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[grupo guitarlumber] 03/5/2010 14:42

Foods, Not Drugs, May Be Best Approach to Fighting Arthritis Pain

Foods, Not Drugs, May Be Best Approach to Fighting Arthritis Pain

Cherries Top the List of Inflammation-Fighting Foods

PR Newswire

LANSING, Mich., May 3

LANSING, Mich., May 3 /PRNewswire/ --

Arthritis affects about one-quarter of Americans and has been called "the coming epidemic" by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. More than 67 million adults are expected to be afflicted by 2030. May is National Arthritis Month and experts like registered dietitian Dave Grotto want Americans to take a food-first approach to managing arthritis pain.

In fact, Grotto recommends an "Anti-Arthritis Menu-Plan" in his latest book 101 Optimal Life Foods (Bantam, 2010). The goal is to help people combat the inflammation associated with arthritis, a "whole body" condition that can contribute to chronic disease and pain. Grotto includes a variety of inflammation-fighting foods, from avocados to soy to ginger. But one of Grotto's favorite foods to help manage inflammation and arthritis pain is the tart cherry.

"Millions suffering from arthritis rely heavily on over-the-counter medications, when relief may be found in your local grocery store," said Grotto. "What I love about tart cherries is that they're backed by an impressive body of science and so easy to add to your diet."

A study by the International Food Information Council (IFIC) found that 89% of Americans say they use food as "health insurance," and agree that certain foods have benefits that go beyond basic nutrition and may reduce the risk of disease or other health concerns.(1) Additionally, three out of four consumers said they'd prefer to eat foods with specific health-enhancing properties rather than take supplements; 81% of respondents said they'd add more cherries to their daily diet if they knew the health benefits were virtually equal to dietary supplements or over-the-counter pain medication.(2)

Grotto credits cherries' year-round availability as dried, frozen and juice, as well as the fruit's unique sweet-tart taste profile, to the ease of adding them into the daily anti-inflammation diet. He includes cherries in his plan in three easy ways – as a cereal topper for breakfast, a star ingredient in his Cherry Zinger Smoothie and a simple, but powerful, glass of cherry juice.

Powered by Red: Cherries May Offer Powerful Pain Relief

Known for their bright red color, cherries are particularly rich in anthocyanins – compounds that researchers have linked to reduced inflammation in the body. "It's no surprise that people have sworn by cherry juice for years for arthritis and gout relief. Science is finally supporting what they've known all along," says Grotto. And the growing body of science is telling. Just one study from the collection, conducted by researchers at Baylor Research Institute in 2007, found that a daily dose of tart cherries (as cherry extract) helped reduce osteoarthritis pain by more than 20 percent for the majority of men and women in a 12-week pilot study.(3)

Cherries' anti-inflammatory properties can also be beneficial for active adults who are trying to manage the aches and pains of physical activity as they age. The latest science linking cherries to powerful anti-inflammatory benefits shows that drinking tart cherry juice may help runners recover more quickly and effectively from post-race pain.(4)

To help active adults train to manage pain, the Cherry Marketing Institute teamed up with nutrition experts to create the Red Recovery Routine, which offers pain relief and performance tips on reducing inflammation, staying hydrated and fueling with proper foods like tart cherries before, during and after workouts.

To learn more about cherries anti-inflammatory properties and to download the Red Recovery Routine visit www.choosecherries.com.

The Cherry Marketing Institute (CMI) is an organization funded by North American tart cherry growers and processors. CMI's mission is to increase the demand for tart cherries through promotion, market expansion, product development and research. For more information on the science supporting the unique health benefits of cherries and for cherry recipes and menu ideas, visit www.choosecherries.com.

(1) International Food Information Council 2009 Food & Health Survey, May 2009.

(2) Survey of 1,517 adults age 45 and older, conducted by Opinion Research Corporation's Caravan Services, November 2007, on behalf of the Cherry Marketing Institute.

(3) Cush JJ. Baylor Research Institute, pilot study on tart cherry and osteoarthritis of the knees, 2007.

(4) Kuehl KS, Chestnutt J, Elliot DL, Lilley C. Efficacy of tart cherry juice in reducing muscle pain after strenuous exercise. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise. 2009;41:507-508 851.

SOURCE Cherry Marketing Institute

[grupo guitarlumber] 28/11/2009 16:23

November 28, 2009 - 10:08 AM A Swiss apple a day keeps wrinkles at bay

Image caption: The Uttwiler Spätlauber is little known and has been dying out (ProSpecieRara)A rare Swiss apple is being hailed in the cosmetic and fashion world as an exciting anti-ageing breakthrough – even Michelle Obama is rumoured to be a fan.
Used in creams and serums, stem cells from the Uttwiler Spätlauber apple are said to protect skin cell regeneration and so delay the onset of wrinkles. The discovery was made by a Swiss company.

The November edition of the United States Vogue magazine went as far as to call the variety "the super-apple", and asked if the tree could be "the new fountain of youth".

The Uttwiler Spätlauber, which was first recorded in the 18th century, comes from canton Thurgau, in northern Switzerland.

It is well known for its excellent storability; it can stay fresh looking for up to four months after being harvested, long after other varieties have become wrinkled.

However, it has not been widely cultivated of late because of its sour taste and the number of trees have dwindled.

Amazing longevity
Having collected some samples, Swiss researchers set to work and found that the answer mostly lay in the amazing longevity of the apple's stem cells.

Humans have skin stem cells, which replenish and maintain the balance of cells within the skin tissue and regenerate tissue which has been damaged.

But with age, the number of skin stem cells decreases and their ability to repair the skin becomes less efficient. The result is – with added environmental damage like UV rays - a loss of skin vitality, and inevitably, wrinkles.

Mibelle Biochemistry, which developed the apple ingredient, found that the apple stem cells were protecting the skin stem cells from ageing.

"We thought there must be something in those apples which give them their long shelf life," said Beata Hurst, marketing and sales manager at Mibelle Biochemistry.

"We could show that the apple stem cells have a positive influence on the vitality of the skin stem cells, they made them more efficient and they can live longer," Hurst told swissinfo.ch.

The firm, which is a subsidiary of the big Swiss retailer Migros, used a novel technology to replicate the apple cells called PhytoCellTec™.


Michelle Obama is said to use an apple a day to keep wrinkles at bay (Keystone)Michelle Obama
The apple ingredient has been snapped up by cosmetics companies in Europe, Asia, and the United States, including Lancôme and Chantecaille.

According to the Vogue article, style icon and presidential wife Michelle Obama buys a serum using the apple made by Clark's Botanicals, costing $355 (SFr361).

The Uttwiller Spätlauber was found in one of the collections belonging to ProSpecieRara, a foundation aiming to preserve traditional breeds of animals and plants in Switzerland.

ProSpecieRara director Béla Bartha told swissinfo.ch that there were only 20 Uttwiller Spätlauber trees left at present, which he said was not surprising. Some fruit varieties have between one and five trees left.

Saving rare species
Overall, ProSpecieRara has managed to preserve 1,800 varieties on 8,000 trees during its 25 years in operation, through collecting samples, growing them and then distributing them to people willing to look after them.

The Uttwiller Spätlauber is found on Hansrudolf Schweizer's farm in Neukirch in Thurgau.

Bartha said that ProSpecieRara operated an open source strategy, giving people access to the resources. It also ensures that this biodiversity is grown in the field, rather than stored gene banks, giving it a visibility.

The apple is not the only rare variety success story: a cross of two old potato breeds resulted in a blue potato which is now made into potato crisps, which are sold in supermarkets.

Bartha said that ProSpecieRara never dreamed when it put the Uttwiller Spätlauber into Schweizer's orchard that it would be successfully used in cosmetic production. This was, he said, not the aim.

But the case has served to highlight a cornerstone of the foundation's work, he pointed out, namely showing that old varieties house a genetic pool which could be harvested for new uses.

"We have undiscovered treasures in these collections," said Bartha.

Isobel Leybold-Johnson, swissinfo.ch

GALLERIES

Fruit salad
Traditional Swiss varieties come to the fore.


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SWISS APPLE, WORLDWIDEMibelle Biochemistry launched its PhytoCellTec™ Malus Domestica product on the international market in April 2008. Dr Fred Zülli, its business unit manager, said that the company started this research five years ago.

Around 100 companies worldwide use this apple ingredient, including at least three within Switzerland (including in Migros). Zülli said more products were likely next year and in 2011 because companies needed time to launch their products.

This raw material makes up around 1-2% of the final cosmetic product. Mibelle Biochemistry has estimated that turnover from the finished products containing this raw material is more than $100 million.

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LINKS•ProSpecieRara (German, French, Italian) (
•Mibelle Biochemistry: PhytoCellTec™ Malus Domestica (
•US Vogue (
•Clark's Botanicals Serum (
•Mibelle Cosmetics (
•swissworld - science (

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[ariane] 26/10/2009 14:25

source: The Telegraph


Kitchen garden: lemon tree

Ursula Buchan
Published: 12:01AM GMT 22 Jan 2005

Challenge: growing a lemon tree can be difficult, but rewarding
Bright and fragrant, lemon trees are worth the effort it takes to grow them, says Ursula Buchan

Sooner or later, the avid fruit gardener begins to hanker after growing a lemon tree. A delicious scent hangs in the air whenever the plant is in flower, and the fruit brighten up a conservatory or glasshouse in winter. But lemons are a challenge. Like all citrus fruit they need consistent, watchful care to be successful - and are all the more rewarding for it.


Related Articles
8 December 2001: Sweet and sour: lemons Lemons, and citrus generally, are not frost-hardy. They are self-fertile, however, which means you get fruit even if you only have one plant. "Trees" range in size at maturity from 60cm (2ft) tall to 2.5m (8ft) or more. They have mid-green, long-oval, evergreen leaves and the wine-coloured buds open into white, five-petalled, fragrant, star-like flowers. The fruit take about nine months to swell and ripen, so there are often flowers and lemons on the plant at the same time, which is very appealing. They flower most prolifically in spring; but as long as the night temperature stays above 11C (52F), so that the plant does not become dormant, many will bloom in autumn and winter, too.

Varieties
It's best to buy a grafted plant of a named cultivar from a reputable source: plants from pips will take some years to flower and may never bear good fruit. Stephen Read of Reads Nursery, which holds the National Collection of Citrus, recommends the compact and easy 'La Valette', the fussier but equally prolific 'Meyers Lemon' if space is limited, and the much bigger 'Quatre Saisons' (which you may find listed in catalogues as 'Garey's Eureka' ) for heavier crops of lemons, which are as acid as commercial varieties. He also puts in a good word for 'Imperial', which crops well once a year on a vigorous bush, and the remarkable 'Ponderosa', which has lemons the size of grapefruits.

Cultivation
Read finds that lemons grow best in John Innes No 2 compost, with 25 per cent extra by volume horticultural grit or perlite to promote sharp drainage, which is vital. They can be grown in either terracotta or plastic pots. Whichford Pottery sells handsome lemon pots in a variety of sizes (01608 684416; www.whichfordpottery.com).

Avoid overpotting established trees; they only need moving every two to three years into a pot one size up. Otherwise, simply take off the top 2.5cm (1in) of soil each spring and add fresh compost. They thrive best in a pH of 6.2 to 6.5, so should preferably be watered with rainwater from a clean butt, kept at the same temperature as the soil. If you have to use tap water, Read suggests adding citric acid to it, at a rate of 2g per 10 litres. These plants should be well soaked when watered and then left alone until almost dry again. Never let them dry out completely, however, or they will drop leaves and flowers. Mist the foliage regularly with water to raise the humidity (they like about 50 per cent), or put the pot on a tray of wet pebbles.

Lemons are greedy feeders so should ideally be given a high-nitrogen feed frequently from March, when the clocks go forward, until October, when they go back, followed by a more balanced feed with trace elements in autumn and winter. Chempak's (01992 890770; www.chempak.co.uk) specialised winter and summer citrus fertilisers are suitable; follow the recommended application rates and timings. In winter, if you are watering very little, a seaweed foliar feed is a suitable alternative.

Lemons are happiest if put outdoors in late May, since it is hard to achieve sufficient ventilation under glass in summer. Put the pot in part-shade initially, to allow the plant to acclimatise. It is important that the roots are not baked by the sun. Bring them in again before the frosts. Lemons, like all citrus, resent fluctuations of temperature, humidity and light levels, so keep a daily eye on them. Don't despair, however, if flowers or small fruits fall off; a substantial drop is natural and inevitable. Read thins the crop, if necessary, by picking some fruits when they are still conker-sized.

Pruning
In late winter, before the surge of growth, cut back some shoots to help shape the plant, and pinch out the tips of very vigorous growths.

Pests and diseases
Scale and mealy bug love citrus, so be watchful and use a sponge or a toothbrush dipped in soapy water to remove them. Or pick them off with your thumbnail. Do the same with aphids in spring, or pinch out the ends of the young shoots. Mist-spray regularly to discourage red spider mite.

Where to buy
Reads Nursery, Hales Hall, Loddon, Norfolk NR14 6QW (01508 548395; www.readsnursery.co.uk).

[grupo] 29/11/2008 08:21

Blueberries 'reverse memory loss'
Eating blueberries can reverse memory loss and may have implications in the treatment of diseases like Alzheimer's, University of Reading scientists claim.

Scientists found adding foods like blueberries to a regular diet, resulted in improvements in memory.

The foods, known as flavonoids, were historically believed to act as antioxidants in human bodies.

But the study indicates they also activate the part of the brain which controls learning and memory.

Dr Jeremy Spencer, from the department of food biosciences at the university, said: "Scientists have known of the potential health benefits of diets rich in fresh fruits for a long time.

"Our research provides scientific evidence to show that blueberries are good for you and supports the idea that a diet-based approach could potentially be used to increase memory capacity.

"We will be taking these findings to the next level by investigating the effects of diets rich in flavonoids on individuals suffering from cognitive impairment and possibly Alzheimer's disease."

The research has been published in the Free Radical Biology and Medicine journal.

Story from BBC NEWS:


Published: 2008/06/12 09:38:46 GMT

[ariane] 26/7/2008 19:11

July 26, 2008 - 2:22 PM
Lake Geneva goes bananas
Chiquita, the Cincinatti-based producer and distributor of bananas and other fruit produce, is moving its European headquarters from Belgium to Switzerland.
Michel Loeb, head of Chiquita Europe, confirmed reports on Friday that the leading distributor of bananas in the United States was relocating to the small municipality of Rolle, canton Vaud, overlooking Lake Geneva.

Daniel Belotti, president of Rolle, said he was delighted. "This is extremely good news which will put Rolle on people's lips around the world."

According to the 10vor10 news report, Chiquita will employ around 100 people in Vaud.

In March the British confectionary company Cadbury Schweppes also announced it was moving its European headquarters to Rolle, joining Yahoo!, Nissan and Cisco Systems.

Related storyLake Geneva on the crest of a business wave

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LINKSChiquita (
Rolle (French) (

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[waldron] 13/7/2008 08:26

Apples beat pears on crunch issue
By Jonathan Amos
Science reporter, BBC News


Please turn on java script. Media requires java script to play.

Inside a pear: Tiny interconnected channels do not carry oxygen to the fruit's core as efficiently as apples

Just why pears rot faster than apples can now be explained by science.

It is all to do with how oxygen is able to find its way to the centre of the fruit after it has been picked.

Belgian researchers used one of the world's most powerful X-ray machines to image the tiny pores and channels that carry air through the two foods.

Pieter Verboven's team was able to show how the structures in pears meant they got "out of breath" quicker than apples - key information for growers.

The results of the study will improve the models used to determine optimal storage conditions.

"If we know how the pears get into storage, we can better predict how they will behave," the Catholic University of Leuven scientist told BBC News.

"From season to season, from batch to batch, even from orchard to orchard - we can give advice to the grower, saying 'well, for these pears, you may have to elevate the oxygen concentration in your storage room because there is the potential for problems'."

There is a clear economic driver to minimise wastage in the fruit industry; and supermarket shoppers certainly do not want to cut into the flesh to find a brown, mushy mess.

Year on year, very practical experiments are run to see how different crop varieties cope under a range of shelf conditions; but science is also trying to improve its understanding of the biochemical and physical mechanisms that underpin decay.

After picking, the cells in the fruit need oxygen for respiration - to produce the sugars and energy required to maintain good health. If air cannot pass through the fruit, cells close to the core will eventually start to brown and rot.

Pieter Verboven's group put apples and pears inside the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility (ESRF) in Grenoble, France, which produces an intense, high-energy light that can pierce just about any material, revealing its inner structure.


Please turn on java script. Media requires java script to play.

Inside an apple: Cavities inside the apple carry oxygen to the core very efficiently

The giant X-ray machine is able to resolve features down to and below a thousandth of a millimetre; and by turning the target in front of the light beam, it is possible to build up extremely high-definition, three-dimensional views of the subject under study.

The latest research illuminated the microscopically small structures for oxygen supply that exist in fruit. In apples, the pathways appear as irregular cavities between cells, whilst in pears they have the shape of tiny interconnected channels.

"We already knew that different apple varieties have a different density which means they have a different fraction of air spaces; but we didn't know the structures," Dr Verboven told BBC News.

"We also knew that pears have a much lower amount of void spaces inside because pears sink to the bottom if you drop them in water whereas apples float, which indicates that one has more air than the other one.

"But also in pears, no-one knew what the structure of those air voids was."

Now, the scientists understand not only what the cavities and micro-channels look like but also how they perform. The Verboven team was able to describe the complex mechanisms of gas exchange, respiration and fermentation that take place in the different fruits.

There is much less water in apples to slow the penetration of the gas, and although the channels in pears are connected they just do not work as efficiently as the big pores in apples in allowing oxygen to pass through to the core.

"It is still unclear how airways in the fruit develop, and why apples have cavity structures and pears micro-channel networks", explained Dr Verboven.

"The micro-channels are so small that oxygen supply to the fruit core is very limited and cells are quickly 'out of breath' when oxygen levels fall below the safety threshold," he said.

The research is published in the journal Plant Physiology.


Story from BBC NEWS:


Published: 2008/07/11 11:06:54 GMT

[waldron] 07/7/2008 19:41

Watermelon - the natural Viagra

Fresh watermelon has a similar effect to taking Viagra, according to scientists.

But men would have to eat at least six slices to have the same effect as one Viagra tablet - and it's not as 'organ-specific'.

Watermelons contain an ingredient called citrulline that can trigger production of a compound that helps relax the body's blood vessels, similar to what happens when a man takes Viagra.

Found in the flesh and rind of watermelons, citrulline reacts with the body's enzymes when consumed in large quantities and is changed into arginine, an amino acid that benefits the heart and the circulatory and immune systems.

"Arginine boosts nitric oxide, which relaxes blood vessels, the same basic effect that Viagra has, to treat erectile dysfunction and maybe even prevent it," said Bhimu Patil, director of Texas A&M University's Fruit and Vegetable Improvement Centre.

"Watermelon may not be as organ-specific as Viagra, but it's a great way to relax blood vessels without any drug side effects."

Todd Wehner, who studies watermelon breeding at North Carolina State University, said anyone taking Viagra shouldn't expect the same result from watermelon.

"It sounds like it would be an effect that would be interesting but not a substitute for any medical treatment," he said.

The nitric oxide can also help with angina, high blood pressure and other cardiovascular problems, according to the Texas study.

[grupo guitarlumber] 01/4/2008 10:29

Mystery die-off worries beekeepers




SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) - The California winter has been a tough one on South
Dakota beekeepers like Richard Adee.
Last fall he sent 155 semitrailer trucks to California loaded with hives
containing bees fit and ready to pollinate the almond crop.
"We lost 40 percent of the hives we sent there. We sent 70,000 out and lost
28,000," said Adee, whose Adee Honey Farms in Bruce is considered the largest
beekeeping operation in the nation.
"I would say overall the losses of South Dakota bees -- from what I've heard
-- from what they started in the spring of '07 until they came out of the
almonds is at least 50 percent. It's not good."
Now, in preparation for the honey-making season in South Dakota, he's
working to get back to full strength from a mystery called colony collapse
disorder.
No one's really sure what's causing the disorder, evident when adult bees
abandon the hive.
It's a concern for South Dakota beekeepers, who ranked third nationally last
year for honey production and for the number of colonies.
"It's very serious," said Heath Bermel, a Java beekeeper and president of
the South Dakota Beekeepers Association. "There's a lot of beekeepers all over
the U.S. who are losing hives."
The U.S. Agriculture Department has earmarked money and research to solving
CCD because it says one-third of the human diet comes from insect-pollinated
plants, and the honeybee is responsible for 80 percent of that pollination.
"As beekeepers we're confused and the scientific community is even more
confused because they feel like they should be able to figure this out and get a
handle on it, and yet there are so many variables they are just having a
problem," said Adee, chairman of the legislative committee for the American
Honey Producers Association.
Researchers with the Agricultural Research Service within the U.S.
Department of Agriculture are chasing various theories about CCD, said Jon
Lundgren, an ARS entomologist in Brookings not directly involved in the
research.
Among the possible causes are parasites, a virus, or pesticides.
It may be a several factors resulting from stress on the bees, he said.
"Shipping these things across the country -- that's not the way that
honeybees have evolved, so we're really changing and manipulating these colonies
quite a bit to suit our needs," Lundgren said.
"It's necessary if we want cheap almonds and other fresh produce, but on the
flip side, by the changing agricultural landscape -- both in terms of the actual
landscape itself and how we approach agriculture -- there's probably any number
of factors that are ultimately involved in what we're seeing with CCD right
now."
Without answers and a possible remedy, the financial impact will extend
beyond the beekeeping business to the dinner table, said Bermel.
"It's going to hurt everything," he said. "People at the grocery store are
going to see significant increases in their grocery bill."
The California almond industry covers about 600,000 acres and prefers two
bee colonies per acre to do a good job during a pollinating season that lasts
about six weeks.
--
MILWAUKEE (AP) -- State farmers are usually close to planting some oats,
small grains and alfalfa in early April. But this year, winter may delay the
process.
"The temperatures aren't warming up like we are used to," said Keith Ripp, a
farmer near Lodi and president of the Wisconsin Soybean Marketing Board.
Farmers normally start planting corn in late April. Last year, they
harvested about 4 million acres of the corn in Wisconsin -- the most acreage in
years and 350,000 acres more than a year earlier.
Nick Schneider, a University of Wisconsin Extension agent in Winnebago
County, said farmers won't risk planting corn until the soil warms up.
"It takes sufficient soil temperatures for the seeds to germinate,"
Schneider said. "If we get a lot of sunny days and temperatures turn around,
that will speed things along."
Dane County, which has some of the state's most productive farm soil,
received about 100 inches of snow this winter. Snow could delay field work, but
the melt will replenish underground water supplies needed by thirsty crops.

[ariane] 13/10/2007 16:38

Thu 11 Oct 2007


BATTLE OF BRANDS: The city HQ of Scottish & Newcastle

S&N raises bar in cider market
JIM STANTON BUSINESS EDITOR ([e-mail])
BREWING giant Scottish & Newcastle is set to turn up the heat even further in the already competitive cider market with the introduction of a pear-flavoured version of its popular Bulmers apple cider.

News of the launch came as C&C, the firm behind Magners cider, said it expected strong competition to hurt earnings over the second half of the year, adding that it would undertake a "comprehensive restructuring" of the business following what chief executive Maurice Pratt described as an "exceptionally poor summer".

S&N, which bought the Bulmers cider business in 2003, has been a key driver in the developing UK cider market, which has changed its traditional image in recent times from a niche drink to an over-ice beverage that is seen as cool and trendy among young professionals and a ready alternative to lager, beer and wine.


Bulmers pear cider

Next month, the Edinburgh-based brewer will launch bottles of Bulmers Pear Cider into both the on- and off-trade, with the drink pitched principally at the 25 to 34-year-old market.

Stephen Mosey, S&N's marketing manager for ciders, said: "The introduction of Bulmers Pear Cider will enable retailers to capitalise on the growing consumer interest in pear cider by bringing something new and different to the sector."

Mr Mosey said S&N would be putting "heavyweight marketing support" behind the Bulmers brand next year.

"Our research shows that there is a strong consumer demand for a premium cider with a less sweet, natural tasting pear flavour, and the launch of Bulmers Pear Cider will attract new consumers into this high-margin cider segment," added Mr Mosey.

In July, S&N introduced Finnish sister brewer Hartwall's Upcider Pear to its offering as a short-term measure until its Bulmers pear cider hit the shelves.

Latest figures indicate the UK cider market is now worth around £1.7 billion per year and is currently showing 20 per cent year-on-year growth.

S&N's optimistic outlook for its ciders was in contrast to Magners maker C&C which reported a 30 per cent fall in pre-tax profits to £41 million over the first half on flat revenues of £259.8m.

But the Dublin-based firm also said it was expecting to see a "high single-digit percentage" decline in cider revenues in the second half of the year compared to the same period last year.

Revenues at the cider division grew by 1.2 per cent in the period to £188.7m, but volumes decreased by two per cent on the back of the soggy summer.

Mr Pratt said the company had carried out an "extensive review" of its performance and market position and had taken "corrective steps" to improve its competitive capability.

He did not expand on what the "corrective steps" involved and a spokeswoman for the company would not discuss any further details, particularly with regard to job losses. But she said that "all aspects of the business will be examined".

Related topic

Scottish and Newcastle

This article:

Last updated: 11-Oct-07 11:55 BST

[ariane] 08/10/2007 08:26

Threats to bumblebees fly under radar
Date : 08/10/2007 @ 08:14
Source : TFN


Threats to bumblebees fly under radar


GRANTS PASS, Ore. (AP) - Looking high and low, Robbin Thorp can no longer
find a species of bumblebee that just five years ago was plentiful in
northwestern California and southwestern Oregon.
Thorp, an emeritus professor of entomology from the University of California
at Davis, found one solitary worker last year along a remote mountain trail in
the Siskiyou Mountains, but hasn't been able to locate any this year.
He fears that the species -- Franklin's bumblebee -- has gone extinct before
anyone could even propose it for the endangered species list. To make matters
worse, two other bumblebee species -- one on the East coast, one on the West --
have gone from common to rare.
Amid the uproar over global warming and mysterious disappearances of
honeybee colonies, concern over the plight of the lowly bumblebee has been
confined to scientists laboring in obscurity.
But if bumblebees were to disappear, farmers and entomologists warn, the
consequences would be huge, especially coming on top of the problems with
honeybees, which are active at different times and on different crop species.
Bumblebees are responsible for pollinating an estimated 15 percent of all
the crops grown in the U.S., worth $3 billion, particularly those raised in
greenhouses. Those include tomatoes, peppers and strawberries.
Demand is growing as honeybees decline. In the wild, birds and bears depend
on bumblebees for berries and fruits.
There is no smoking gun yet, but a recent National Academy of Sciences
report on the status of pollinators around the world blames a combination of
habitat lost to housing developments and intensive agriculture, pesticides,
pollution and diseases spilling out of greenhouses using commercial bumblebee
hives.
"We have been naive," said Neal Williams, assistant professor of biology at
Bryn Mawr College in Pennsylvania. "We haven't been diligent the way we need to
be."
The threat has bumblebee advocates lobbying Congress to allocate more money
for research and to create incentives for farmers to leave uncultivated land for
habitat. They also want farmers to grow more flowering plants that native bees
feed on.
"We are smart enough to deal with this," said Laurie Adams, executive
director of the Pollinator Partnership. "There is hope."
Companies in Europe, Israel and Canada adapted bumblebees to commercial use
in the early 1990s, and they are now standard in greenhouses raising tomatoes
and peppers.
Demand is growing as supplies of honeybees decline, especially for field
crops such as blueberries, cranberries, watermelon, squash, and raspberries,
said Holly Burroughs, general manager for production for the U.S. branch of
Koppert Biological Systems Inc., a Netherlands company that sells most of the
commercial bumblebees in the U.S.
One new customer is Tony Davis of Quail Run Farm in Grants Pass. He has long
depended on volunteer bumblebees to fertilize the squash, cucumbers, tomatoes
and eggplant he grows outdoors for sale in growers' markets. When he started
growing strawberries in greenhouses this year to get a jump on the competition,
he bought commercial bumblebee hives to fertilize them.
"Without bumblebees, I would be out of business. I don't think I could
hand-pollinate all these plants," he said.
Scientists hoping to pinpoint the cause of the nation's honeybee decline
recently identified a previously unknown virus, but stress that parasitic mites,
pesticides and poor nutrition all remain suspects.
Unlike honeybees, which came to North America with the European colonists of
the 17th century, bumblebees are natives. They collect pollen and nectar to feed
to their young, but make very little honey.
A huge problem facing scientists is how "appallingly little we know about
our pollinating resources," said University of Illinois entomology Prof. May
Berenbaum, who headed the National Academy of Sciences report.
Scott Black, executive director of the Xerces Society for Invertebrate
Conservation in Portland, worries that on top of pesticides and narrowing
habitats, disease could be the last straw for many of the bee species.
"It definitely could all come crashing down," he said.

[waldron] 27/8/2007 10:14

Blueberry growers use mechanical harvester
Date : 27/08/2007 @ 10:07
Source : TFN


Blueberry growers use mechanical harvester


WASHINGTON, Maine (AP) - Two tractors move slowly through a field with
mechanical contraptions hanging off one side that rake blueberries from
low-lying bushes.
Walter Degreenia drives one of the tractors. His wife, Gail, stands on a
back platform sorting through the berries as they are carried on a conveyor belt
and dropped into crates.
The swishing sound of traditional hand-held blueberry rakes used by field
workers is being replaced by the rumble of tractors across Maine's wild
blueberry fields as growers turn to mechanical harvesters to pick the lucrative
crop.
"On a good day, I can harvest 10,000 pounds with one machine," Degreenia
said.
A decade ago, about 20 percent of Maine's 60,000 acres of blueberry fields
were harvested by mechanical means. Today, it's about 80 percent as growers
discover that it's cheaper to replace hand pickers with more efficient
machinery.
The machines can harvest about 10 times what a typical person can harvest in
a day with a hand-held rake, swiping it through the bushes over and over for
hours on end.
Maine's wild blueberry industry, which dates back to the 1840s, counted on
hand-pickers to get the crop for more than a century -- long after growers of
other major crops turned to tractors and sophisticated harvesters.
But with the yearly harvest averaging about 70 million pounds a year -- up
from under 20 million pounds before the 1980s -- wild blueberry growers have had
a hard time finding enough people to pick all the berries.
Wild blueberries grow naturally in Maine and eastern Canada. They are
different from cultivated berries, which are larger and grow on high bushes.
About 40 to 50 percent of cultivated blueberries are still hand-picked but
the mechanization trend is happening in the dozen states where they are grown,
too, said Frank Bragg, chief executive officer of the Michigan Blueberry Growers
Association.
Recently, growers have turned mainly to migrant workers from Mexico and
other Central American countries to pick berries. But with labor in tight
supply, growers have also been turning to mechanical harvesters.
"Right now, you can't even get migrant workers if you want them, so that's
what's driving this," said David Yarborough, a blueberry specialist and
horticulture professor at the University of Maine.
Maine growers like mechanical harvesters because they do not have to manage
hard-to-find workers and deal with government paperwork. The machines also
result in lower production costs -- adding to the bottom line.
The early models often destroyed plants and had low yields compared to
hand-pickers. But the newer models are efficient, with high yields.
And as the machines have improved, the state's blueberry growers have
flattened and removed rocks from thousands of acres of fields to make them
suitable for mechanical harvesters.
Nat Lindquist, vice president of operations for Jasper Wyman & Son in
Milbridge, said half of his company's 7,000 acres are harvested mechanically.
Some blueberry growers, he said, don't use hand-rakers at all any more.
"Over the years, the manufacturers have added more bells and whistles that
have improved the quality and are picking most of the fruit," Lindquist said.
"Prior to the improvements, they left a lot of the fruit on the ground."
Degreenia has raked berries or worked as a crew leader since he was barely a
teenager. With mechanical harvesters, the work is less tedious, easier on his
back and more profitable.
"This is great compared to what we used to do," he said.

[waldron] 23/8/2007 06:37

Fyffes "reduce"

Wednesday, August 22, 2007 12:09:49 PM ET
Goodbody Stockbrokers

LONDON, August 22 (newratings.com) – Analyst Liam Igoe of Goodbody Stockbrokers maintains his "reduce" rating on Fyffes Plc (ticker: FQ3).

In a research note published this morning, the analyst mentions that Hurricane Dean has damaged the banana crops in Dominica, Martinique, Jamaica and St Lucia, from where the company sources ACP supplies. Fyffes would, however, be able to make up for the shortfall, if any, from this region by sourcing alternative supplies, in view of its very wide base of banana supplies, the analyst says. Prices have increased y/y over the summer, Goodbody Stockbrokers adds.

[waldron] 21/8/2007 09:43

chuckle

Big or small

or chinese

[nicksig] 21/8/2007 09:32

I like a nice pear myself

[waldron] 21/8/2007 09:29

USDA denies request to delay almond rule
Date : 21/08/2007 @ 09:10
Source : TFN


USDA denies request to delay almond rule


SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - A new rule requiring all California almonds to be
pasteurized will go into effect Sept. 1, despite farmers' requests to postpone
the provision for six months, federal agricultural officials said.
The growers, represented by the California Almond Board, said they needed
the extra time to get the necessary equipment and processes in place to avoid an
interruption in the flow of nuts to market.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture's decision to implement the rule stemmed
from salmonella outbreaks in 2001 and 2004 that were traced to raw almonds.
Farmers' worries about being able to meet the rule's requirements,
particularly when faced with an expected bumper crop of 1.33 billion pounds of
almonds this year, were taken into consideration, but public health was the main
concern, federal officials said.
"While we understand the Board's concerns, USDA also wants to ensure that
the quality and safety of almonds and almond products in the marketplace
continue to improve," Robert Keeney, deputy administrator of the department's
fruit and vegetable programs, wrote in a letter to the Almond Board dated
Thursday. "These goals require measures to help reduce the potential of a third
salmonella outbreak linked to almonds."
Almond production in the United States has surged as the nut's popularity
increases among health-conscious consumers, and California has dominated world
production. The state's 6,000 almond farmers expect their crop to fetch $1.4
billion this year.
Followers of raw food diets and shoppers who prefer unprocessed, organic
nuts protested the government's original pasteurization decision and organized a
national letter-writing campaign asking the USDA to reconsider.
The pasteurization process, also used to sterilize milk, juice and eggs,
typically exposes the shelled and hulled nuts to a moist burst of steam, which
heats their surface to about 200 degrees, killing any pathogens. An alternative
sterilization process sends the almonds into a chamber where they're sprayed
with a gas.
The USDA advised the Almond Board that almonds may be treated by facilities
with pasteurization processes that haven't received the board's final approval.
This would ease some concerns growers had about not having adequate facilities
to pasteurize the nuts in time to meet the deadline, board officials said.
"The USDA has been receptive to hearing the implementation concerns the
industry has, which mostly revolved around logistics, and the USDA has pledged
their assistance," said Richard Waycott, the board's president and CEO.
Some industry representatives still opposed the move, saying there was
little input from consumers, who might switch to imported raw almonds that don't
fall under the same regulations.
"The public had no opportunity to get involved in this process," said Will
Fantle, research director at the Wisconsin-based farm policy group Cornucopia
Institute.

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) -- The expanding number of acres devoted to corn for
ethanol could be a bad environmental development for the Chesapeake Bay, a new
study warns.
The study predicted that farmers in the bay watershed will plant 500,000 or
more new acres of corn in the next five years. The problem is, fields of corn
generally produce more polluted runoff than other crops.
"It's going in the opposite direction from where we want to go," said Jim
Pease, a professor at Virginia Tech and one of the study's authors.
The other sponsors include the U.S. government and the environmental group
the Chesapeake Bay Foundation.
Nationwide, farmers planted a record 92.9 million acres of corn this year,
based largely on the expected demand for ethanol.
Fuel made from processed and fermented plant matter offers an alternative to
oil imported from overseas. Fifteen ethanol plants are either planned or under
construction in the mid-Atlantic, according to the report, issued last week.
The study said corn generally requires more fertilizer than such crops as
soybeans or hay. When it rains, some of the fertilizer washes into the bay,
which feed unnatural algae blooms. The algae consume the oxygen that fish, crabs
and other creatures need to breathe, creating the Chesapeake's infamous dead
zones.
Governments around the bay have pledged to cut their output of nitrogen by
110 million pounds by 2010. But the study estimated that an ethanol-driven
increase in cornfields could add 8 million to 16 million pounds of pollution.
"We've made it that much harder to meet our bay restoration goals," said
Beth McGee, a senior water quality specialist at the Chesapeake Bay Foundation.

[waldron] 31/7/2007 15:00

C&C Group warns H1 operating profit will be 35 pct down on previous year


LONDON (Thomson Financial) - C&C Group PLC said today that trading
performance deteriorated at an unexpected rate during the second half of July
and it expects interim operating profit to fall by around 35 pct on the previous
year.
The Magners cider producer said the weak performance reflects the sustained
period of extremely poor weather in Great Britain and Ireland and also increased
competition in Great Britain. It said cider sales volumes for the month of July
were significantly down on the same period last year.
The group also attributed the expected slump in operating profit to
substantially higher manufacturing and marketing costs.
C&C said the impact of the poor summer weather, together with increased
competition, leaves a degree of uncertainty for its cider division in the second
half. However, the group intends to maintain its marketing investment programme
while reducing costs in other areas.
[e-mail]
sjm

[grupo guitarlumber] 18/7/2007 22:40

Citrus disease greening advances in Fla.
Date : 18/07/2007 @ 22:36
Source : TFN


Citrus disease greening advances in Fla.


LAKELAND, Fla. (AP) - A disease that kills trees and ruins fruit has moved
into another of Florida's top citrus-producing counties, authorities said
Wednesday.
The discovery in Hardee County means citrus greening is now affecting trees
in four of the top five production areas from last season. Those areas accounted
for 60 percent of Florida citrus in 2005-06, federal data shows.
Greening, first discovered in-state in September 2005, has now spread to two
dozen citrus-producing counties, according to Florida Citrus Mutual, a grower
advocacy group. It has still not shown up in the top area, Polk County.
Greening is spread by an insect and can be active two years before
detection. Physical signs include blotchy leaves and misshapen fruit, and
eventually the disease kills plants. It does not affect humans, but makes fruit
taste bitter.
"Growers are doing all they can to manage this disease but the key to
beating it once and for all is research," Michael W. Sparks, executive vice
president/CEO of Florida Citrus Mutual, said in a written statement. "We're
moving in that direction but we must continue."
Officials said greening probably arrived in Florida from infected Asian
plant material.
It is different from citrus canker, a disease spread by wind and rain that
does not kill plants.

[waldron] 14/7/2007 07:29

US partially lifts ban on mango imports
Date : 14/07/2007 @ 03:23
Source : TFN


US partially lifts ban on mango imports


PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) - The United States has partially lifted a ban on
mango imports from Haiti that was imposed after fruit fly larvae was found in
three shipments sent to Florida, Haiti's ambassador to Washington said Friday.
U.S. agriculture investigators currently in the Caribbean country inspected
and certified three of the nine treatment plants designed to rid Haitian mangos
of pests, allowing them to resume shipments immediately, Ambassador Raymond
Joseph told The Associated Press.
Three other treatment facilities will be inspected and should be certified
soon, while the remaining three, the origin of the affected shipments, will be
dealt with later, Joseph said after days of high-level talks between the
countries.
"We wanted to be able to resume shipments as soon as possible because the
mango is an important income earner for the Haitian economy," Joseph said,
adding that the first crates of the fruit should leave Haiti next week.
U.S. agriculture officials didn't immediately return calls seeking comment.
U.S. Animal Plant Health Inspection Service spokeswoman Melissa O'Dell said
the United States halted Haitian mango imports after inspectors in Florida found
fruit fly larvae in three shipments on June 25 and July 2.
Haiti earns between US$20 million (euro14.5 million) and US$40 million
(euro29 million) per year for mango export and the U.S. is its main customer.

[waldron] 14/7/2007 07:27

C&C cuts sales, profit outlook for 2007

Friday, July 13, 2007 1:00:00 PM ET
newratings.com

LONDON, July 13 (newratings.com) - C&C Group Plc (CCR.ISE) Friday announced that its sales and profit figures for 2007 would reflect the impact of adverse weather conditions.

The Irish cider maker said its profits this year were likely to be flat year-over-year, as compared to its earlier projection of 15%-20% growth. C&C still expects healthy sales growth, although it has lowered its expectations. The company said the wet UK weather has knocked out its growth strategy, and its profits were under pressure due to intensifying competition in the cider market.