year, according to shipping data seen by Reuters. Ukrainian wheat imports amounted to 124,500 tons, down 42% year-on-year.

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News & Views

Fruit exports fetch higher prices Country’s fruit exports fetched handsome prices in July-March 2021-22 despite a 28 per cent drop in quantities.

Total fruit exports plunged 38pc to 514,516 tonnes valuing $394 million as compared to 829,369 tonnes earning $378m. The average per tonne price comes to $766 versus $456, figures released by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) stated.

In vegetables, total exports stood at 703,172 tonnes in 9MFY22 which earned $248m as compared to 700,518 tonnes valuing $246mn in the same period last fiscal. The APT price slightly soared to $353 from $350 in the above period.

Patron in Chief, All Pakistan Fruits and Vegetable Exporters, Importers and Merchants Association (PFVA), said exporters were lucky to get a good price of fruits, especially mango, kinno and dates which hold 90pc share in total fruit exports despite a massive hike in freight rates.

He said that despite the high local kinno price in the last current season the foreign buyers continued to buy limited quantities, especially by Russia which lifted over 100,000 tonnes this season.

Mr Waheed said in this season, some 30pc of fruit factories did not operate out of 250 units in the country as foreign buyers had shifted their focus towards

March - April 2022

other countries due to quality issues.

Kinno is exported to Central Independent States, the Middle East, Russia, Indonesia, Singapore, Canada, Gulf countries, the United Kingdom, and Ukraine. Pakistan also exports fruits like bananas, cheeko, guava.

Tough times ahead as global food and energy prices are up Globally, food and energy prices are up. During March, the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nation’s food price index rose 12.6 per cent from February. It was the highest monthly rise since 1990. And, average

crude oil price on March stood above $106 per barrel, up from $85 on February — showing an increase of about 25pc.

Faced with a large fiscal deficit, Pakistan can neither afford to continue to subsidise local energy products any longer nor can it afford to let its food import bill inflate further. The merchandise trade deficit is already too high — about $35.4bn in nine months to March 2022.

This deficit is so large that even nine month’s home remittances ($23bn) fall short to finance it. This means energy prices in Pakistan should start rising soon and already high food prices should become higher. The food inflation rose in 14.5pc and 15.5pc in March year-on-year in urban and rural areas respectively. The recently administered heavy dose of monetary tightening and requirement of 100pc cash margins on imports of non-essential items cannot play a direct role in containing energy and food inflation. Future reading of the non-food, non-energy (NFNE) core inflation measure of the central bank would prove this point. During March the NFNE core inflation increased 8.9pc and 10.3pc year-on-year for urban and rural Pakistan, up from 7.8pc and 9.4pc in February.  11

Around the World

AUSTRALIA

items of fertilizer, chemicals, and diesel

AFRICA

have all skyrocketed in recent months,

Australia's 2022-23 wheat output seen 20% lower on year to 29 million mt.

Australia's wheat output is likely to decline sharply on the year in marketing year 2022-23 (October-September) due to an anticipated drop in sowing area and yield on account of rising fertilizer costs, the Canberra attache of the US Department of Agriculture's Foreign Agricultural Services said.

According to the report, Australia's wheat output in MY 2022-23 is seen falling 20% on the year at 29 million mt, from a record 36.3 million mt projected for MY 2021-22. The planting area is seen declining, despite expected favorable conditions and adequate moisture content during the planting season, due to the rising input costs, including increasing fertilizer prices, the report said.

Soil moisture conditions around the time of planting are crucial for wheat, which is generally planted during AprilJune and harvested between October and December. "The three major input cost 12

and the supply of some of these items is also proving to be challenging," the

Can GM crops jump-start Africa's agriculture?

report added.

Fertilizer and chemical prices have increased sharply over the past few months due to banning of fertilizers from China. In addition to that, Russia's invasion of Ukraine has also contributed to the sharp increase in fertilizer prices as both China and Russia are key exporters of nitrogen-based fertilizers. Although Australia sources primarily from the Middle East and is well placed to meet its requirements, high prices of fertilizers will increase the input costs for wheat.

Africa faces a race against time to increase food production. As climate change, population growth, and conflict constrain agricultural productivity, Genetically Modified (GM) crops as being touted as the solution to ensuring food security. Supporters of crop biotechnology argue that transgenic crops will aid farmers in reducing the burden of pests, drought and improve yields and quality with limited cost and effort. The number of countries planting biotech crops has grown from three in 2016 to over 10 in

Around the World

2022, according to the International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-biotech Applications (ISAAA).

South Africa, Sudan, Egypt, and Burkina Faso lead in the commercialization of GM crops. Even more countries are trialing various strains of GM seeds.

Countries are mostly planting staples such as maize, sorghum, and cowpea, but also cash crops such as cotton and soybean.

But concerns about trade and safety stand in the way. Skeptics have voiced concerns for the environment and human safety.

Countries also worry that GM crops will hurt trade with the EU, Africa's largest export market. Even then, many African countries have included the adoption of biotech crops in their national development blueprints and their agriculture and industrialization roadmaps. The global value of the biotech crops market is projected to reach $30.24 billion by 2026, according to Fortune Business Insights. Doris Wangari, a plant biotechnologist joins the show with insights on how GMOs can be beneficial for African Agriculture and food systems.

AZERBAIJAN Azerbaijan witnesses increase in fruit and vegetable exports Azerbaijan exported more than 74,726 tons of fruits and vegetables from January through February 2022.

According to a report of the Azerbaijani State Customs Committee, this is 11.9 percent more than in the same period of last year.

According to the committee, Azerbaijan’s export of fruits and vegetables in value terms increased by 30.9 percent for the year up to $92.3 million.

Azerbaijan exported over 20,385 tons of tomatoes worth $24.5 million, 5,035 tons of hazelnuts ($29.2 million), 7,502 tons of apples ($4.9 million), 35,921 tons of persimmons ($27.2 million), 1,260 tons of pomegranates (over $2.005 million) from January through February 2022.

BRAZIL Heat stress on crops in Brazil likely to continue over April 18-25 Second-corn crops in Brazil are likely to face heat stress during April, especially in the Center-West region, as rainfall is likely to be low, according to the latest weather forecast.

There is no forecast of significant rainfall in practically all the states in the Center-West region during April, Brazil's National Institute of Meteorology, or INMET, said.

Dryness remained extensive across central and southern Mato Grosso, southern Goias, northern Mato Grosso do Sul, and southwestern Minas Gerais, space technology provider Maxar said in its daily weather report in April.

"Dry weather is expected across most of the safrinha corn belt over the next week, which will allow dryness to increase again and expand in coverage, increasing stress on growth of the safrinha corn crop," Maxar said. The country is expected to harvest a record 115.6 million mt of corn in marketing year 202122, spread over February 2022 to January 2023, including the first-corn output, according to Conab. Brazil's 2021-22

March - April 2022

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Around the World

corn crop will be marketed from February 2022 to January 2023

BAHRAIN Tomato prices down as more shipments arrive in Bahrain Khalid Al Amin, Head of Food and Agriculture Committee at Bahrain Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BCCI), said that prices of many vegetables have fallen between 30 percent and 50pc after hitting peaks during the start of Ramadan. He expects prices to continue to fall until they normalize.

The Ministry of Industry, Commerce, and Tourism earlier said that it is closely monitoring the prices of all food products in the local markets to ensure there is no price rise during Ramadan. "The prices of all basic food products including fruits and vegetables are being monitored," the ministry had said. On tomato price rises, the ministry said the reasons are many including high prices in the countries of origin, weather fluctuations, and lack of adequate imports.

The price of tomato was 700 fils a kilo at Manama Central Market yesterday against the peak price of BD1.1 a kilo a few days ago. The ministry attributed the cucumber price rise to the impact of 14

weather conditions on the cultivation and production in cucumber exporting countries apart from logistical issues related to shipping.

CHINA

Agriculture and Rural Affairs, the average wholesale price for six monitored fruits during 2022 was 7.14 Chinese yuan ($1.12) per kilogram, corresponding to an increase of 3% compared with the previous and an increase of 9.9% compared

Domestic Fruit Prices Rising, Apples and Bananas Hit 10Year Highs in China

with last year.

The average wholesale price of domestic fruit in China reached its highest level for this period in 10 years. According to data from China’s Ministry of

yuan ($1.02) for bananas, 5.3 yuan

The individual fruit prices per kilogram were 7.04 yuan ($1.10) for Fuji apples, 11.52 yuan ($1.81) for Kyoho grapes, 6.5 ($0.83) for pineapples, 7.55 yuan ($1.18) for watermelons and 4.94 yuan ($0.78) for pears.

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Domestic fruit prices have continued to rise rapidly since late March. The wholesale prices of mandarins, apples and especially pears have all risen significantly, with that of pears increasing by more than 40% to approximately 100 yuan ($15.69) per box. The average price of mandarins during the same period rose from 2.6 yuan ($0.41) per kilogram to 3.6 yuan ($0.56) per kilogram, an increase of 38.5%. In Shandong, the weighted average of 80 mm paper-wrapped Fuji apples rose from 6.28 yuan ($0.99) per kilogram to 6.94 yuan ($1.09) per kilogram, an increase of 10.5%.

As the best-selling domestic apple, the futures price also continues to rise.

On April 6, the main futures contract continued to oscillate, closing at 5.10% higher. The contract price has risen to over 10,700 yuan ($1,679) per ton, a cumulative increase over the past two weeks of more than 700 yuan ($110) per ton. In the spot market, the average transaction price of 80 mm paperwrapped Fuji apples in Shandong’s Qixia market was up 19.67% since the beginning of the year, while the market price of 70 mm apples in Luochuan in Shaanxi province had increased by 25% over the same period.

sector, growing consumer inclination toward a vegan diet, and increasing consumption of processed fruit and vegetable products will offer immense growth opportunities, increased chances of food contamination, presence of stringent government rules, and increase in unfair trade practices will challenge the growth of the market participants. To make the most of the opportunities, market vendors should focus more on the growth prospects in the fast-growing segments, while maintaining their positions in the slow-growing segments

COLOMBIA

EGYPT

Fruit and Vegetable Market in Colombia to witness 7.76 Mn tons growth | Strong growth expected in nonorganic segment

State keen on boosting local wheat cultivation to attain self-sufficiency

The fruit and vegetable market in Colombia is expected to witness an incremental growth of 7.76 million tons between 2021 and 2026. According to sources, the market will observe a YOY growth of 8.97% in 2022. However, the growth momentum is expected to decelerate at a CAGR of 6.41% during the forecast period. The report provides a comprehensive analysis of recent developments, new product launches, major revenue-generating segments, and market behavior across geographies.

Although the strong distribution networks drive the Colombian fresh produce March - April 2022

The State is keen on boosting local wheat cultivation in a bid to attain selfsufficiency, said Agriculture Ministry Spokesman Mohamed el Qersh. As for the price of local wheat, the spokesman said that the price of supplying ardeb was set at EGP 725 pounds last year, with an increase of EGP 65, reaching up to EGP 885.

Thanks to the government's efforts to encourage farmers to expand their agricultural land, the cultivated area of wheat has exceeded 3.6 million acres, added the spokesman.

Despite the government’s efforts to secure the wheat supply that is essential for the subsidized bread, one of the 2011

Revolution’s slogans, the government would not stop importing wheat from other countries like France even with high prices to fill the gap between the local production and the consumption, as it was stated to Egypt Today by the head of the Farmers’ Syndicate Hussein Abdel Rahman Abu Saddam.

Earlier, the Egyptian government announced India as a new wheat supplier.

Qusseir announced in a statement on Thursday that India has been recognized as a new country of origin for importing wheat within the framework of the state’s plan to open new sources of importing wheat as a strategic commodity.

GERMANY Consumer organisations call for VAT to be scrapped on food items With the cost of certain consumer products rapidly rising - and new data on producer prices suggesting that further price hikes could be on the horizon - the social association VdK, the Federal Association of Consumer Organisations (vzbv) and the German Diabetes Society have all called on the federal government to make use of a new EU regulation and scrap VAT on certain food items.

The president of VdK, Verena Bentele, said that the high inflation rate is pushing more and more people to their financial limits, with certain groups like low earners, pensioners and recipients of basic 15

Around the World

social benefits increasingly forced to choose between paying for their energy bills or for their groceries. “The VdK therefore calls for a drastic reduction in VAT on staple food items, to zero percent.

The federal government must make full use of this opportunity, which is now available to all EU member states.

The Federal Association of Consumers backed this suggestion, calling for VAT to be temporarily abolished on fruit, vegetables and legumes to cushion households from the effects of rising food prices.

They added that this would also make it easier for people to eat healthily. The German Diabetes Association made a similar demand, stating that the government should do all in its power to enable people to access healthy foodstuffs. They further suggested that manufacturers of sugary drinks and other unhealthy products could be asked to pay a surcharge to help cover the shortfall.

HUNGARY Skyrocketing flour prices to come in Hungary after the end of the price cap According to experts, a significant increase in flour prices is expected after the end of the price cap period. Thus, consumers will have to dig deeper into their wallets from 1st May. This assumption is based on the fact that current flour prices are based on a wheat price of around EUR 270-283 (~HUF 100105,000) per tonne.

As the market price of wheat is currently at EUR 351-364 (~HUF 130135,000), this can only be calculated by including the cheaper wheat carried over from last year, as well as the more expensive wheat. In recent weeks, the surging wheat prices on the market have also resulted in higher consumer prices. In January, the price was around EUR 0.40 (~HUF 145) per kilo, but this has recently increased to EUR 0.45 (~HUF 165).

INDIA Indian rice rates ease, soaring inflation feeds into Vietnam prices Prices of rice exported from India dipped this week as supplies increased, while soaring inflation in Asia seeped into

Vietnamese prices despite muted trading activity.

Top exporter India's 5% broken parboiled variety was quoted at $364 to $368 per tonne, down from last week's $365-$369, on a weak rupee and higher supplies after the extension of the government's plan of providing free food grains to poor people. Supplies are rising from milling of the new season crop and the government releasing last year's harvest, said an exporter based at Kakinada, Andhra Pradesh.

IRAN Imports of Pulses Rise 125% as Domestic Production Falls A total of 194,000 tons of different kinds of pulses were imported in the last Iranian year (March 2021-22), registering a 125% rise compared with the previous year, according to the secretary of Iran’s Pulses Union.

“Domestic demand for pulses stands at 700,000-750,000 tons per year. Last year, more than 500,000 tons of pulses were produced domestically, which shows a decline compared with the year before,” Abdi Eftekhari was also quoted as saying by IRNA. The official noted that drought and the conversion of pulse farms to grain fields over the past few years are among the main reasons why Iran’s production of pulses has decreased. He estimated that this year (started March 21), 250,000-

16

Around the World

300,000 tons will need to be imported.

“Global prices have also gone up mainly because of the conflict between Ukraine and Russia, which are considered two big suppliers internationally,” he said.

Eftekhari noted that the prolonged economic sanctions imposed on Iran have also raised prices of all kinds of pulses dramatically. “In the domestic market, we saw prices go up by 70-100% for each kilo of pulses. Recently, the High Economic Council approved a 9% valueadded tax on pulses, which means that in the near future, prices will increase even further.

JORDAN Jordan wheat imports to reach 1.3 million tonnes Jordan, a limited producer of cereal grains gradually building up its grain reserves, will import 1.3 million tonnes of

wheat in marketing year 2022-23, according to a Global Agricultural Information Network report from the Foreign Agricultural Service of the US Department of Agriculture (USDA).Jordan is among the poorest water resourced countries on Earth, severely limiting its ability to grow crops. As a result, Jordan’s domestic production of cereals is negligible, and most of its needs are met through imports. The Russian invasion of Ukraine has a direct impact on Jordan, which imports most of its wheat and barley from the Black Sea region. Jordan’s wheat production in 2022-23 is expected to reach 30,000 tonnes, which is less than a two-week supply of the country’s annual consumption needs, forecast at 960,000 tonnes. Barley consumption is expected to decrease to 720,000 tonnes in 2022-23, with 1.1 million tonnes of imports as part of the nation’s efforts to build up reserves.

“The government of Jordan has gradually been implementing a practical food security strategy based on purchasing wheat and barley and building up an inventory inside the country,” the USDA said. “The government is aiming to build up reserves to at least 1.5 years’ worth of consumption but doesn’t have a target date for this endeavor.”

In 2022-23, corn imports are forecast to increase to 950,000 tonnes, with US origin corn expected to supply 100,000 tonnes. Imports and consumption fluctuation are expected due to the impacts of the war in Ukraine and COVID-19 on market stability, coupled with fears of feed shortage, all of which are driving purchase decisions.

Rice imports will amount to 220,000 tonnes, of which the US will be the top supplier with 70,000 tonnes, owing to US market development efforts.

LIBYA Conflict and climate change creating food crisis in Libya, Red cross warn The conflict in Libya has left the country extremely vulnerable to food shortages caused by climate change, the Red Cross has warned.

In Awiniya village, southwest of Tripoli, a region where agriculture is the main source of income, ongoing violence has forced many local farmers to abandon their homes to seek safety, the charity says.

March - April 2022

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Around the World

MEXICO Mexico to remain major grain importer A mixed grain production outlook for marketing year 2022-23 means Mexico will continue to be a major importer of basic grains, according to a recent Global Agricultural Information Network (GAIN) report from the Foreign Agricultural Service of the US Department of Agriculture (USDA).

Corn, wheat and sorghum production is forecast marginally lower, and rice production slightly higher, the USDA said.

The forecast for corn (27.6 million tonnes), wheat (3.27 million tonnes) and sorghum (4.85 million tonnes) is down due to rising input costs, reduced government support and expected challenging weather caused by La Niña, while the rice forecast is up slightly to 274,000 metric tonnes based on the renewed functioning of irrigation infrastructure in certain growing regions.

Overall feed grain demand is expected to continue growing steadily at approximately 1.5% in 2022-23. Corn continues to be the preferred feed grain in Mexico based on its nutritional attributes. Meanwhile, demand for grain for human consumption is forecast to grow more slowly, slightly below the population growth rate of about 1%.

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MALAYSIA First agriculture product collection center to open next month The first agriculture production collection center (APCC), run by the Rural Development Corporation (KPD), will open its doors next month. The collection center can cater for up to 50 metric tons of high-value agricultural products such as fresh vegetables, fruits, and flowers at any given time.

Sabah Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Seri Dr. Jeffrey Kitingan said the collection center would finally resolve marketing

issues and elevate economic standards among Kundasang's vegetable farmers.

The APCC is expected to be launched

by Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor.

"Farmers lack the proper channel to market their products, leaving many with little alternatives but to discard them. It is such a waste of time and money for them.

"Additionally, our local farmers have always been victims of middlemen who buy their produce at a far lesser price, thus reducing the farmers' income.

Therefore, the construction of an APCC in Kundasang is relevant and timely to ensure our farmers always have buyers while also meeting increasing demands

Around the World

for fresh vegetables and fruits," he said after visiting the center.

USA USDA Announces Plans for $250 Million Investment for American-made Fertilizer The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is announcing it will support additional fertilizer production for American farmers to address rising costs, including the impact of Putin’s price hike on farmers, and spur competition. USDA will make available $250 million through a new grant program this summer to support independent, innovative and sustainable American fertilizer production to supply American farmers. Additionally, to address growing competition concerns in the agricultural supply chain, USDA will launch a public inquiry seeking information regarding seeds and agricultural inputs, fertilizer, and retail markets.

“Recent supply chain disruptions from the global pandemic to Putin’s unprovoked war against Ukraine have shown just how important it is to invest in this crucial link in the agricultural supply chain here at home,” said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, “The planned investment is one example of many Biden-Harris Administration initiatives to bring production and jobs back to the United States, promote competition, and support American goods and services. As the President said [at the State of the Union], we are working to rebuild the economy towards resilience, security, and sustainability, and this support to provide domestic, sustainable and independent March - April 2022

choices for fertilizer supplies is part of that effort. In addition to the jobs, lower costs and more reliable supply, increased investment in the domestic fertilizer industry will help address climate change by reducing the greenhouse gas emissions associated with transportation, while also fostering more sustainable production methods and more precise application.”

Fertilizer prices have more than doubled since last year due to many factors including Putin’s price hike, a limited supply of the relevant minerals and high energy costs, high global demand and agricultural commodity prices, reliance on fertilizer imports, and lack of competition in the fertilizer industry.

The United States is a major importer and dependent on foreign fertilizer and is the second or third top importer for each of the three major components of fertilizer. The top producers of the major components of fertilizer include China, Russia, Canada and Morocco, with Belarus also providing a significant share of potash.

VIETNAM Vietnam's Water Crisis Threatens Food Security Vietnam’s water shortage, especially during the long drought seasons, is widening the gap between rich and poor farmers. Access to a sufficient amount of clean water for agriculture is becoming a luxury in the Southeast Asian nation adjacent to the Mekong River.

Over 13 million Vietnamese do not have sufficient access to clean water for their daily activities, including 2.5 million people in rural areas, where many farm-

lands are located. Contaminated water accounts for nearly 80 percent of diseases in the country, including cholera, typhoid, dysentery and malaria each year.

But contamination is not the only water-related crisis afflicting Vietnam, as the country is grappling with a shortage of water - having only 4,400m3 water resources per capita each year, a far cry from the world average of 7,400m3 per capita. Water resources from Vietnam's 2,000 plus rivers go mainly into boosting the country’s source of food security: agriculture.

Agriculture accounts for over 70 percent of the total water use in Vietnam and provides about one-third of the country’s employment, but farmers still appear to struggle. Increasingly severe droughts due to climate change, a rise in dams built in upstream Mekong and insufficient administrative intervention have all led to water contamination, imbalanced water distribution, salination and a yawning wealth gap in the nation.

Organisations have been pitching in to develop irrigation and drip systems to help the farmers use water efficiently. The World Bank, for instance, developed an improved irrigation system that allegedly benefited 215,000 farming households and drove up average yields by up to 15 percent and, in turn, farmers’ income. A study showed that a total of VND 100,000 billion has been spent on developing over 8,000 irrigation systems and 2,000 pumping stations. However, while these systems did help rice yield to spike by up to 35 percent, the study added that irrigation system did not significantly help poor farmers. 19

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Botanical extracts may support healthy ageing and an active lifestyle Study on spinach extract shows positive effects on skeletal muscle fitness A study published by the Sports Physiology Department at the Universidad Católica San Antonio de Murcia (UCAM) , Spain, revealed significant improvement in muscle strength and muscle fitness in subjects aged 50plus who combined moderately intense strength training with a 12-week daily supplementation of natural extract of Spinacia oleracea L. Maintaining muscle health and functional capability is a key component of healthy ageing, while improvement in muscle fitness may appeal to a wider audience of sports enthusiasts.

Researchers investigated the efficacy

take three one-hour, moderate-intensity training sessions per week. At the end of the study, both the experimental and placebo groups had better muscle strength, as evaluated by isokinetic and isometric dynamometry, yet the improvement was significantly higher with Spisar® than the placebo. Compared to the placebo, muscle quality also improved to a greater extent when combining training and Spisar® intake. Better muscle quality is an important contributor to muscle health and healthy ageing. Increased muscle mass and improvements in quality of life questionnaires were also greater with Spisar® than the placebo group,

of daily consumption of four 500mg cap-

although not significantly. The authors

sules of Spisar® spinach extract or a

conclude that Spisar® in conjunction with

placebo, combined with a resistance

physical exercise may exert overall “all-

training programme, on skeletal muscle

body strengthening” adaptogenic activity,

fitness during a 12-week randomized,

and may be beneficial for improving

double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical

muscle fitness and the maintenance of

trial. Study subjects – 45 healthy males

muscle health, both of which are crucial

and females aged over 50 – had to under-

for healthy ageing.

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Spisar® is obtained from the nutrientrich leaves of spinach cultivated in Southern Spain and gently processed with the Pure-Hydro Process™, an ecofriendly, proprietary extraction technology using only purified water as a solvent.

Spinach leaves have a naturally high content of phytoecdysteroids, plant secondary metabolites with a wide range of potential physiological and health benefits, such as improved physical performance and enhanced stress resistance.

Spisar® is standardized for 20-hydroxyecdysone (20E) – the major naturallyoccurring ecdysteroid in plants.

Andrea Zangara, Head of Scientific Communications & Marketing, says: “In an ever-ageing society, it is of major importance to maintain mobility and overall wellbeing for as long as possible.

Our spinach extract can contribute to that in an entirely natural but efficient way, and therefore allows manufacturers to react to emerging market demand for

muscle fitness safe ingredients that can be used by a wider age-range.”

The newly launched Spisar® expands the company’s portfolio of Mediterranean fruit and vegetable extracts™ designed to support healthy ageing. It perfectly complements Wellemon® lemon extract which offers potential health-promoting properties for cardiometabolic, vascular, cognitive and nutriti-cosmetic applications, overcoming the low solubility and, therefore, low bioavailability of most citrus flavanones such as hesperidin. Once ingested, flavanones exert health benefits through their metabolites circulating in the body, therefore bioavailability is crucial. A recent clinical study of the CEBASCSIC – a research centre within the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) – compared the eriocitrin-rich Wellemon® extract with an hesperidin-rich orange extract . The researchers compared the metabolism and bioavailability of flavanones from Wellemon® as well as the orange extracts, and analysed changes in metabolites in the participants’ blood and urine. The study demonstrated that eriocitrin in Euromed’s Wellemon® has high bioavailability compared to hesperidin

March - April 2022

(equal amounts), thanks to its superior water-solubility, chemical structure and extraction technology. Concentrations of all metabolites, including hesperidin metabolites, were higher and more quickly detected after Wellemon® intake, than after the consumption of orange extract. Therefore, Wellemon® can provide a higher total concentration of bioactive metabolites not achievable with the intake of hesperidin alone. It even appeared to compensate for the high interindividual variability in the production of derived bioactive intestinal

metabolites. Moreover, the pharmacokinetic study showed for the first time in humans, that intake of eriocitrin from lemon extract yields both lemon and orange metabolites, meaning the intake of Wellemon® provides both eriocitrin AND hesperidin metabolites, at a lower dosage compared to hesperidin. It is also worth noting that systolic blood pressure remained stable in subjects consuming Wellemon®, but increased slightly in those supplementing with orange extract following the high-fat, high sugar meal given to participants.

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Wheat-based ingredients for a sustainable future Loryma presents innovative extrudates, wheat starches and functional blends for improved meat products and meat alternatives At this year's IFFA in Frankfurt, ingredients specialist Loryma is showcasing its broad portfolio of wheat-based solutions that meet growing global demand for protein-rich, high-quality foods. These offer technological and sensory advantages for meat products, as well as for the production of plant-based alternatives and hybrid applications. In addition, the natural raw material wheat is characterised by reliable availability and short transport distances. The potential of wheat derivatives for food applications is demonstrated by outstanding concepts for a vegan snack plate with cold cuts, delicatessen salads, beef jerky and salami.

Loryma's presence at the show, which is dedicated to the meat and alternative proteins market, presents new, sustain22

able and economical options for the production of meat products or vegan and vegetarian products based on functional wheat ingredients. These include the innovative texturates of the Lory® Tex range for hybrid and plant-based alternatives, as well as hydrolysed wheat protein (Lory® Protein H11 and H12) for nutritional optimisation. The extruded breadcrumb Lory® Crumb is the latest addition to the existing, comprehensive modular coating system, which also includes the starches Lory® Starch Saphir and Lory® Starch Brillant to improve adhesion of the breadcrumb to the substrate.

In addition, Loryma offers further functional starches that can be used for different purposes: Depending on the production process, the wheat starches Lory® Starch Elara or Lory® Starch Iris

represent an alternative to the banned white pigment titanium dioxide for lightening meat products. The latter can also be used as a small-grain starch in injection brines for improved texture and a higher yield. Lory® Starch Solaris is suitable as a high-performance binding and thickening agent for meat products and vegan recipes. Other binding and stabilising systems for convenience and frozen products, such as meat kebabs or vegetarian versions, complete the range.

Norbert Klein, Head of Product Development at Loryma, says: "Wheat ingredients combine consumer demands for optimised texture, appearance and taste with industrial feasibility. In addition, our application concepts make a meaningful contribution to inspirational new products."

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Loryma develops authentic plant-based chicken concept Wheat-based meat alternative promises a crispy outside and tender inside

The latest innovation from ingredients specialist Loryma is a combination of wheat-based components for a vegan version of chicken thighs, which is more than a match for this classic dish in both appearance and texture. The replication of the chicken skin is achieved with a specially developed coating system, while Lory® Tex wheat texturates with a highly functional Lory® Bind binding system imitate the fibrous muscle meat.

By frying, deep-frying or grilling, the outer shell becomes crispy, while the inside remains juicy and tender.

Manufacturers who adopt the concept can adapt and flavour it individually.

The creation of an authentic, vegetable "chicken skin" – not yet on the market in this form – is achieved by Loryma with the help of a specially developed wheat-based coating system. It is applied as a flowable oil-in-water emulsion to the shaped imitation meat by means of conventional coating technology, as used in wet panades. The conMarch - April 2022

tained functional mixture of wheat proteins, starches and gelling agent (Lory® Stab) creates an elastic, irreversible, thin surface coating that convincingly reproduces chicken skin and becomes crispy during the final preparation.

The coating also protects the meat alternative inside from drying out. This consists of Lory® Tex Chunks, particularly long-fibre textured wheat proteins, which perfectly imitate the texture of grown muscle meat thanks to their unique structure. The tasteless dry texturate can be easily rehydrated with water, flavoured and separated to the desired fibre structure. In combination with Lory® Bind, this creates a mass that can be formed for example into the form of a chicken leg and coated.

Norbert Klein, Head of Product Development at Loryma, says: "Recreating crispy chicken skin with purely vegetable ingredients was a real challenge, yet we are more than satisfied with the final concept. It's just right for

everyone who wants to give up meat but not this classic treat."

About Loryma: Loryma, member of the Crespel & Deiters group, is a producer of globally distributed wheat proteins, wheat starches and functional blends with an expertise of more than 40 years. The company is located in Zwingenberg (Germany), where experts develop future-proof solutions that simultaneously meet the needs of the food industry as well as the rising requirement for healthy nutrition in a growing world population.

The responsibly and regionally sourced ingredients optimise stability, texture and flavour of meat and fish, vegetarian and vegan applications, baked goods, convenience products and confectionery. High quality raw materials combined with indepth knowledge in processing make Loryma a reliable partner for service, product development and supply of tailor-made solutions fitting today’s demands. 23

Corporate News

Taiyo presents innovative concepts for natural-based products Taiyo launches reformulated protein shake concepts in three flavours, and showcases ingredients that support a long-term healthy lifestyle.

At Vitafoods Europe, functional ingredient expert Taiyo will present brand new concepts which address current consumer trends, such as healthy ageing, sports nutrition and clean label products.

The company will showcase new additions to its Sunfiber® portfolio – an allnatural, 100% soluble dietary fiber – as well as its new Sunfiber® Water Concept, an optimum hydration offering with health-boosting properties. It will also present Sunphenon EC, known for its high polyphenol and catechin content with proven antioxidant effects. Other highlights at the Taiyo stand include functional ingredients such as concentrated Moringa seed extract and new Vegemeat concepts.

With Sunphenon EC, Taiyo offers a new variant in addition to existing green tea extracts. This product in the Sunphenon range is rich in epicatechin, which is found predominantly in cocoa and green tea, and has a proven positive effect on the cardiovascular system.

Furthermore, a decrease in morbidity and mortality from cardiovascular diseases is associated with the consumption of flavanols. Therefore it is perfect for elderly people or other consumers who have problems with muscle health, such as muscle atrophy. The product has been specially developed for use in instant tea sticks, instant beverages or supplements.

Vitafoods visitors will also be able to learn more about Taiyo’s Chia Protein XiaPure®. Chia seeds are a real healthbooster: They contain essential amino acids necessary for good health and they are an excellent alternative source of protein for sports nutrition. With XiaPure®, a finely milled, high-quality vegan protein powder from Chile, Taiyo provides a new formulation for their Vegan Protein Shake. The chia protein makes the mouthfeel much smoother and Taiyo's ingredients: Sunfiber®, Raw Coffee Powder and SunActive® Zinc deliver added nutritional value. The concept can be used for ready-to-drink shakes or pro24

tein-enriched ice cream, and is available in three different flavours.

The third innovation Taiyo is presenting is the Sunfiber® Water Concept. With this novelty, Taiyo addresses different target groups, including the ageing population. This generation often does not consume enough water or vital nutrients.

This unique concept, however, allows for the production of isotonic drinks that contain less sugar and additional dietary fibre, allowing for much higher bioavailability of minerals. It is also possible to customize such beverages by adding more active ingredients such as Q10 or curcumin, depending on the target group.

For example, children or athletes could benefit from the Sunfiber® Water Concept, as these groups are dependent on a targeted nutrient intake.

Other highlights at the Taiyo stand include the various Sunfiber® Blends with different added health benefits, as well as Moringa, a standardised leaf powder with 1% glucomoringin that has anti-inflammatory properties, and new concepts surrounding the pea-based meat alternative Vegemeat for various consumer groups.

Dr Stefan Siebrecht, Managing Director at Taiyo’s German subsidiary, says: "The Corona crisis has had a major

impact on consumers interest in healthy eating. More and more people are questioning the ingredients in a product, and increasingly want natural and plant-based alternatives. Taiyo presents solutions and products with which the industry can meet these demands.

About Taiyo GmbH Taiyo GmbH is a pioneer in the research and manufacture of functional ingredients for the food, beverage, medical food and pharmaceutical industries.

Taiyo focuses on the development of innovative ingredients derived from natural sources to support health. Since its foundation in 1946, Taiyo has established itself as a leader in the development and production of emulsi¬fiers, stabilizers, egg and tea-based ingredients, and highly functional ingredients for the food and pharmaceutical industries. Today, Taiyo manufactures more than 2000 food formulations, processed eggs, fruit preparations, fla¬vorings, emulsifiers, stabilizers and functional ingredients at various manufacturing facilities around the world.

With its own Research and Application Competence Centre (Taiyo RACE), Taiyo GmbH is able to create new and innovative formulations based on its most recent studies.

Exclusive on Mangoes

Mango, the world's most popular fruit

by Professor Dr. Noor Ahmed Memon, Dadabhoy Institute of Higher Education

Known as the king of fruits, mango is one of the most popular, nutritionally rich fruits with unique flavour, fragrance and taste, In addition to being sumptuous, pulpy and amazing, mangoes pack a host of health benefits too. They are rich in potassium and magnesium and are a great remedy for high blood pressure.

Widely cultivated in Sindh and Punjab, the aromatic pulpy fruit is easily one of the most popular seasonal delicacies not just in Asia but also in the West.

Mangoes are one of the major agricultural exports of Pakistan with high demand all across the world.

Mango arrives in the market in early May and is generally available till the end of September. Although this rich and tropical fruit is grown in over 100 countries, Pakistan remains its fourth-largest producer in the world. As of right now, the country is producing about 1.8 million tons of mangoes, of which approximately 6% are exported. Mango is also the national fruit of Pakistan.

Good taste with extreme nutritious Eating mango is really beneficial for health as only one cup of the sliced fruit contains 1.4 grams of protein and 2.6 grams of dietary fibre. It also contains copper, folate, potassium, magnesium and manganese along with vitamins A,

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B5, B6, C, E and K. Mangoes are also high in antioxidants and packed with immunity-boosting nutrients.

Further nutritional benefits of mangoes include protection against macular degeneration and respiratory diseases. It also lowers the risk of certain types of cancer and strengthens bone health, according to some research studies.

Eating mangoes is also good for digestion, reduces the risk of hypertension and works wonders for skin and hair.

So, even if you aren’t a huge fan of this delicious food, try to incorporate it in your diet in the form of smoothies or dessert at the very least.

Export statistics According to a report published in a local newspaper, the country exported about 66,000 tons of mangoes in 2017, earning about PKR 5.9 billion. In 2018, the figure rose slightly to 77,000 tons. It is important to mention the yearly mango export from Pakistan is just a fraction of the total yield. This year, the country is hoping to export around 100,000 tons of mangoes, which will contribute about USD 80 million to the economy.

According to the table shown below, the export of mangoes throughout the world has increased by 26.5%. The export statistics of frozen mango and mango pulp are also shown in the table.

Country-wise Export of Mango Pulp (Major Countries) Quantity: Tonnes Value: Rs. Million 2020-21 Country Quantity Value Afghanistan

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18

Australia

17

6

Belgium

17

2

Ireland

--

--

Kazakstan

200

29

Libya

2260

277

Netherlands

14

2

Turkey

604

76

Source: Pakistan Bureau of Statistics.

China-Pakistan cooperation in mango production Chinese and Pakistani experts are trying to find opportunities for cooperation to improve mango production in Pakistan by using advanced facilities and technology. “With our advanced facility agriculture, I believe that if there is an opportunity for cooperation, we will be able to systematically improve the reduction of mango production in Pakistan due to extreme weather,” said Wang Yan, General Manager of Yangling Qingpita Garden Dragon fruit Demonstration Base, in an interview with Chinese media.

He said that once the water and fertilizer integrated greenhouse is built; the service life is generally more than 15 years, with high economic benefits.

Exclusive on Mangoes

“With global warming, extreme weather is likely to occur more frequently in the future, a long-term stable growth environment can fundamentally minimize the damage caused by natural disasters.

In addition, application of organic fertilizers to increase soil organic matter is also a top priority because extreme weather can also cause serious damage to the topsoil.

Country-wise Export of Mango (Major Countries) Quantity: Tonnes Value: Rs. Million Country

2020-21

2019-20

Quantity

Value

Quantity

Value

U.A.E

42,974

4,676

36,524

4,552

U.K

12,151

4,152

14,576

2,512

Oman

11,216

1,354

10,380

1,566

“If we can work together with Iron Brother, we will start with the greenhouse and soil, and achieve a two-pronged approach. Considering the relative high cost of integrated greenhouse, building a simple rain shelter with steel wire and plastic film can be a good choice for local farmers. When the weather is fine, the shelter can be removed, and in case of extreme weather such as storms and hail, they can unfold the ‘umbrella’ made of plastic film. This low-cost method can effectively protect the trees.”

Germany

1,735

513

2,443

323

Saudi Arabia

Regarding the abuse of fertilizers and pesticides in Pakistan, Wang Yan also put forward her own opinions.

“In fact, the extensive use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides can cause fruit to spoil easily. Therefore, we must reduce the use of chemical fertilizers so organic

4,697

953

7,862

1,339

China

20

4

36

7

Italy

557

171

742

141

Hong Kong

101

30

623

100

Bahrain

1,797

310

1,873

277

Belgium

65

21

411

79

Canada

730

357

1,503

280

Ireland

239

74

219

42

Kazakhstan

40,204

4,042

5,606

777

Malaysia

417

105

537

95

Norway

1,172

419

1,184

238

Qatar

5,153

872

3,940

559

Sweden

5,078

147

779

116

Switzerland

291

80

307

47

Japan

383

164

405

61

All others

26,882

4,149

22,980

3,478

Total

155,862

22,593

112,930

16,589

Source: Pakistan Bureau of Statistics.

March - April 2022

27

Exclusive on Mango

farming methods such as fermented farmyard manure and returning straw to the field are worthy of promotion, by which can also effectively cope with the high price and shortage of local fertilizers.

We are very willing to share our experience with the Pakistani friends.”

Pakistani farmers are desperately in need of modern orchard management techniques. Mohammad Rafi, a mongo grower, said that there was a dire need of introducing modern techniques for producing mangoes, which could double per acre produce within five years.

“If the government can offer support, the average grower can increase per hectare production from 12 tons to 22-25 tons by focusing on modern orchard management practices.”

Except for planting technology, Wang Yan also proposed by-product processing as a useful way to improve industrial development level and increase income.

“As a cash crop, mangoes have extremely high processing value. Juice, jam, dried fruit, fruit tea and other products are very popular. If the cooperation between China and Pakistan is realized, we will also fully share the supporting technology of processing by-products. I believe that with modern management 28

technology, the Pakistani mango industry will get out of the predicament and usher in new opportunities.”

In the Yangling Agricultural Hi-tech Industries Demonstration Zone in Shaanxi Province, which is located in the temperate zone with little water in north-western China, mangoes, as a kind of tropical and subtropical fruit, have been harvested for three consecutive years.

Among our three best varieties, a variety with smaller fruit has a yield of about 1.3 tons per mu (0.067 hectare), and the other two varieties with larger fruit has the yield between 1.5-2 tons per mu. In addition, they all have a strong resistance to disease and cold, said Wang Yan.

Pakistani Mangoes in Chinese market The first consignment of Pakistani mangoes of the present season will be transported by air cargo service in Kunming, the capital city of China’s South-Western Yunnan province.

According to Adnan Hafeez, director of Imperial Ventures (Pvt) Ltd, the shipment comprising 3-4 tons of Sindhri mangoes are likely to arrive on May 28.

The Pakistani mangoes would be sold in the market after custom clearance and necessary certifications by the relevant Chinese authorities, he added. “The Farm’s Choice” an indigenous premium fruit brand operation by Imperial Ventures Private Limited has been extensively working on promotion and marketing of Pakistani Mango in China since last six years and has seen positive growth trend.

This year, the projected export of mangoes from Pakistan to China is set to touch 100 tons, which is almost 100 percent increase from last year. However, the recent wave of Covid-19 in China could affect the outcome.

Pakistan's mango production is expected to decline by around 50% this year, as the crop has been severely hit by unusually high temperatures and water shortages, the chief of a growers' and exporters' association said.

Issues with Pakistan's mango production Pakistan witnessed an extreme heatwave recently, with temperatures in the south crossing 50 degrees Celsius (122 degrees Fahrenheit). The south Asian nation had jumped from winter to summer without experiencing a spring,

Exclusive on Mango

according to the country's Climate Change Ministry.

"The heatwave has affected the crop greatly because the temperature in March was 28, 29 degrees Celsius - but all of a sudden it hit 42," said Waheed Ahmed, head of the Pakistan Fruit and Vegetable Exporters, Importers and Merchants Association. He said the heat at the time of the flowering of mango trees affected production greatly, adding that Pakistan was facing a 50% drop in mango production this year as a result. Though the heat ripens the succulent yellow fruit, the untimely early rise in temperatures, coupled with water shortages, have badly affected the crop.

Another concern is the water shortage. When the unripened fruit is ready it requires water which helps the mango grow to a good size. Since there is no water in Sindh, so it adds another issue in the line.

Pakistan is the world's fifth largest producer of mangoes after India, China, Thailand and Indonesia. Pakistan's average mango production is nearly 1.8 million tonnes, but likely to be around half that this year, he said, adding the association has cut is export target by 25,000 tonnes compared with last year to 125,000 tonnes.

Challenges in exports Exports of Fruits reduced by 5% from USD 156 million to USD 147 million and vegetable reduced from USD 129 million to USD 115 million in Q3 FY 2022 .

Pakistan’s fruit and vegetable payments from importers in Russia and Ukraine got stuck-up after the outbreak of war. The exporters who export Kinnow & Potato to Russia & Ukraine have been severely hit by this conflict. The payments from

Russia have been stuck up due to sanctions on Russia and now the exporters are facing liquidity problems. If the war further prolongs, this issue of payment would be further deepened. A Financial Mechanism is needed urgently to resolve this serious issue. Apart from the payment issue, the horticulture exporters claim that the export proceeds is required to be remitted to Pakistan against E-forms within a time frame of 120 days, however under the prevailing war conditions, it is more likely that the exporters are unable to meet this time frame as the E-Forms which are now “overdue” would lead to various other problems.

Export statistics showed zero export of wheat from Pakistan to the world.

Pakistan is currently importing wheat from Ukraine, Russia and Germany. The wheat crop has recorded historic high production of 27.3 million tonnes showing an increase of 8.1 % over the 25.2 million tonnes production of last year. During 2020-21, the area under cultivation increased by 4.2 %to 9,178 thousand hectares over last year’s sown area of 8,805 thousand hectares.

March - April 2022

29

Pakistan harvested a record rice crop of 8.9 million tonnes in 2021-22 Rice occupies 2.5 million hectare that is 10.9% of the total cultivated area with production of 5.1 million tonnes of milled rice. In Pakistan’s agrarian economy rice plays multifarious roles. Firstly, it is a second staple food and contributes more than 2 million tonnes to our national food requirement.

Secondly, the rice industry is an important source of employment and income for rural people. Thirdly, it contributes to the country’s foreign exchange exchequer. For instance, during 19992000 about 2 million tonnes of rice worth 26 billion rupees was exported.

The barter trade on the Afghanistan border was in addition to this export. The significance of this commodity in our economy is evident from the above facts.

30

Therefore, it is imperative to focus on the efforts needed to further improve its competitiveness in the international market.

In Pakistan, rice is grown under diverse climatic and edaphic conditions.

Basmati predominates in traditional rice.

Rice production (000 Tonnes)

Exclusive on Rice

In Swat (zone 1) at high altitude mountain valleys, temperate Japonica rice is grown. In the South of NWFP, Sindh, and Balochistan (zones 3 and 4) IRRI-type long-grain heat-tolerant tropical kinds of rice are grown.

Area Production and Yield of Rice Area Year

Production

Yield

(000 Hectare)

% Change

(000 Tonnes)

2016-17

2,724

-

6849

-

2514

-

Rice production in Pakistan

2017-18

2901

6.5

7450

8.8

2568

2.1

Pakistan harvested a record rice crop of 8.9 million tonnes in the 2021-22 marketing year, up from 8.4 million tonnes the prior year, according to a Global Agricultural Information Network report from the Foreign Agricultural Service of the US Department of Agriculture (USDA).

2018-19

2810

-3.1

7202

-3.3

2563

-0.2

2019-20

3034

8.0

7414

2.9

2444

-4.6

2020-21(P)

3335

9.9

8419

13.6

2524

3.3

“New higher-yielding hybrid rice varieties, improved agronomic practices, and increased planting area, as farmers shift out of cotton, are factors driving the increased production,” the USDA said.

The agency noted that the Pakistan government’s policy of ensuring rice growers had adequate inputs also contributed to the record production.

Meanwhile, the country’s rice exports in 2020-21 (November-October) were

March - April 2022

% Change (Kgs/Hec.) % Change

P: Provisional Source: Pakistan Bureau of Statistics stagnant at 3.8 million tonnes, virtually unchanged from the previous year, the report said. Supply chain disruptions, shipping container shortages, and high transportation costs negatively impacted rice exports.

With this year’s record production adding more stocks, the total available supply is estimated to be 11 million tonnes, the USDA said. “Domestic rice consumption is 3.7 million tonnes, leaving an exportable supply of 7.3 million tonnes for 2021-22,” the USDA said. “This large

surplus will provide an opportunity to significantly increase exports, but Pakistani rice will continue to face stiff competition from India and Southeast Asia suppliers.”

Rice export Exports of Rice have shown remarkable performance during Q3 FY 2022. An increase in the export of Rice (1006) has been noticed. Pakistan's rice export share in Saudi Arabia and UAE is approximately one-fifth of total Rice export earnings.

31

Exclusive on Rice

The demand for Rice in these countries was mainly for Basmati Rice and very little or no demand for non-Basmati varieties.

Pakistan’s main Rice export markets are China, Kenya, United Arab Emirates, Afghanistan, and Saudi Arabia. Pakistan’s non-basmati rice is largely exported to African countries, where it faces competition mainly from India in terms of crop availability and pricing. Basmati exports are still hovering a little over 1 MMT, just over 20 % of the total. In the past year, continuing devaluation of the Pakistani rupee against the dollar has helped Pakistani rice’s competitiveness in world markets. Farmers and SMEs in the sector are eligible to receive government-supported credit programs. In addition, the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) provides loans to traders under an Export Financing Scheme (EFS). The only other major government involvement in the rice

Prospects Pakistan’s economy enjoyed a strong recovery following measures taken by the government to mitigate the adverse socio-economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. Pakistan's GDP growth is projected to grow to 4% in FY2022 as the government applies measures to reduce the current account deficit and raise international reserves. During Q3 Jan-March FY 2021-22, economic indicators have mostly signaled positive economic momentum. On the production side, agricultural output, mainly Wheat, Sugarcane, Rice, and Cotton are expected to increase during 2022, reflecting better weather conditions. Similarly, large-scale manufacturing growth rose to 7.8 percent and remittances were USD 7.14 billion during Q3 FY 2022.

Recommendation for Enhancing Production

tations for a growing exportable surplus,

To meet the ever-growing domestic needs of food and enhance exports and achieve sustainability and stability of rice production the following research areas would receive priority

exports in 2022/2023 are projected at 5

(a) Varietal Improvement

sector is R&D on rice varieties, extension services, and promoting Pakistan-branded basmati in overseas markets. With expec-

MMT. Through the first three months of the 2021/22 local marketing year, the export pace was 13 % above the previous year, and the 2021/22 export forecast has increased to 4.5 million tons.

32

A quantum jump in rice production was achieved in the sixties by large-scale adoption of high-yielding semi-dwarf varieties. Since the development of this plant type, there is a marginal increase in

rice production. To achieve another quantum jump in rice production, the following varietal improvement strategies are being proposed: i. ii.

Modification of plant architecture.

Development of hybrid rice technology. iii. Wide-hybridization. (b) Soil and Nutrient Management To develop appropriate management practices, and sustain soil fertility and high yields, it is vital to understand the kinetics, transformation, and interaction of essential nutrients in rice and other crops grown in rice-based cropping systems. The inclusion of legumes in the rice-based systems would be one of the options to sustain soil fertility. There is also a need to increase nutrient use efficiency, minimize fertilizer losses and increase the use of biofertilizers. (c) Integrated Pest Management I.

Develop techniques for the conservation of biocontrol agents in rice and rice-based cropping systems.

II. Develop pesticide reduction technology for the management of insects, weeds, rodent pests, etc.

III. Screening and evaluation of rice germplasm under greenhouse and field conditions for resistance to major insect pests.

IV. Develop cultural control methods for different categories of pests.

Chilli growers cry as substandard seeds, fertilisers singe yields

by Jan Khaskheli Small chilli farmers from Umerkot, Tharparkar, Mirprkhas and Badin districts are facing colossal losses as substandard seeds, poor quality of pesticides and adulterated fertilisers have played havoc on yields.

Rs60,000-Rs70,000 per acre for my own four acre piece of family land. I was expecting to earn through this precious crop, as usual- but all was in vain due to receiving low yield against expectations,” he said disappointedly.

modity at the trader-set low rates.

Farmers bought expensive seeds available in the market, and like most years, the seeds were not up to mark.

They lamented government apathy and lack of regulation in this regard.

Many growers at Runn tributary, flowing from major Mithrao canal also spent huge amounts on purchasing seeds for their lands, but they too faced heavy losses on account of low yields.

Current chilli rate is Rs12,000Rs13,000/bag, but unfortunately producers cannot benefit much from this price due to low yields.

Plant health was questionable at the nurseries, where the seedlings usually develop in February to March.

Transplantation starts at the end of April and continues in early May, farmers explained.

Normally, farmers earn Rs300,000Rs500,000/acre, depending on the market situation. However, this year, these farmers hardly received Rs20,000Rs25,000/per acre when they sold chillies in the market.

A majority of chilli farmers belong to the same areas where last year’s ravaging rain flood in September destroyed standing crops, leaving nothing behind.

As per growers, some particular dealers were providing hybrid seeds under dubious labels in the market. Each packet of seeds was priced between Rs1,800Rs2,200, each acre requires 10 packets of seeds. So, farmers spend Rs20,000Rs30,000 on seeds per acre. Other input costs that the farmers bear are for chemicals, tractor and labour.

Muhammad Sadiq, a grower of Kaloi, Tharparkar district bought chilli seeds between Rs1,800 and Rs2,200/packet this year.

He sowed chilli on four acres of family land following the standard process, as usually starting with seedling nursery and transplantation. However, he faced low germination rate, slow growth of the plants, and low yield.

“Like other farmers, I spent around March April 2022

Ghulam Hussain, another farmer of the same area, said there was fear when it rained in June this year, as farmers remembered last year’s losses after the floods in September. To avoid huge losses, farmers sold the perishable com-

“We sold our produce for Rs5,000Rs7,000/bag, as traders set low rates, pleading rain damage,” he explained.

Those bags were stocked by traders in wait for higher market rates.

Under normal circumstances, farmers get around 250-300 maund fresh chilli or above per acre. After processing and drying, they save 80-100 maund for the market.

This year, only 10-20 maunds per acre were harvested from the chilli plants, which farmers pin on substandard seeds.

Hajan Leghari, another farmer from Jhudo said his family cultivated chilli on four acres of land but could not recover the cost of cultivation. “We got hardly two or three harvests instead of five-six in normal crops,” he added.

Chilli growers in parts of Kunri, Kaloi, Jhudo, Samaro and Badin district, which are known chilli producing areas, have been protesting against companies selling substandard seeds.

Some growers quote Seed (Amendment) Act 2015, which guaran-

33

Fruits Exclusive on Chillis

tees provision of authorised seeds by registered companies. But practically there is a gap at the implementation level, and certain powerful businessmen in the seed industry sell unregistered products.

Farmers in Sindh have been crying out against these violations for several years, but the government has not taken any action against violators. They demand the provincial government authorities to at least keep vigil over dealers involved in selling seeds, pesticides and fertilisers.

Chilli Growers Association Chairman Mian Saleem, based in Kunri- the main chilli market, confirmed this, and said, “There is no check and balance by the government authorities to see how farmers are being exploited at the hands of certain seed dealers.”

Exact data about the losses was missing, he said, adding that chilli growers were experiencing various problems in terms of marketing their products, and “issues like substandard seeds, fertilisers and pesticides have further intensified the situation”.

Farmers believe a wider network was involved in the trade of spurious seeds, packaged under different hybrid labels.

34

They said chilli takes at least seven

It was time to sow wheat now. Last

months to mature and reach the market,

year, wheat cultivation started in October,

starting from preparation of seedlings in

but this year farmers have been waiting

nurseries to transplantation and labour, all

to vacate the land and the next immedi-

of which has an input cost.

ate crop cultivation might get delayed.

Exclusive on Tate & Lyle

Tate & Lyle reveals key global consumer trends driving food and beverage product innovation Tate & Lyle PLC (Tate & Lyle), a leading global provider of food and beverage solutions and ingredients, is pleased to unveil six key trends that are shaping consumer product innovation in the food and beverage market both today and tomorrow.

Consumers today expect more from their favourite brands, not only offering them products that are healthier and tastier, but which have been produced in a responsible and sustainable way.

Beth Nieman Hacker, Market Research Director at Tate & Lyle, said: “By understanding how values, behaviours 36

and appetites are changing, and the drivers behind these shifts, food and beverage brands can launch products that meet the needs of consumers today and better anticipate how these will evolve.”

Tate & Lyle’s global market research team has conducted its own proprietary consumer research, studied hundreds of research papers and data points and, together with Tate & Lyle’s commercial teams worldwide, has identified the following key trends driving consumer purchases:

Exclusive & Lyle Exclusive on on Tate MULTIVAC

Transparency Increasing numbers of consumers are seeking healthy food and beverage products they can trust and want to know the source of the ingredients in those products. The clean label movement continues to evolve, moving from all-natural claims to communicating how products are made.

Plant-Based Consumers are focused on health and sustainability, opting for products that are better for them and better for the planet.

They are drawn to products that are plant-based because positive health outcomes and environmental impacts are associated with plant-based eating.

Sugar reduction Consumers are looking for ways to get healthy and stay healthy. One recommendation to achieve better health is to reduce the amount of sugar in their diet.

However, consumers are torn between reducing sugar and maintaining a great taste experience.

Gut Health Globally, consumers are not getting enough fibre daily. Fibre helps support gut health and consumers are interested in getting more of it in their diet. As

January - February 2022

awareness of gut health and the benefits a healthy gut can provide continues to grow, more consumers will look for products with gut health benefits.

products are an obvious choice to meet consumers' health needs.

Convenience

Natalya Bright, Market Research Manager, at Tate and Lyle, said: “These global trends play to Tate & Lyle’s strengths as an ingredient provider, with our wide range of responsibly-sourced, almost exclusively plant-based solutions that are label-friendly and support healthy living.

Consumers are digitally connected and time poor, seeking ease, efficiency, and instant gratification from the products they buy, including food and beverages. Whilst convenient products meet the needs of global consumers amidst their busier, more stressful lives, this presents formulation challenges for manufacturers.

Better-for-you snacking Snacking is an important meal occasion; however, consumers are prioritising their health. “Better-for-you” snacking

Consumer enjoying food

“Since millions of people across the world consume products containing our ingredients every day, the heart of our business is about Improving Lives for Generations, and we’re proud to partner with our customers to do just that while helping them to succeed in the marketplace.”

37

Exclusive on MULTIVAC

Networked, reliable and efficient: a new dimension in tray packaging Whether it is gourmet hamburgers, filled chicken breast, beef and poultry kebabs or even veggie kebabs, pork fillets or asparagus in bacon quality, innovation and appetizing appearance are always the first priority at Premier Custom Foods. The ethos of the food producer based in Kansas City is to transform highquality raw materials into innovative food products, to rethink the concept of taste, and to constantly surprise consumers with new ideas.

38

The team around CEO Patrick Williams has collectively more than 100 years of experience in the food industry.

Production at the company's headquarters in Kansas City is carried out with state-of-the-art technology on a site covering 42,000 square meters. The company offers a wide range of products: tender chicken breast with a wide variety of fillings, marinated or on skewers with peppers and onions. High-quality beef, as Caribbean-inspired beef fillets, or as

kebabs and burgers, or stuffed with green peppers. Pork cutlets: natural, filled or encased in bacon. And vegetables such as asparagus, potatoes or jalapeno peppers are also redefined with tasty bacon and cheese.

Patrick Williams explains: “We want to do precisely what the large market players in our sector cannot do. Thanks to our lean organization and very manageable company size, we are extremely flex-

Exclusive on MULTIVAC

ible and can therefore bring product innovations to the market in a relatively short period of time. With all the passion that we have for food. And with a systematic focus on our customers.”

And the packaging process?

Designed for the future.

Since March 2021 products such as burgers, ground meat and cuts of beef and poultry have been packed on a traysealer of the new X-line machine generation, the TX 720. “We already used T 600 traysealers from MULTIVAC in our production. But this machine model was not sufficient for the high cycle rates and special requirements that we needed for our newer applications,” says the CEO. The company therefore decided to purchase for the Kansas City site a TX 720 model of the new machine generation.

Patrick Williams believes they have made the perfect choice, thanks to the high level of pack and process quality, and in particular the performance features of the machine. “And last but not least, the footprint and compact design of the TX 720 also played an important role, since we only have limited space available.”

The consistently high quality of the MAP packs made a particularly good March - April 2022

impression. This is because the innovative dies on the traysealer, the so-called Xtools, distribute the sealing forces very evenly over every tray, and this in turn ensures that a uniform and reliable packaging result is always achieved. Die recognition by means of RFID technology makes die changes even easier and more reliable, ensuring that the process is always smooth. Frequent format changes, so typical of traysealers, can be carried out in less than five minutes. If the associated racking and preheating systems are used, the die can be preheated to the required production temperature, allow-

ing the TX 720 to be available for producing the next product immediately after the format change. Another important factor: At Premier Custom Foods around ten different types of burgers are packed in trays under modified atmosphere. The shelf life of these delicate products has to be guaranteed for 18 days.

Intelligent technology for real added value The intelligent machine control of the TX 720 with Flow Manager and Multi Sensor Control makes a major contribution to handling the different packaging 39

tasks with the greatest possible flexibility, speed and reliability. Even at maximum output and in non-stop mode.

All of the partial processes, such as pack infeed, sealing and pack discharge, are perfectly synchronized with each other, and this creates a dynamic process, which is very gentle on the product and provides an extremely even product flow.

A high-performance L 300 conveyor belt labeler from MULTIVAC was also integrated into the line for efficient top/bottom labelling of the packs at the same high cycle output.

And last but not least, the MultiTouch machine control with its HMI 3 user interface makes operation easy thanks to animations and pre-settings, as

well as quick-access and overview pages even for less skilled machine operators.

Digitalization - Driving force par excellence The investment in the new MULTIVAC traysealer was more than a logical outcome for Premier Custom Foods.

“When it comes to our top-quality products and manufacturing technology, we stake everything on innovation and preparation for the future. In our opinion, the TX 720 is currently the best machine for our existing and future requirements,” says Patrick Williams summarizing the company's decision.

Thanks to its comprehensive sensor system, the traysealer offers many differ-

ent benefits: The digital link enables MULTIVAC's Smart Services to be accessed from any location, and these cloud-based services and web applications provide access to process data and operating parameters from MULTIVAC, as well as a wealth of expert knowledge from the machine manufacturer. These include Smart Production Dashboard, Smart Data Backup, Smart Machine Report, Smart OEE and Log Analyzer, as well as MULTIVAC Pack Pilot.

These groundbreaking tools offer information about the current production status, and they also enable the packaging process to be monitored and optimized, as well as detecting bottlenecks and faults - and they even support operators in creating new recipes. If the TX is connected to MULTIVAC Pack Pilot, the packaging machine is already set to the optimum level, when production is started. The automatic configuration wizard provides assistance when setting the operating parameters, ensuring that good pack results are achieved from the very start of production. This also leads to significant savings as regards product, packaging materials and production time.

Thanks to the TVI skewering machine, the production of kebabs is more than efficient In order to ensure that its kebab production is a highly efficient process, Premier Custom Foods also relies on a

40

Exclusive on MULTIVAC

skewering machine from TVI, which has been part of the MULTIVAC Group since 2017. According to Patrick Williams, kebabs are always a particular challenge, and a consistently high skewering quality is a precondition for sales success.

“Poultry meat in particular is very delicate and also extremely critical due to its consistency. The optimum balance throughout all the process stages has always previously involved a high level of effort and therefore also increased costs. The more compact beef on the other hand can be formed and processed much more easily.”

Since June 2021 an ASR 300 multipick has been in operation together with a T 600 traysealer. The skewering machine performs the task of feeding in the skewers and trays, as well as attaching the products and loading them into the trays.

Round skewers, paddle skewers or steel skewers are separated automatically and reliably. The robot then grips 12 skewers at a time and places the individual product components onto the skewers according to the recipe sequence, and always in precisely the same way. These are then placed into the trays, which are automatically provided, before being conveyed away. The staff can concentrate solely on preparing and positioning the products, as well as correcting anything that may not be located properly.

Thanks to this automation, the effort required by staff is reduced significantly, and the productivity of the whole process is maximized.

Success all along the line Premier Custom Foods is extremely satisfied with the new solution. As one would expect. As both companies already enjoy many years of successful collaboration. Since 2015 this food producer has invested in a succession of different MULTIVAC traysealers and labelling systems, as well as a compact thermoforming packaging machine and a skewering machine.

Patrick Williams sums it up: “Excellent service, the best advice, optimum pack quality, maximum performance and a high level of machine availability.” This company in Kansas City also appreciates the ease of cleaning and the machines' accessibility for service and maintenance purposes.

“We also benefit greatly from preventative maintenance and the machines' general ease of maintenance. The MULTIVAC equipment was tailored precisely to our

requirements, and it guarantees us a long lifespan as well as the highest output and reliability.”

This is also a necessity, since the demand for the creative products from Premier Custom Foods is very high. The product range also continues to grow constantly. Customers always expect a special taste experience every time. “New flavors, innovative variety, seasonal highlights, and modern packaging concepts with attractive convenience features that is what consumers want today.”

This food producer also benefits from a trend, which continues to grow in importance, particularly in the USA: namely, convenience food such as marinated kebabs and filled chicken breast. The meals can be cooked easily and quickly, since additional ingredients and preparation are not required, and the cost and effort to create a delicious meal are simple and affordable.

March - April 2022

41

SIAL MIDDLE EAST 2022

SIAL Middle East 2022 The Ultimate Solution to all the Food and Beverage Industry The 11th edition of SIAL Middle East 2021 held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister, and Minister of Presidential Affairs, Chairman of Abu Dhabi Agriculture and Food Safety Authority (ADAFSA), His Excellency Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, Minister of Tolerance and Coexistence, inaugurated the 11th edition of SIAL Middle East 2021 exhibition. The first day event witnessed a wide turn out of local and international attendee at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (ADNEC).

His Excellency also inaugurated the 6th edition of the Abu Dhabi Date International Palm Exhibition, co-located and running alongside SIAL ME, which is hosted and organised by the Abu Dhabi 42

National Exhibitions Company (ADNEC) in partnership with COMEXPOSIUM.

in the food, beverage and hospitality sectors.

The opening ceremony was attended

by His Excellency Dr. Mugheer Khamis Al Khaili, Chairman of the Department of Community Development in Abu Dhabi, His Excellency Mohammed Ali Al Shorafa Al Hammadi, Chairman of the Department of Economic Development in Abu Dhabi, His Excellency Saeed Al Bahri Salem Al Ameri, Director-General of the Abu Dhabi Agriculture and Food Safety Authority, His Excellency Abdullah Mohammed Al Mazrouei, Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and Humaid Matar Al Dhaheri, Managing Director and Group CEO of the Abu Dhabi National Exhibitions Company, along with a number of officials, experts and specialists

His Excellency Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan visited the national pavilions and exhibiting companies, where he met various officials and leading experts from various industries. As part of his tour, His Highness was also briefed on the latest innovative products and services specialized in the food, beverage and hospitality sector.

His Excellency Saeed Al Bahri Salem Al Ameri, Director-General of the Abu Dhabi Agriculture and Food Safety Authority, said: “As a strategic and long-standing partner of this event, we are proud to witness the successful launch of the 11th edition of SIAL Middle East, one of the region’s largest food, beverage, and hospitality events. This event is truly an ideal

SIAL MIDDLE EAST 2022 Fruit Logistica

platform that brings together the leading entities and companies in the food, beverage and hospitality sector under one roof, and we are thrilled to see the creation of many exceptional investment opportunities in this edition.”

His Excellency added: “Our support for this strategic event is an integral part of our efforts to strengthen the UAE’s food security system and to maintain stability within its supply chains, whilst also stimulating investment in the sector and fostering collaboration between the public and private sectors.”

Humaid Matar Al Dhaheri, Managing Director and Group CEO of ADNEC and its group of subsidiaries, said: “As one of region’s largest specialised events dedicated to the food, beverage and hospitality sector, the 11th edition of SIAL Middle East highlights the exceptional growth witnessed by the sector.”

Al Dhaheri added: “The current edition of the exhibition is witnessing a tremendous turn out of wide local and international participation, with 450 exhibitors from 24 countries and 12 pavilions. These numbers highlights the global

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community’s confidence in Abu Dhabi’s capability to advance the developments of food, beverage and hospitality sector.

We have also seen new national companies make up 22% of total exhibitors, which further confirms the importance of SIAL as a leading platform to establish and amplify the UAE’s presence in the sector on a global scale.

“The 11th edition of the SIAL highlights the strategic role played by the Abu Dhabi National Exhibitions Company in leading and supporting the business tourism sector of Abu Dhabi, as it moves towards recovery. Our facilities, efforts, and commitment to ensuring a business confident environment showcases our readiness to hold events of any size, and augments our position as a leader in the exhibitions industry in the region and the world.”

SIAL Middle East is one of the most prominent regional platforms specialised in the food, beverage and hospitality sector. On its first day, the exhibition attracted a large number of sector experts and visitors keen to witness and be a part of the exhibition’s features and activities.

Abu Dhabi International Date Palm Exhibition (ADDPE) Co-located alongside the sixth edition of the Abu Dhabi International Date Palm Exhibition (ADDPE). Specialised in the date fruit, ADDPE is a one of a kind event that sees more than 80 local and international exhibitors and experts from the dates sectors come together. The event showcases date fruit, machineries, organic dates, cosmetics from dates, Date Tree, curing insects and date plants.

World Gourmet Show – Abu Dhabi Foodies from all over the UAE and the region can enjoy the inaugural launch of the World Gourmet Show – Abu Dhabi, which features Michelin star chefs and the best chefs in the capital delivering master classes, exciting competitions and demonstrations, as well as a spectacular display from the World Champion acrobatic pizza performer. The show also features a hydroponic garden, liquid lab and pizza kitchen.

Chef Aira Piva, Managing Director – Italian Hospitality Services, said: “It is so thrilling to have been a part of the first

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day of the 11th edition of SIAL Middle East and the inaugural World Gourmet Show Abu Dhabi. From visitors, participants to key exhibitors, this event offers a unique opportunity to meet with likeminded and passionate individuals and industry experts and to gain insights into the latest developments in the sector. I urge all of those interested in the food, beverage, and hospitality sector to visit this great event.”

“The World Gourmet Show – Abu Dhabi is also the perfect opportunity for those who are keen to see the world’s greatest chefs showcase their skills and mastery, and we are looking forward to welcoming many attendees to our stand over the next few days.”

‘The Hosted Buyer Program’ Businesspeople and exhibitors can participate in SIAL ME’s ‘The Hosted Buyer Program’, which seeks to foster and support supply chain partnerships.

Offering a private dedicated suite, Hosted Buyers will be able to source new products, develop new business, and meet with a selected batch of exhibitors through a series of engaging sessions.

UAE National Coffee Championships Coffee connoisseurs and enthusiasts can enjoy the reprise of the UAE National Coffee Championships, which are certified by World Coffee Events (WCE) and

sanctioned by the Specialty Coffee Association. Highlighting the meticulous craft of filter coffee brewing by hand, the UAE National Brewers Cup promotes the art of manual coffee brewing and baristas’ excellent levels of service, whereas the Cup Tasters Championship qualifies coffee cupper professionals for their speed, skill and accuracy.

UAE National Latte Art Grading Battle Latte fanatics can enjoy the best baristas in the region battle it out at the 2022 UAE National Latte Art Grading Battle, where participants are competing for industry acclaim, amazing prizes, and the opportunity to represent the UAE at the World Latte Art Grading Battle in Milan in October next year.

SIAL Innovation The latest and greatest in food and beverage innovation are on display at SIAL Innovation. The event’s unique platform for the world’s most creative and inventive products is open exclusively for exhibitors and judged by XTC World Innovation. The most novel products in the foodservice, retail and food industry will be awarded the innovation award and gain the opportunity to be displayed at SIAL events worldwide.

SIAL MIDDLE EAST 2022 This year, SIAL ME witnessed an increase of 10% in the number of UAE exhibition companies that has reached to 44

SIAL MIDDLE EAST 2022

76 exhibitors. Additionally, the total space of UAE pavilions increased to 3,373 square meters, which represent growth of 54% compared to last edition.

Hosted Buyer Program With the support of Abu Dhabi Agriculture and Food Safety Authority (ADAFSA), 550 pre-qualified, fully hosted F&B buyers from 50 countries attended SIAL Middle East 2021, with the purpose of sourcing new products, meeting with suppliers and developing new business.

National Coffee The specialty coffee industry is a key part of the region’s rapidly expanding food and beverage industry and to strengthen the incredible growth of the speciality coffee scene in the Middle East, three official competitions, certified by World Coffee Events (WCE) and sanctioned by the Specialty Coffee Association will take place at SIAL Middle East.

World Gourmet Show Michelin star chefs and the best chefs in Abu Dhabi will deliver cooking masterclasses across a range of current themes, competitors will go head-to-head to win

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prizes and the World Champion acrobatic pizza performer will show us his skills live on each day of the show!

Abu Dhabi Date Palm Exhibition The date fruit is synonymous to Northern Africa and the Middle East

Sia Innovation Innovation is the DNA of SIAL events worldwide, and Middle East is no exception. The SIAL Innovation Area showcases the world’s most innovative products, guaranteeing an experience for attendees to learn about upcoming trends in the food and beverage sector.

region. Having said that, there is no better place than Abu Dhabi to host Abu Dhabi Date Palm Exhibition (ADDPE), the world’s only dedicated B2B event for date palm fruit. ADDPE will be co-located with SIAL Middle East, the region’s fastestgrowing food, beverage, and hospitality event.

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IPACK-IMA 2022

The triennial IPACK-IMA is one of the main hubs for the processing and packaging sector.

A complete, cross-cutting range of offerings catering for the entire mass market and consumer durables industries IPACK-IMA is a system exhibition showcasing each step of the production chain: from processing to packaging, from design to innovative materials, from labelling to end-of-line, from automation to digitization. With over 74,000 visitors, IPACK-IMA is the international reference event for market professionals and a privileged meeting place for the buyers of the food and non-food industry. An unmatched appointment in Milan that 46

will mark the real restart for all the represented sectors.

PHARMINTECH and IPACK-IMA together in Milan in 2022 Ipack Ima and Pharmintech announce an innovative collaboration that will see the 2022 edition of Pharmintech Exhibition organized in conjunction with IPACK-IMA in Milan from May 3-6, 2022.

“Lombardy is one of the most important hubs in Europe for the pharmaceuti-

cal industry. - declares Sergio Dompé, President of Pharmintech 2022 - In this area are concentrated the production, the Contract Development sector and the Manufacturing Organizations, which represent a global reference point for the entire industry. Milan is the capital of this productive and research ecosystem.

Internationally connected thanks to the main airports in northern Italy and with a hotel capacity suitable to host industry professionals from all over the world, Milan is the perfect location for Pharmintech".

IPACK-IMA 2022 Fruit Logistica

“We are very positive about this collaboration - comments Valerio Soli, President of Ipack Ima srl - which we consider strategic to better answer to the needs of the sector and its related industries with a single exhibition moment specifically built on the demand for processing & packaging technologies and which integrates perfectly in the development strategy of IPACK-IMA ".

"We have defined this innovative collaboration - adds Antonio Bruzzone, General Manager of BolognaFiere - to give continuity to the Pharmintech project. We are convinced that a collaborative approach among major exhibition organizers is the best strategy to increase the competitiveness of our brands".

Pharmaceutical, parapharmaceutical, nutraceutical but also cosmeceutical, medical devices and biotechnology are the priority targets of the next edition of Phramintech powered by Ipack Ima, which will present the most advanced solutions for processing, packaging, instrumentation, clean rooms and applications for plant management, as well as digital and automation technologies

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applied to the sector, from IoT - Internet

Bruno, President of AFI - and immediately

of Things - to Artificial Intelligence sys-

we took the opportunity to renew the

tems and data governance.

collaboration that will be synergic also at

Renewed the sponsorship with AFI,

the AFI Symposium that will return in

Associazione Farmaceutici Industria,

presence from 8 to 10 June 2022 in

which will collaborate for the technical-

Rimini".

scientific coordination of the conferences

Pharmintech powered by Ipack Ima is

during the show. "We learned with inter-

therefore positioned at the heart of a pro-

est of the new project Pharmintech pow-

duction chain open to innovation, tech-

ered by Ipack Ima - highlights Giorgio

nology transfer and to the investments

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IPACK-IMA 2022

needed to meet the requirements of the Pharma 4.0 revolution. The exhibition offer will focus on process technologies, packaging solutions and materials in a renewed strategy of integrated production chain that includes automation, distribution, supply chain management and digital, enriched by an articulated program of events and special initiatives aimed at anticipating trends and innovation in the Life Science field.

The show will benefit from strong synergies and the added value of the contemporaneity with IPACK-IMA, scheduled on the same dates from May 3rd through 6th, 2022, the most awaited international event for industry operators regarding process technologies and packaging solutions and materials.

"It is important for us to be present in Italy, one of the world's leading countries

A complete system exhibition project and an appointment not to be missed for attractiveness and product consistency, with unique possibilities of 'cross-contamination' between different production sectors and which confirms Milan as a center of attraction at an international level for the manufacturing industry.

in the production of packaging technolo-

IPACK-IMA 2022 hosts the WorldStar global packaging Awards

non-food, are of the highest level, with

Innovation, international vision and sustainability for a global event devoted to industrial goods and FMCG manufacturers. IPACK-IMA 2022, scheduled at Fiera Milano from 3 to 6 May 2022 will host the prestigious event WorldStar competition, the Global Packaging Awards promoted by World Packaging Organisation (WPO).

gies and materials," says Pierre Pienaar President of WPO "Bringing our award to IPACK-IMA means highlighting innovation and design in a highly technological hub with strong international appeal. The applications we are collecting from producers from all over the world, food and unique ideas. The goal of the WorldStar Awards is to raise awareness of the importance of packaging and recognize the efforts of brand owners, manufacturers, designers and branding agencies in creating solutions that address new global challenges and trends such as sustainability, hygiene and safety."

"We are delighted to host at IPACKIMA 2022 an event of such importance,

which confirms the international attractiveness of the event. IPACK-IMA represents a crucial moment for suppliers of processing and packaging solutions at the service of a market that every day asks for more and more advanced technological solutions: a trade fair supporting a supply chain that needs to get back together and talk to its partners", adds Valerio Soli, Ipack Ima President.

IPACK-IMA will also celebrate the winners of the Best Packaging Awards 2022 organized by the Istituto Italiano Imballaggio (the Italian Packaging Institute) to highlight the innovation proposed by the Italian industry.

Today was also announced the next appointment of the program "On the road to IPACK-IMA", which resumes the networking activity addressed to international buyers and exhibitors. "Processing & Packaging Stories by Ipack Ima", scheduled in Dubai on November 8, will be a talk show, organized in collaboration with Packaging Mea, where Almarai, Della Toffola, Green Etichs, Spinneys, UCIMA and Unilever will take part.

An international vision consistent with the performance of the packaging machinery manufacturers' sector, whose turnover in 2020 stood at 7.81 billion.

The turnover developed abroad by Italian manufacturers is 78%, for a value of 6.8 billion, with shares in destination markets ranging from the European Union at 41%, followed by Asia, which accounts for 19.4%, and North America, in third place with 14.4%.

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EIMA INTERNATIONAL 2022

EIMA 2022: global market and Mediterranean agriculture The 45th edition of this major exhibition, scheduled in Bologna from 9 to 13 November, is a platform for innovation in agriculture. The spotlight will be on technologies for specialised and high added value crops typical of the Mediterranean area. The Agrilevante and Enoliexpo exhibitions are fully integrated with EIMA International.

The world market for agricultural machinery is growing in all the main countries. Sales of tractors in 2021 recorded increases of 10% in the United States (318 thousand units), 13% in India (900 thousand) and 17% in Europe (180 thousand). In the "old continent", the performance of the markets of the Mediterranean area was particularly strong, with Italy leading the way with a substantial +36%, the highest level since 2010. Double-digit progress was also March - April 2022

recorded in Turkey (+24%) and Greece (+32%), while Spain posted +9.3%, followed by France (+9.2%).

Despite the positive indicators in Southern Europe, the overall balance for the Mediterranean region must take into account the downturns seen in those North African countries that have not yet caught up with the recovery. In the absence of definitive data on sales in these markets, a significant indicator is that of import data in value, since local demand is mostly satisfied by the purchase of machinery from abroad. With the exception of Tunisia (+10%), all of North Africa saw a decline in imports in 2021. More substantial for Algeria (-34%) and Egypt (-11%), more contained for Morocco (-4.5%).

Data on Mediterranean countries, provided by FederUnacoma's Studies Office, were presented this afternoon by the federation's director general, Simona Rapastella, during a press conference held as part of the Enoliexpo exhibition. As she explained during the conference, last year's trend shows a "dual-speed Mediterranean".

However, future prospects are encouraging, since the typical products of this region - wine, oil and fruit and vegetable crops with high added value - are gaining more and more space, also due to new food consumption styles. Market analysts by Exportplanning forecast that between 2022 and 2025 imports of tractors to North African countries could grow 49

EIMA INTERNATIONAL Fruit Logistica 2022

significantly to meet the growing demand for technologies increasingly suited to specialised crops.

The Mediterranean region is therefore of strategic importance and should be encouraged both in its agricultural development trends and in the demand for mechanisation.

This demand increasingly involves new-generation technologies and advanced electronic systems that - as was highlighted during the conference - make it possible to better meet the challenges linked to the ecological transition, climate change and the

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optimal use of increasingly precious water and energy resources.

Trade fairs are the ideal place to monitor and encourage the development of agricultural mechanisation.

"A show like EIMA International, which offers the widest range of technologies and solutions for all agricultural needs, has always been attentive to Mediterranean production and specialised crops. With almost two thousand manufacturers and a public that in recent editions has reached about 300,000 visitors, the Bologna exhibition is one of the

world's reference events - said Rapastella - but it is not the only strategic event for the Federation.

Indeed, events such as Agrilevante, which will be back from 5 to 8 October 2023, and Enoliexpo, which will be held in Bari for the first time and is an initiative dedicated to operators in the olive oil and wine production chain, are becoming increasingly important". "These high-quality crops with high added value represent - Rapastella concluded - in some respects the very soul of the Mediterranean.”

Gulfood Manufacturing 2022

“Taste testing taps into the modernized speed of artificial intelligence” IBM gained notoriety after its artificial intelligence supercomputer Watson crushed its human competitors on the question and answer game show Jeopardy! more than a decade ago. But now the 111-year-old technology company is hoping to answer a tough question of its own: Can it give computers a sense of taste?

Four years ago, researchers at IBM set out to answer this question, starting first with a liquid that is largely free of taste and can be difficult for a human to tell apart: water. After the computer became familiarized with different water samples that had slight variations in composition due to their mineral content, it was put up against human competitors to see who could better identify a water sample it had seen before. The computer won.

"The [artificial intelligence] system was better than our human tasters at distinguishing specifically four different kinds of mineral water," said Patrick Ruch, the March - April 2022

lead researcher on IBM's artificial intelligence-assisted e-tongue technology called Hypertaste.

The circular-shaped disk undergoes its "taste test" by creating a digitized chemical composition of a liquid it has sampled.

The "fingerprint" is then compared with other liquids in a database using artificial intelligence — a process that takes less than a minute — to identify a match.

While Hypertaste is still a few years away from widespread commercial use, IBM is working with industry partners on different applications for it. These include collaborating with food and beverage companies to capture and predict different kinds of flavors, and to quickly identify coffee, soft drinks and other offerings that would resonate with consumers.

Hypertaste is not meant to replace human experts, Ruch said, but rather to offload some of the most mundane or difficult tasks, like repeated taste testing of a

product, to ensure quality remains the same from batch to batch. It also can be used to ensure authenticity, such as sussing out counterfeit wines or whiskeys, or to assist in product innovation by discovering new and different flavors.

Future applications for the technology could include finding contaminants in drinking water, tracing raw materials throughout the supply chain and checking for the presence of foodborne illnesses.

"The more people that are using it and can benefit from it and feed the data back into it, the better the technology will get," Ruch said.

Artificial intelligence is an increasingly popular tool for food companies. With countless bits of information and pressure to innovate and get products to market faster, companies are no longer just relying on traditional methods of R&D and testing.

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Gulfood Manufacturing 2016 2022

A 'major' competitive advantage The average human tongue has up to 8,000 taste buds that help distinguish the five tastes of sweet, sour, salty, bitter and umami. But how people actually taste the food is heavily influenced by the human nose. Not surprisingly, the two senses are closely connected. For example, the taste buds on the tongue determine if a food is sweet, while the nose determines what that sweet is connected to, like a strawberry or a grape.

Biotechnology company Aromyx estimated that while the average human nose can distinguish a trillion different odors, it often has difficulty deciphering the difference between these smells and tastes.

To solve this problem, Aromyx has turned to artificial intelligence. The company has cloned receptors found in the nose and tongue. Scientists then place something a consumer might taste, like a drop of coffee, on those cloned receptors before measuring how much they turn on — in effect replicating the reaction that occurs in the brain when a person takes a sip of his or her morning brew. "The ones we're working with definitely view this as a major competitive advantage for them." Josh Silverman CEO, Aromyx The process, done millions of times over, allows Aromyx to assemble a database for an outside R&D team to use when testing coffee. Based on how those receptors react in the future, a CPG could determine if consumers will enjoy a similar kind of coffee; how their reaction might differ based on things like demographics or even where they live; and why the person does or does not like it — say, because it has a floral flavor or a certain ingredient.

"Now, suddenly you can put that into numerical terms and make targeted recommendations around what products people would like, why they would like it and how to fix your product, how to make them taste better, or smell better to a particular group of people,” said Josh Silverman, Aromyx's CEO. Aromyx's database can detect the flavor and suggest what needs to be tweaked, and determine the ingredients 52

that should be added or subtracted for that to happen.

Silverman said one of the most popular uses for his platform is in sugar reduction. Many CPGs are reformulating ingredient mixes to cut back on the popular sweetener while working to maintain the same flavor found in the original product. Aromyx's database can detect what chemicals need to be changed once sugar is removed to get back closer to the original taste.

Silverman compared it to paint at a hardware store, where color is universal regardless of the location. Each location uses a machine to measure the customer's desired color and then to determine how much of each dye is needed to create that specific color by controlling the amount of red, green, and blue wavelength reflected by the paint.

"Instead of doing random trial and error or random walk through the chemical space, they actually have a direction, right?" he said of food companies. "They know what ingredients to change by how much. They can work their way intelligently towards the final solution instead of randomly. And that insight is hugely valuable to them."

The process, he said, can save millions of dollars in development costs while getting products to consumers faster — a huge advantage in a food space where competition is fierce and consumer trends are rapidly shifting.

An estimated 30,000 new food and beverage products are launched every year, and despite exhaustive research and testing spanning several months and years, the majority of them do not suc-

ceed. Nielsen found 85% of products in the CPG category typically fail within two years, providing companies with an impetus to look for new ways to give themselves any advantage they can.

"Large companies have realized how much money they are wasting on failed product launches. It comes back to a recognition that their internal data is just not accurate,” Silverman said. “If we can give them that same level of data on if the customer will like it or not without having to do the whole launch, market test, ... bring it back in house, redo it, all those things are hugely valuable to them.

That certainly has been a good selling proposition.”

Silverman said revenue at Aromyx has doubled each of the last three years, and the company closed its first Series A funding round at $10 million last summer to help it increase output. Business has been so brisk that the company is getting more business than it can handle, with a sixmonth backlog for new customers.

Silverman declined to say which food and beverage companies Aromyx is working with to protect any first-mover advantages they may have in the marketplace. Many of Aromyx's customers, he said, are hesitant to publicly acknowledge they are even working with his company. " 'We don't want to tell our competitors we're doing this because then they'll start doing it. We don't want you to get more popular, ' " he said, citing discussions he's had with his customers. "The ones we're working with definitely view this as a major competitive advantage for them."

FRUIT LOGISTICA 2022

Best business at FRUIT LOGISTICA 2022 The leading trade show for the global fresh produce business has relaunched after a one-year, pandemic-induced break, bringing together over 40,000 quality buyers and trade visitors from around 130 countries, and more than 2,000 exhibitors from 87 countries.

It was back to business from 5 to 7 April 2022 when Berlin turned into the capital of the global fresh fruit industry for three days. More than 2,000 exhibitors provided a comprehensible market overview and presented their products, services, and technical solutions to over 40,000 buyers and trade visitors at the decision-making level.

"Preparations for this year's FRUIT LOGISTICA were intense," says Kai Mangelberger, Director at FRUIT LOGISTICA. "And we, the organisers, weren't the only ones facing obstacles. This is why I would like to thank all exhibitors and trade visitors who made the trip to Berlin. They were rewarded with very March - April 2022

good business deals. And everyone who could not make it is welcome to come by next year."

FRUIT LOGISTICA in April is a one time exception. Next year, FRUIT LOGISTICA will return to its original date in February. Save the date: 8 to 10 February 2023.

It is almost as though there had never been a pandemic – both the exhibitors and the trade visitors report a positive experience at FRUIT LOGISTICA. This is reflected in the preliminary results of the exhibitor and trade visitor survey.

The exhibitors reported lively business during the three days of the trade show: Over 40% have conducted successful business deals during the trade show.

More than 4 out of 5 exhibitors also expect satisfactory to very good postshow business.

It is little wonder that over 80% of exhibitors are already planning on taking part in FRUIT LOGISTICA 2023.

Despite uncertainty in planning as a result of the pandemic, more than 40% of the trade visitors at FRUIT LOGISTICA this year were first-time visitors. The proportion of international trade visitors, at well over 80%, is also at the usual, high level.

FRUIT LOGISTICA remains the gathering place for decision makers: Around 7 out of 10 trade visitors are deciders or codeciders in their respective companies.

The presentation and attractiveness of FRUIT LOGISTICA left nothing to desire, as more than 90% of trade visitors are giving positive overall feedback. Just as many would also recommend the event to colleagues or business partners.

Stable reviews of the networking and business deals round out the positive image trade visitors have of FRUIT LOGISTICA: More than 30% have already made business deals during the trade show, and over 80% were able to make new business contacts. 53

Gulfood 2022

Omani companies ink contracts and deals at Gulfood in Dubai The participating Omani companies under the umbrella of Madayn have inked export, import and distribution related contracts and deals, and have attracted a large crowd of business owners, investors, commercial agents and suppliers.

The Sultanate of Oman, represented by the Public Establishment for Industrial Estates – Madayn, continues its participation at the annual food and hospitality event – Gulfood 2022 held at Dubai World Trade Centre in the UAE amid great response from the visitors flocking to the Sultanate's pavilion. The participating Omani companies under the umbrella of Madayn have inked export, import and distribution related contracts and deals this week, and have attracted a large crowd of business owners, investors, commercial agents and suppliers.

Representatives of the participating companies expressed the great role

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played by Gulfood for the food and beverage industry and its remarkable contribution to spreading awareness on the Omani products at the global level. “This is our third participation at Gulfood,” says Khamis Al Yarubi, Chairman of Overseas

Food Industries, adding: “Although the previous participations were successful; however, we have received greater impact at this year’s version compared to the previous ones despite the conditions imposed by COVID-19 pandemic. In fact,

Gulfood 2022

we have signed initial import and export related contracts and MoUs with Jordanian, Syrian, Iraqi and Emirati companies this week.”

May Al Harthy, Marketing Specialist at Nakheel Oman Development Company, commented that the company is present for the first time at Gulfood, and is focusing through its participation on promoting Omani dates and introducing the visitors to the ‘Million Date Palm Plantation Project’, which is one of the leading agricultural projects in the Sultanate.

Nakheel is also promoting its three brands at the event: Tamrah - luxury brand of fine Omani dates and sweets,

Nizwa – high quality natural dates targeting local and international retail markets, and Zaad – targeting export and wholesale in local and international markets. Al Harthy said, “We have received a great turnout from suppliers and international retailers and wholesalers at the exhibition.”

fork food products, beverages, water,

Maryam Al Ghazali of Al Joudah Food Tech Laboratory, said: “Through Gulfood 2022, we aim at highlighting on our company’s vision in becoming the most reliable laboratory in the region that is capable of analysing a range of products under local and international specifications and Halal assurance system requirements. These products include farm to

stantly aim at promoting our products at

cosmetics including sanitisers, feed and feed raw material, and veterinary drugs finished products and raw material.”

Commenting on the participation at Gulfood 2022, Malallah Al Hamadani, Marketing Director at Oman Foodstuff Factory (Al Mudhish) said: “We conlocal and international platforms under ‘Made in Oman’ campaign that is managed by Madayn. Our participation at Gulfood allows us to get familiarised with the recent trends in food manufacturing and meet business owners from all over the world.”

Osaid Al Houqani, Director of Operations at Nizwa Food Industries, said, “We aim at achieving the greatest possible benefit at Gulfood by meeting representatives of food and beverage industries and promoting our products to a large segment of local, regional and international visitors.”

Through Gulfood 2022 platform, which will conclude on Thursday, Madayn aims at introducing the Omani products to visitors from across the globe, explore new regional and international markets and consumers for the Omani industries, and allow the participants under Madayn to learn about the latest products, trends and technologies in the food, beverage and hospitality industries.

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