Losses of this size could be devastating to the livelihood of many growers and the jobs their farms support, Commissioner Farmer wrote to the Governor. Producers also reported significant losses to the states winter wheat crop and the first alfalfa cutting of the season in addition to apples, peaches and other fruits. Kentuckys grape and wine industry has grown into a $24 million business that more than doubled wine production from 2003 to 2006. Kentuckys crops of apples and peaches...

Enriching wine with sugar costs about a third as much as using concentrated grape "musts" and this helps explain why many producers are opposed to any move to outlaw the use of sugar in the fermentation process. In the cooler parts of Europe, winemakers use sucrose from beet or sugar cane to bring up the alcohol levels in their products. Mariann Fischer Boel, the EU's agriculture commissioner wants to outlaw this practice and oblige winemakers to use unfermented grape juice instead....

In case you'd like to stop the worm's depredations, consider some of the more promising, new controls available to home orchardists: The wormholes I'm talking about were typically a twosome -- one opening in the shoulder, the other at the calyx, or blossom end, of the fruit. Commercial orchardists use sprays and other controls to ensure that supermarket apples don't have "eat around" holes. If you were a kid who swiped apples from neighbors' unsprayed trees, you probably ate around a lot...

By WAYNE TIMMO - Waikato Times . Friday, 8 June 2007 Email a Friend . Printable View . Have Your Say Related Links Subscribe to Archivestuff Have your say A cold start to summer saw Waikato grape growers' harvests slashed by up to 30 per cent, despite the national harvest climbing 11 per cent this year. By WAYNE TIMMO - Waikato Times . Friday, 8 June 2007 Email a Friend . Printable View . Have Your Say Related Links Subscribe to Archivestuff Have your say A cold start to summer saw Waikato...

Farmers told to ferment cocoa to meet international standards. He explained that, instead of the normal fermentation period of seven days that brings out good aroma and quality beans to meet acceptable international standards, some farmers ferment their beans between four and five days. Bentum explained that, the continuous use of cocoa farmland over the years leads to loss of natural nutrients of the soil and therefore calls for a booster to ensure good yield. Bentum however urged the...

Food & Drink . Events . A Divine Chocolate Experience At Eden This Summer. Divine, the farmer-owned Fairtrade chocolate company, will be running an interactive exhibition this summer at Eden Project, under the banner of Eden s major exhibition on climate and environment conservation and sustainability Towards the Edge (May 26th Sept 2nd) Divine, the farmer-owned Fairtrade chocolate company, will be running an interactive exhibition this summer at Eden Project, under the banner of Eden s...