The amount of containership capacity idled has surged again, the latest survey from Alphaliner reporting 315 vessels (1.18 million teu) in lay-up, representing 4.3% of the global fleet. In its fortnightly review of the inactive container vessel fleet, the consultant recorded a big jump from the 271 ships, for 942,035 teu, shown as idled two weeks previously. It said the idle tonnage figures had been boosted by the addition of several larger ships, including four 12,500 to 18,000 teu vessels and three of more than 18,000 teu, either anchored or sent to shipyards for surveys and repairs.

The Paraguayan press reported that the Government of that country is seeking financing of USD 61 million through the Food and Agriculture Fund of the United Nations (FAO) to strengthen two of the country's most important sectors: dairy and bananas. It comes after the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (MAG) presented projects to the World Food Forum in Rome.

Small banana growers have switched to grains production after the TR4 Disease kept spreading in sprawling banana farms of Davao del Norte, the Provincial Agriculture Office (PAGRO) has reported. It came out in the agency's recent monitoring of the total hectarage of crops, especially for rice and corn areas in Davao del Norte. From 7,000 hectares several years ago, corn production areas in Davao del Norte have reached more than 10,000 hectares, said PAGRO Senior Agriculturist and Provincial Corn Focal Omar T. Ayco.

According to CMA CGM, westbound transatlantic ocean rates have now hit “unsustainable levels”. The French carrier announced a raft of FAK (freight all kinds) increases on Friday, an endeavour to drive rates back up on a route that has become, what one liner executive described to The Loadstar as, “a total disaster”. Indeed, Xeneta’s XSI North Europe to US east coast average rate per 40ft slumped from $7,700 a year ago to just $1,327 last week.

The urban and infrastructural redevelopment project of the entire area may involve both rail transport and the use of the docks for the direct unloading of containers. After the first information on the change of ownership and on the project to build a new reefer warehouse emerged last July, the search for a tenant for the future multi-temperature refrigerated warehouse of approximately 25,000 square meters which will be built in the port of Trieste along the Zaule canal is now underway.

Summary of the main banana exporters in the Philippines, during the 1st Semester of 2023. Note that the Growers/Exporters have been arranged in group: Dizon Group: FS Dizon&Sons, FranPac Agri-Business,Inc. and Highland Agri-Venture, Lorenzo Group: Lapanday Agri. & Dev. Corp., Lead Export, Lapanday Foods Corp / Anflo Group: Tagum Agr. Dev.Co., Anflo Banana Corp. (Worldwide Dev. Corp.) / Stanfilco a Div of Dole Phils.

Due to the “unsustainable rate levels” reached on the Transatlantic trade, CMA CGM announced adjustments on its rates, effective from November for all Transatlantic westbound lines. The origin range includes all ports in North Europe, including North France, United Kingdom, Ireland, Scandinavia, Poland, Baltic, Portugal, Spain (Bilbao, Vigo, Gijon), all Mediterranean ports, including Malta, South France, Italy, Spain (Algeciras, Valencia, Barcelona, Sagunto), Adriatic, Black Sea, North Africa, Cyprus, Greece, Turkey, Lebanon and excluding Egypt.

Dole Food Company joined forces with the Charlotte Hornets today for the inaugural “Hugo’s PE Power-Up presented by Dole” event at Charlotte-Mecklenburg’s Windsor Park Elementary School. The initiative is part of both companies’ ongoing commitment to promote healthy eating habits and active lifestyles among students and their families. Throughout the day, students in kindergarten through fifth grades enjoyed an enriching and educational experience.

Shippers are given preliminary carbon pricing as European legislation aimed to reach carbon neutrality by 2050 approaches. The E.U. Emissions Trading System will apply to the shipping sector starting January 1, 2024, requiring ocean carriers to monitor and report their carbon emissions. By the end of the year, carriers purchase an equal amount of emission "allowances," where one allowance counts for one ton of CO2.

Demand for bananas continued to be weak in St Petersburg and prices were very different during the week, according to quality, brand, volume, and type of packing, ranging from USD 18.30 to USD 20.90 per box CIF. Due to the delay of one of the regular container liner vessels, expected for week 42 and now scheduled for week 43, only 994,000 boxes were discharged, and almost 2.2 million boxes will be discharged in week 43.

Trade Undersecretary and Board of Investments Managing Head of the Philippines Cerefino Rodolfo said in a recent briefing that many countries had expressed the desire to enter into a trade deal with Manila. On September 7, the Department of Trade and Industry officially signed an FTA with South Korea – the Philippines' third bilateral pact – at the sidelines of the 43rd ASEAN Summit in Jakarta, Indonesia.

The president-elect of Ecuador, Daniel Noboa, is expected to start his mandate on November 20, as announced, and the outgoing president, Guillermo Lasso, invited him to begin the transition. Noboa, to turn 36 years old, is about to become the president of a strongly polarized country. The leader of the National Democratic Action (ADN) defines himself as centre-left and promised to "build a new Ecuador" focused on the youth and the most neglected sectors.

Fresh Del Monte Produce Inc. has released its 2022 Sustainability Report, reaffirming its steadfast commitment to conserving the planet. “As a global agribusiness, sustainability is ingrained in our identity and we recognize the pressing need to continue fortifying our operations against the changing climate," said Hans Sauter, Chief Sustainability Officer, Senior Vice President, R&D and Agricultural Services at Fresh Del Monte.

Following the signing of the trade agreement between Ecuador and South Korea, the banana sector has high expectations. They expect to increase exports to that country fivefold, even going from being the fourth banana supplier to the first, which is now the Philippines. The fact is that the 30% tariff paid for the entry of the fruit to South Korea will drop 6% each year to reach 0% within five years once the Strategic Economic Cooperation Agreement (SECA) comes into force, which was signed on October 10 by the Foreign Trade Ministers of Ecuador, Daniel Legarda, and South Korea, Bang Moon Kyu, in Seoul, as a prelude to the full ratification of the trade agreement.

Fairtrade America, the U.S. branch of Fairtrade International, announced it is backing calls from banana producers and farm workers for fair prices and decent incomes - or banana producers risk going out of business. Fairtrade recently undertook its annual public consultation and extensive cost-of-production study involving more than 165 farmers, traders and retailers to deliver on its promise to secure fairer prices for farmers and workers.