Gulf Agriculture Magazine (Jan-Feb 2015)

TM

J A N U A RY F E B R U A RY 2 0 1 5I S S N 1 7 5 1 - 8 4 0 7

Y O U R G A T E W A Y T O T H E M I D D L E E A S T A G R I B U S I N E S S

A GLOBAL GATEWAY FOR FOOD TRADE

MARTEX OFFERS HIGHQUALITY PLANTER BAGS

HOLEX FLOWER, A WORLDOF FLOWERS

LOW COST TREATMENT OF THE RED PALM WEEVIL

BIOLOGICAL CONTROLAGAINST APPLE SCAB

3432 36 3914

2 JANUARY FEBRUARY 2015GULF AGRICULTURE

Editor in Chief Mohammed Nasser Editor Marie Matthew Associate Editor Andrew Thomas Graphic Designer Elizabeth JohnMarketing Manager Megha Mary Matt Production Manager Abdul ShareefContributors Neville J. Chandler, P.K. James, Douglas Bott, Shakeeb Kolakadan, Dr. Terry Mabbett

Head Office Matt Media International Ltd, Woodgreen, London N22 5AR, UK.E-mail: [email protected], Web site: www.gulfagriculture.comMiddle East Office Al Saad Advertising & Publishing L.L.C., P O Box 25694, Sharjah, UAE, Tel:+971 6 5639494, Fax:+971 6 5639449.

Gulf Agriculture is read by agri professionals, farm managers & owners, landscape consultants, contractors, agri-equipment suppliers, horticulturalengineers, greenhouse managers, agronomists, veterinary surgeons, ministries, poultry & dairy breeders, importers, distributors, manufacturers and whole salers of food and agri inputs.Printed and published by Matt Media© Intl. Ltd.(U.K.) 2015

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CONTENTS

All rights reserved. The opinions and views expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of the publishers. Readers are requested to seek specialist advice before acting on information contained in this publication, which is provided for general use and may not be appropriate for the reader’s particular circumstance. The publishers regret that they cannot accept liability for anyerror or omissions contained in this publication.

NEWS UPDATE PAGE 04

SECOND EDITION OF 'GLOBAL FORUM FOR INNOVATIONS IN AGRICULTURE' PAGE 18

GREEN SECTOR IS PROFITING FROM THE ECONOMIC UPSWING BY THE GULF PAGE 22

EIMA 2014: A PHENOMENAL EDITION PAGE 24

THE INTERNATIONAL HORTICULTURE AND AGRICULTURE TRADE FAIR PAGE 28

IRRIGATION SHOW BRINGS OVER 4,000 INDUSTRY PROFESSIONALS PAGE 30

SENNINGER IRRIGATION INTRODUCES NEW DUAL NOZZLE FITTING PAGE 31

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Mulch mats for weed protection Packing and transportation Arrangement and transportation Arrangement and transportation

Small mulch mats Packing and transportation Metal trunk shaping rings ARBO®-STRONG

Elastic mulch mat ARBO®-SAUNA 100% jute container in 270-360 g/m2 density

MARTEX® - TEXTILE PRODUCTS FOR RAISING OF ORNAMENTAL, FRUIT,AND FOREST SEEDLINGS, OR FOR THE PURPOSE OF RECULTIVATIONProducts commonly applied at nurseries, both in temperate and hot climateUsed for raising trees in the forest, idle land, semi-desert area, steppe …….Excellent for tree planting by the road and highway, useful for the purpose ofgeneral cleaning works, composting, and in any similar applications…….

MARTEX® PLANTING BAGS AND CONTAINERS Parking and transportation of planting bags, other types of containers, mulch mats and rings

THE COMPANY FROM POLAND OFFERING PRODUCTS FOR NURSERY SECTOR, AND FOR ORNAMENTAL, FRUIT, FOREST PLANT RAISING OR RECULTIVATION

Our representatives: D-Hermann Meyer KG: e-mail: [email protected]; NL/GB-B&P Co., www.b-en-p.nl;

Scandinavia: OY Urban natural Ab, www.natural.fi; Russia: Landscape Design Ltd., www.garden-center.ru,

Ukraine: Demetra Ltd., e-mail: [email protected]; Bulgaria-Romania: Hermann-Meyer, www.meyer-shop.com,

Abu Dhabi: Arid Land Co., LLC., www.aridland-dev.com,

e-mail: [email protected]


Oilseed Congress debutbrings exclusive content onoilseed complex inEurope/MENA to BarcelonaHighQuest Group will expandits oilseed conference offeringswith the debut of the newOilseed CongressEurope/MENA in Barcelona,Spain, on 9-10 February 2015at the Hotel Arts. The event willprovide exclusive content onthe current state and outlook forthe oilseed complex in Europeand the Middle East/NorthAfrica and how global trendsare likely to affect the sector.

This one-and-a-half dayevent is fashioned after thecompany's successful U.S.-based Oilseed & Grain TradeSummit, which is now in itstenth year and is highlyregarded for providing timelycontent and outstandingnetworking opportunities forparticipants operating across theoilseed and feed grains supplychain.

As with the U.S. event, thecontent for the OilseedCongress has been tailored toaddress the needs of itsaudience, focusing on issuesthat have a direct impact onimporters and exporters,merchandisers and traders,service providers, and primaryprocessors and downstreamconsumption markets in feed,food, biodiesel and industrialapplications. Unique challengesand opportunities facing thoseactive in this sector in Europeand the MENA region will beaddressed, including:

� What factors will drive thetrade of oilseeds and derivativeproducts over in the next 12months, primarily in Europe,but also in North and SouthAmerica and Asia?

� What trends are apparentin the quality level of oilseeds

and their derivatives in themajor origins?

� What is the expectedfuture competitiveness betweendifferent vegetable oils used ina range of applications (food,biodiesel and industrial) andhow will this affect trade flowsfor vegetable oils?

The topics for day two of theconference include riskmanagement strategies, freightmarket and trends,developments in trading rulesand arbitration, and tradefinancing, including what kindsof innovative trade financingfacilities are available in theEuropean/MENA market today.

For more details, visitwww.oilseedcongress.com.Register for the event with a10% discount using promocode: #3PR-OCE15. Also checkout the agenda for the co-located Women in AgribusinessSummit Europe, which willprovide insightful industrycontent, professionaldevelopment skills andstrategies for success forwomen across the agribusinessvalue chain.

Functional waters power aheadThe global market forfunctional waters grew last yearby 10% in volume to 4,800million litres and by 8.5% invalue to $6,500 million,according to a new report fromleading food and drinksindustry consultancy ZenithInternational.

The Zenith Report onFlavoured Functional WaterInnovation identifies 8 keyareas of focus for new productdevelopment initiatives since2012 - natural ingredients,natural sweeteners, energywaters, beauty and wellnesswaters, vitamin waters,

innovative functionality,diversified flavours andminimalist packaging.

60 in-depth brand profilesoffer product images as well asdetailed information such aslaunch date, packaging type andsize, pricing, ingredients,variants and marketing. Theseare analysed under 7 headings -functional claims, functionalingredients, still waters,sparkling waters, children'swaters, caps and closures, andinnovation.

"Functional waters provideadded benefits for healthconscious consumers,"commented Zenith ChairmanRichard Hall. "Many peoplealready appreciate the value ofhealthy hydration. The mostcommon added ingredients arevitamins and minerals alongsideherbs and fruit flavours. Theseare generally combined toprovide a premium package oftaste, convenience and lifestylewith a targeted wellbeing appeal.

"Our new report bringstogether all the latest in productdevelopment around the worldand is intended to serve as anideal reference for any companyseeking to create or expand apresence in this rapidly growingmarket," he concluded.

Among other pointshighlighted in the Zenith report:

� China, the United Statesand Japan are the 3 leadingnational markets.

� The top 3 brands areMizone from Danone, GlacéauVitaminwater from Coca-Colaand Propel from PepsiCo.

� Both volume and value arepredicted to continue growingby 8-10% a year.

The Zenith Report onFlavoured Functional WaterInnovation contains profiles on60 brands launched in 2012-14across 5 regions under 7

NEWS UPDATE


categories. Contact ZenithInternational on +44 (0)1225327900 or [email protected].

COMER INDUSTRIES,MENTION AT SIMAINNOVATION AWARDS 2015On November 27 th, 2014Comer Industries was recognizedfor its CENTRIPLUS system atthe Avant-Première ceremony ofthe SIMA Innovation Awards,the international competitionpromoted from the Parisexhibition dedicated toAgriculture (scheduled inParis, France, from February 22-26, 2015).

Comer Industries'CENTRIPLUS solutionimproves the efficiency ofinternal oil wet discs byseparation of the brake packfrom the axle lubrication oil.The system also provides acentrifugal lubrication in orderto assure the correct oil quantityrequired by the friction materialduring the braking phase toprevent overheating. In this wayit is possible to reduce thepower loss or to increase thevehicle speed. This technicalsolution is simple, reliable,cost-effective and does notrequire any other externaldevices. CENTRIPLUS ispatented and is suitable forapplication on differential axlesfor self-propelled agriculturalmachines, particularlytelehandlers.

The ceremony, hosted byDominique Chapatte, editor ofTurbo - M6, took place atMuseum Dapper in Paris; it wasattended by Patrick Pérard,President of AXEMA, Jean- MarcBournigal, President of IRSTEA,Martine Dégremont, Director ofSIMA, Valérie Le Roy, DirectorCommunication of SIMA.

Receiving the award were

Franck La Spina, Director,Didier Querval, Director AgriSales and Sebastien Bresciani,Distribution Manager of ComerIndustries Sarl Frenchsubsidiary.

“We are strengthening ourvocation for excellence throughan approach focused oninnovation. WithCENTRIPLUS, ComerIndustries confirms its ability toface even more demandingmarkets and challenges withproducts that are more efficientand environmentally friendly.”,La Spina said.

The jury members addressedto Comer Industries theirsincerest congratulations andwished every success to themarketing of this new product.

Cherrington Self-PropelledScreener for Animal WasteCollectionCherrington Screeners removeeverything larger than theselected screen hole size whileimmediately returning the sandto the surface. This processallows for fast and efficientremoval of unwanted waste andresults in sanitary compoundsfor the animals.

The Cherrington removes asmuch waste in less than an hourthan the manual labor crew at thisdairy did in a full day's work.

The Cherrington self-propelled screener with its 3wheel design for zero-turnability for great maneuverabilityin the camel pens.

Agrocode launches newproduct Nitrocode AZ+aimed at boostingvegetable productionAgrocode has announced thelaunch of Nitrocode AZ+, aninnovative bacterial inoculantbased on Azospirillumtechnology that has been

designed to boost growth of alltypes of vegetables, helpingproducers get the most out oftheir crops, whatever theground conditions may be.

In fact, the product, whichworks by increasing theproduction of natural hormonesin plants, can boost productionby between 13% and 32%depending on crop andcultivation conditions.

Once applied to plants,Nitrocode AZ+ stimulatesgrowth by taking atmosphericnitrogen (N2) and converting itinto biological nitrogen(NH4+), while also stimulatingplants to synthesise naturalphytohormones; all of whichhelp contribute towards plantand root growth.

The launch of NitrocodeAZ+ coincides with the debutof Agrocode's new, dedicatedweb presence (agrocode.com),which features detailedinformation on all of theproducts offered by thecompany, together with help forgrowers and technologicalresources.

An innovative, patentedmicrobiological solutiondesigned for use with all typesof crops, Nitrocode AZ+ iscomposed of two potentelements:

AZ is a liquid inoculant thatcontains a very highconcentration of natural bacteria(Azospirillum ssp) thatpromotes plant growth. Thebacteria works by colonisingplant roots and the rhizosphere(the area of soil surroundingplant roots), encouraging theproduction of natural planthormones throughout thegrowth cycle.

The molecular enhancer '+' -an important scientificdevelopment, as it makes use ofall of the biological metabolic

NEWS UPDATE


molecules released during thebacterial growth process.

Following application, thesolution combinestransformation of atmosphericnitrogen (N2) to biologicalnitrogen (NH4+) with theproduction of naturalphytohormones.

At the same time, thesolution can also help growersachieve a reduction of up to30% in the use of chemicalnitrogen fertiliser.

Over the last 25 years,scientific advances haveenabled a better understandingof the use of biologicalfertilisers, which are helpingbring about a green revolutionby substituting orcomplementing chemicalfertilisers with beneficialbacterials and fungi.

The innovative NitrocodeAZ+ formula has beendeveloped jointly by theUniversity of Seville and theBrazilian Corporation forAgricultural Research(EMBRAPA), alongsideAgrocode's own department ofresearch and development.

Global redistribution ofphosphorus use couldimprove food securityIf the use and reuse of the finiteresource phosphorus as anutrient for plants were to behandled with greater careworldwide it would becomepossible to produce sufficientfood for the global populationin and after 2050. In addition tobeing home to a considerableproportion of the globalpopulation, China is also amajor producer and user ofphosphorus. Sheida Sattari, aPhD student at WageningenUniversity, has shown how themore sustainable use ofphosphorus in China can have

NEWS UPDATE

GB seed potato exports resurge into Caribbean marketA recent visit to Scotland by Cuban agricultural officials has led to a revised agreementfor the importation of GB seed potatoes.

Supported by the unique partnership between Potato Council and Scottish Governmentto boost export opportunities, senior officials from Cuba's Agricultural Ministry and PlantHealth section travelled to Scotland to meet officials from Scottish Government, SASA,Fera and Potato Council.

The Cuban visitors were given a focused tour encompassing Scottish Government'sSASA's plant health facilities, a seed potato micro-propagation facility, and visited aleading Scottish seed grower and exporter - all demonstrating the high health and qualityof GB seed production.

In 2013, it was reported that Cuba spent over £1bn on food imports, representingaround 60% of its domestic food requirement. Since 2007, the government has made foodsecurity a priority and there is an increasing requirement for increased domestic cropproduction including healthy, high-yielding potatoes.

Robert Burns, Head of Seed and Export at Potato Council led the Inward Mission toCuba with SASA to progress official discussions. Robadvised “Cuba used to import 30Ktonnes of seed potatoes each year, some of which came from GB. But in recent years thisdwindled to just a few thousand tonnes. However, Cuba has an early growing season andan emerging requirement for both fresh and processing varieties so there have been greathopes to revive this market as an important destination for GB seed.”

Agriculture employs around 20% of the Cuban population,and Cuban state farms holdover 70% of Cuba's agricultural land - about 6.7m hectares. In 2008, in a move toincrease productive use of state land resources, private farmers and co-operatives werepermitted to lease any unused land for production, and regulations were loosened sofarmers could sell directly to consumers.

Also, Cuba has been plagued by 'El Marabú' (Marabou), an invasive weed which hasoverrun large areas of agricultural land. However, it turns out that Marabou is an effectivebiofuel and is now being cleared.This is releasing more land back into agricultural use,and no doubt helping to increase domestic food production - and sustainable potato crops- for the 11million population of this large Caribbean island.

(Middle) Mr Manuel Rodríguez Izquierdo, Seed Company of Cuban AgricultureMinistry and (5th right) Dr Liuva Pérez López, Relations Department, CubanAgriculture Ministry representing Sanidad Vegetal (Plant Health) with officials andplant health experts from Scottish Government, SASA, Fera and Potato Council.

JANUARY FEBRUARY 2015

positive global effects. Sattaridetermined that Europe andChina, where a large amount ofphosphorus has been capturedin the soil in the past decades asa result of fertilisation, canmake considerable savings onthe use of phosphorus fertiliser.This can benefit countries inAfrica, where investments inphosphorus fertilisation areessential to increase foodproduction.

Food demand is growing dueto an increasing globalpopulation and changing diets.Meeting these requirementswill entail being more carefulwith our use of land, water,energy and nutrients for plants.Plants use the infinite energy ofthe sun, but do not grow well ifthe soil in which they arerooted contains insufficient

nutrients such as phosphorusand nitrogen.

Over recent decades theagricultural sector inindustrialised countries hasover-used phosphate fertiliser,in contrast to most developingcountries. This fertiliserrequires phosphate rock as ore,which is only extracted in a fewplaces worldwide such asMorocco, China and the US. Asthere is only sufficient stock forthe next 100 to 400 years, a fastand efficient optimisation of theuse and reuse of phosphorus isessential.

"A better use and reuserequires innovations and firmdecisions from governments,"says Sattari. "These innovationswould allow the production ofmore food with less phosphorusas well as the reuse of a large

part of the phosphorus. Thiscan be stimulated bygovernments via legislation andregulations."

In her research Sattaridiscovered that a better use andreuse of phosphorus in Chinawould have a relatively majorimpact worldwide. Chinacurrently feeds around 20% ofthe global population (1.3billion people) for which it uses30% of the annual phosphorusfertiliser on only 7% of theagricultural area. This makesChina by far the largest globalconsumer of phosphorusfertiliser. In Asia as a whole,China represents half of thetotal consumption. China is alsothe largest producer ofphosphorus fertiliser,accounting for 37.5% of thetotal global production in 2010.

NEWS UPDATE

9GULF AGRICULTURE

1 0 JANUARY FEBRUARY 2015GULF AGRICULTURE

Sattari used quantitativeanalyses to study China'soptions for making phosphorususe more sustainable. Sheconcluded that a Chinese policyaimed at the more sustainableuse of phosphorus fertilisersand phosphorus that is alreadycontained in the soil could savenearly 20% on the amount ofphosphorus from animal andmineral fertiliser until 2050.Sattari: "This is equivalent tohalf of the phosphorusrequirements of the Africancontinent till 2050 and equalsthe amount of phosphorusneeded for Western Europe.This means that China can playan important role in increasingthe global sustainable use ofphosphorus, and thus contributeto global food security."

The ministers of CentralAfrican countries aretaking a decisive steptoward the creation of agreen economy, with afocus on the timberindustry

The organizers of theConference of Ministers ofECCAS (http://www.ceeac-eccas.org) on the Fund for theGreen Economy in CentralAfrica and the structuraltransformation of the economyof natural resourcesannounced that the ministersfrom the region have adopteda text establishing the Fundfor the Green Economy inCentral Africa.

At the opening of theconference, the Vice PrimeMinister of Defense andVeterans of the DemocraticRepublic of Congo (DRC), Mr.Tambo Loaba, announced a $3million contribution from hiscountry to start the Fund for theGreen Economy in CentralAfrica (FEVAC).

“Concerning the financing ofFEVAC, the DemocraticRepublic of Congo supports itscreation and commits $3million for its establishmentbeginning in 2015,” said Mr.Loaba in his address.

This decision marks a firstgiant step toward the effectiveinitiation of a globalrestructuring of the CentralAfrican economy, based on thenatural resource economy andthe timber industry in particular.

“Today, for the first time,Central Africa has placed theenvironment within the coreeconomic structure of thecountries in the region,”emphasized Dr. Honoré Tabuna,Biodiversity Valuation andEnvironmental Economicsexpert and the conferencecoordinator. “We are finallyreaching the final stages andpractical implementation of aprocess that began in Rio in1992. We must now talk aboutthe economy in order toestablish a new balance ofsustainable development basedon a green economy in CentralAfrica,” he added.

Held from October 27-30 inKinshasa, the conferencebrought together the CentralAfrican Ministers of Finance,Foreign Affairs, and Forestry aswell as several experts in greeneconomy and the timberindustry.

It was hosted by the ECCASas part of the Program for theManagement of VulnerableEcosystems in Central Africa(under ECOFAC), the result ofa joint effort with the EuropeanUnion, which provides financialsupport within the frameworkof the EU Forest LawEnforcement, Governance andTrade (FLEGT) Action Plan.

Today, the timber industryserves as an example, showing

the true decision makers in thecountries of Central Africa thata shift toward a green economyrepresents a positive economicturn for the region's economy asa whole.

The joint presence of theMinisters of Forestry andFinance of Central Africancountries provides a newopportunity to demonstrate thatthe green economy is notsimply a concern forenvironmental experts, but alsofor the economists of eachgovernment.

It's key to note that themove of major regional actorsto create a new “motor” forthe green economy providessupport to countriescombating illegal loggingwhile also encouraging goodforest governance. Thisimportant movement for thegreen economy, whichdepends on the progressivecommitment of the Ministersof Finance, will bring regionalchanges and attractinvestments to help thecountries working with theFLEGT and which havesigned voluntary agreementswith the EU.

The Voluntary PartnershipAgreements (VPAs) arebilateral trade agreementsbetween the EU and a timber-exporting country. The VPA isunderpinned by thedevelopment andimplementation of a timberlicensing scheme by the partnercountry. All of the lumberexported to the EU must abideby the regulations of thisscheme. Moreover, each EUcountry is responsible forkeeping unauthorized lumberout of the market.

“The objective is to give agreater voice to the Ministers ofthe Environment who, thus far,

NEWS UPDATE


have received only a smallshare of the budget, far lessthan the Ministers ofCommerce or Energy whobenefit from revenue generatedby their activities. We mustshow that natural resources aremuch more lucrative,” saidAimé Nianogo, IUCN RegionalDirector for West Africa.

Indeed, timber- and forestry-related issues lie naturally atthe heart of the implementationof the Green Economy Systemin Central Africa: the timberindustry, which has longrepresented a gateway tointernational markets, iscurrently benefiting from majoradvances provided by marketregulation programs, such asthe EU Timber Regulation, butalso the Lacey Act in theUnited States and theAustralian Illegal LoggingProhibition Act.

These regulations andagreements, like those of theFLEGT, open new, morereliable, and better-regulatedmarkets, the revenues of whichcan be better distributed thanksto improved governance.Indeed, changing the economicsystem to allow for thedevelopment of the greeneconomy requires fundamentalgovernmental restructuring.“That is one of the majorobstacles that still riskshindering the best intentionsand positions of even the mostsincere decision makers,” saidAimé Nianogo.

The Ministers of Forestryalso had the opportunity toconvince their own Ministers ofFinance of the importance ofpaying attention to issuesrelating to the timber industryand its development. Clearly,these are not simply nationalbut also regional concerns, asregional Ministers of Forestry

met to discuss these issues withMinisters of Finance.

One of the majorobjectives for Central Africancountries is primarily tochange an economic modelthat broadly relies on subsoilnatural resources: minerals,oil, and gas.

These resources provide theregion with significantlypositive growth, at nearly 6%,but this growth does not benefitthe entire population. Indeed,

some regions are afflicted by apoverty rate of up to 70%.

“Our studies show that thetimber industry could weigh3% to 8% in the largesteconomies in the region andwould generate a large numberof jobs, which is a majorconcern for several countries inthe region,” Nianogo said.

The conference provides theopportunity to vote on severalprojects meant to build afoundation for the green economy

NEWS UPDATE

1 1GULF AGRICULTURE

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system to be financed by the newFund for the Green Economy.

These projects fulfillregional objectives for thedevelopment of the naturalresource economy in aframework that corresponds tothe objectives andrecommendations establishedover the past twenty years bythe Rio and Rio+20conferences. They allow for thedevelopment of local, national,regional, and internationaleconomic circuits that createjob opportunities forpopulations that have beenexcluded up until now.

“The projects must beapproved and distributed amongthe countries according to theirinterest in achieving the setobjectives, not just according totheir individual desires as afunction of their capabilitiesand hopes of earning profits inthe long term,” reminds AiméNianogo. “We'll undoubtedlyhave to provide support for theless dynamic countries or thoselacking the necessary expertiseto establish solid projects sothat they can also benefit froman evolution that must extendthroughout the entire region.”

The text adopted at Kinshasawill be presented at the

conference to be held inN'djamena, Chad, where theHeads of State will be able toexpress their commitment to theprecise and concrete measures itcontains.

Distributed by APO (AfricanPress Organization) on behalfof the Economic Community ofCentral African States(ECCAS).

Anugafoodtec & Cibustec to join Africa's Big SevenTop European Food FairOrganisers Join AB7: SouthernAfrica's strong growth potentialhas motivated two of Europe'sbiggest exhibition giants -Kölnmesse and Fiere di Parmatogether with Senaf-TechnicheNuove Group - to organise anItalian Pavilion at the 2015edition of Africa's Big Seven(AB7), the continent's largest foodand beverage trade exhibition.The companies will be featuringtwo of Europe's best known foodexpo brands, Anugafoodtec andCibustec, at the world-renownedAB7 food and beverage tradeexhibition in 2015.

The expo takes place atGallagher Convention Centre inMidrand, Johannesburg, SouthAfrica, from June 21-23, 2015.The inaugural Italian Pavilion at

AB7 2015 is a prelude to theEuropean/South Africanconsortium organising a yearlyfood industry event in the regionfrom 2016. Kölnmesse and Fieredi Parma have a long history ofcooperating in joint projects topromote agribusiness around theworld. Following extensivesuccess in China, Japan andThailand they are now focusingon promoting food technologiesin African markets.

A Growing Economy forSouth Africa: South Africa, thepremier gateway to sub-Saharanmarkets, has experiencedsignificant economic growth inrecent years, particularly afterjoining the 'BRICS' bloccountries (Brazil, Russia, India,China and South Africa) in2010. The country boasts one ofthe highest growth rates inAfrica, and a population of over54 million with over 60% underthe age of 30. More than 10million people can be classifiedas 'high-end' consumers. AB7offers an incomparablespringboard into the rest ofAfrica. The Southern Africanregion combines 14 countrieswith over 150 millioninhabitants. These nations enjoyan active free trade agreementfor goods under the ambit of theSouthern African DevelopmentCommunity (SADC). It is thebest structured internal tradeorganisation in Africa,representing 20% of thecontinent's population and 75%of its GDP. The food & beverageIndustries in Africa have anongoing need for systems,technologies and know-how forprocessing and production of rawmaterials. AB7 is a consolidatedseven-in-one trade fair organisedby Exhibition ManagementServices (EMS), one of the mostactive independent exhibitionorganisers in Africa.

NEWS UPDATE


The 2015 edition ofGulfood, the world'slargest annual food and

hospitality trade show, marksthe 20th anniversary for one ofthe most important internationalplatforms for the global foodtrade. Taking place from 8 - 12February 2015 at Dubai WorldTrade Centre (DWTC),Gulfood continues to play apivotal role in connectingnations and suppliers, openingdistribution channels forindustry-related business, andhighlighting Dubai's strategicrole as a key trading hub for theglobal food industry.

With the 2014 edition of theshow breaking its ownparticipation records andgenerating show-floor and year-round legacy sales numberingin the billions of US dollars,Gulfood 2015 - the biggestedition in the show's history - isexpected to attract more than4,800 international companiesfrom 120 countries and morethan 85,000 visitors from over170 countries. To accommodatethe meteoric growth and tens ofthousands of participatingbrands, Gulfood 2015 will span127,000m2 of exhibition space- including a 23,000m2,purpose-built temporarystructure, the largest-of-its-typeregionally.

A unique trade and sourcingplatform for finished foodsuppliers, bulk commoditywholesalers and exportersacross the spectrum of fresh,frozen, dry and processed foodand beverage products, Gulfood

2015 also facilitates substantialglobal transactions for foodstuffcommodities such as meat,cereals, grains, rice, coffee andtea. Driven by a fast-growingpopulation, burgeoninghospitality and tourismmarkets and its prominentposition as a re-export hub, theUAE's demand for food staplesis increasing at a rate of 30 percent every year, according tothe Ministry of Economy. Withimports accounting forbetween 80-90 per cent ofGCC food consumption, Dubaiis best placed to cater forincreasing demand in regionalfood trading.

“A landmark celebrationsuch as the 20th anniversary ofGulfood is an opportunity toreflect on the show's growth inboth scale and stature over thepast two decades, and toreiterate the role Gulfoodcontinues to play in brokeringsignificant partnerships andbusiness deals betweencompanies, corporations andcountries around the world,”said Trixie LohMirmand,Senior Vice President,Exhibitions & Events, DWTC.

Gulfood 2015 will host anincreasing number ofinternational heads of state,ministers and governmentofficials, as national tradeassociations ink lucrative bi-lateral trade agreements anddebate food industry trends atindustry-shaping conferencesand summits scheduled duringa series of GulfoodConferences.

GULFOOD PREVIEW

A GLOBAL GATEWAYFOR FOOD TRADE


GULFOOD PREVIEW

1 5GULF AGRICULTURE


Gulfood is also a majorcontributor to Dubai's growingreputation as a global eventsdestination and a key pillar ofDubai's 2020 tourism vision,which aims to double theemirate's annual visitorsnumbers from 10 million in2012 to 20 million in 2020.According to a recent report byEuromonitor, the nmber of F&Boutlets in the UAE is expected

to double in the next four years,making food service andhospitality equipment aparticularly pertinent sector atGulfood 2015.

Thousands of food andbeverage products andservices are introduced everyyear at Gulfood and theGulfood Awards - in its sixthedition this year - presents anopportunity for best-in-class

excellence to be recognisedand rewarded. The highly-prestigious accoladescelebrate both people andcompanies behind the region'sleadership and innovation inthe food and drink industry.Judged by an internationalpanel of independent industryexperts, the Awards will bedivided in six categories and10 different awards.

Taking place on the 10th ofFebruary 2015 at the five-starConrad Hotel in Dubai, theAwards evening will also playhost to a unique andmemorable celebration of theshow's achievements over thepast 20 editions. Over 1,000leading industry decision-makers, celebrity chefs, keyexhibitors, customers, mediaand national groups areexpected to attend theanniversary event.

One of Gulfood's undisputeddraws for the regions' topprofessional chefs, pastry chefs,cooks and bakers every year isthe annual Emirates CulinaryGuild International SalonCulinaire - a showcase of theregion's best culinary talent andexpertise. Held in Za'abeelPavilion, this year's Salon willsee more than 1,300professional chefs evaluated bya panel of 25 renowned experts,mandated by the WorldAssociation of Chefs Societies(WACS) to judge culinaryevents across the globe.

Gulfood 2015 is a stricttrade-only event and is opento business and trade visitors.The show is open 11am-7pmfrom February 8-11 and11am-5pm on February 12.Visitors can pre-register atwww.gulfood.com to saveAED100 (US$ 27) on the on-site entry fee of AED250(US$ 66.65).

GULFOOD PREVIEW


The second edition of theGlobal Forum forInnovations in Agriculture

(GFIA) is set to take place in AbuDhabi from March 9-11, 2015.Held under the patronage of H.H.Sheikh Mansour Bin Zayed AlNahyan, Deputy Prime Ministerof the UAE, Minister ofPresidential Affairs and Chairmanof Abu Dhabi Food ControlAuthority and in strategicpartnership with the Abu DhabiFood Control Authority(ADFCA), the exhibition andconference will feature more than300 next-generation agricultural

solutions that could shape thefuture of sustainable farmingaround the world.

With global policy makersand scientists tasked withidentifying innovative ways tofeed a population of more thannine billion people by 2050,GFIA will aim to accelerate thedevelopment of solutions thatmeet the world's pressingchallenges.

GFIA will bring togetherparticipants from the entireagricultural value-chain - fromagribusiness and academia topolicy and investment - to

witness more than 400presentations of game-changingideas with the potential tofundamentally change the wayfood is produced, processed,stored, distributed andconsumed.

“As the world looks tosupport sustainable economicand social development into the21st century and beyond, thesolutions we identify to ourfood and water securitychallenges today will define thefuture of our nations,” saidMohamed Jalal Al Rayssi,Chairman of the Organising

GFIA PREVIEW

SECOND EDITION OF 'GLOBAL FORUM


Committee, at Abu Dhabi FoodControl Authority.

“Furthermore, with climate-smart food production being acritical factor for the UAE andother water-constrained parts ofthe MENA region. Abu Dhabiis strongly committed todriving the global dialogue onfood security and climateresilience and this eventreinforces that commitment. Welook forward to welcomingsome of the world's leadingexperts in this field.”

The inaugural GlobalClimate-Smart Agriculture

Summit will serve as keyelement of the 2015 event. Thesummit has been developedunder the guidance of theGlobal Alliance for ClimateSmart Agriculture launchedduring the UN Climate Summitin New York in September2014. Climate-SmartAgriculture is a strategicfarming approach designed toraise agricultural productivitywhilst mitigating the effects ofclimate change.

The alliance includes morethan 20 governments, 30organizations and companies

including the World Bank, TheNetherlands government, andthe Food & AgricultureOrganization of the UnitedNations. It represents millionsof farmers, at least a quarter ofthe world cereal production, 43million undernourished peopleand 16 percent of the totalagricultural greenhouse gasemissions.

“GFIA is unique in that itattracts all the players - fromacross the full food value chain- needed to effect real change inthe way we feed the world,”said Mohamed Jalal Al Rayssi.

GFIA PREVIEW

1 9GULF AGRICULTURE

FOR INNOVATIONS IN AGRICULTURE'


“From policy-makers andgovernments to food producers,commercial organizations,bilateral and multilateraldevelopment agencies andinvestors, GFIA is a stage thathelps actualize real progress.This harmonization approach isessential if we are to meet the

challenge of feeding a rapidlygrowing global population.”

The second edition of GFIAwill also include newly-launched 'Hosted ScientistProgramme' an initiative thatwill assemble 300 of the world'sleading scientists in Abu Dhabi,to establish a scientific crucible

for discussion, knowledgesharing and the advancement ofresearch.

A 'Research & CollaborationZone' will allow academicsfrom across the developedand developing world tomeet, share knowledge,collaborate, and network withinvestors to commercializebreakthrough ideas.

In addition, the GFIAconferences - featuring 250speakers - will address a rangeof key issues critical to thefuture of global agriculture andfood production, including:� Solutions for the reduction of

post-harvest losses and foodwaste;

� ICT in agriculture: how ICTcan promote sustainable andclimate resilient agriculture;

� Land restoration andagroforestry: restoration ofthe world's degraded arableland;

� Non-conventional water useand agriculture in aridclimates;

� Edible cities: growing thefood where the majority ofthe world's populationlives; and

� Workshops on aquacultureand indoor agriculture. GFIA is sponsored by the

Food Security Centre - AbuDhabi, Exeed Industries and theFederation of UAE Chambersof Commerce & Industry. Andheld with official support fromthe UAE Ministry ofEnvironment & Water, with akeynote speech planned by H.E.Dr. Rashid Ahmed Bin Fahad,Minister of Environment andWater, UAE.

For more information and toregister, please visit the GFIAwebsitehttp://www.innovationsinagriculture.com/

GFIA PREVIEW

Join the world’s leaders in climate-smart agriculture

Strategic Sponsor Global Research for Impact Partner

Sustainable Agriculture Partner

Forum Sponsor

H.E. Sharon Dijksma

Minister for Agriculture,The Netherlands

Martin Bwalye

Head of Agriculture, NEPAD

H.E. Dr. Rashid Ahmed Bin Fahad

Minister of Environment & Water, UAE

Dr. Juergen Voegele

Senior Director, Agriculture Global Practice, The World Bank

Dymphna van der Lans

CEO, Clinton Climate Initiative

Prof. Louise O. Fresco

President of the Executive Board, Wageningen UR

Dr. Naoko Ishii

CEO and Chairperson, Global Environment Facility (GEF)

Frank Rijsberman

CEO, CGIAR Consortium

Howard-Yana Shapiro

Chief Agricultural Officer, Mars, Incorporated

Dr. Dennis Garrity

UN Drylands Ambassador, Senior Fellow, World Agroforestry Centre

Knowledge Partner Innovation Partner


IPM & WOP DUBAI REVIEW

More visitors and anexcellent supportingprogramme

characterised IPM DUBAI andWorld of Perishables (WOP)DUBAI 2014 which tookplace in parallel. A total of6,733 visitors from 94 nationscame to the most importantplant fair in the Gulf regionand to the fair for temperature-sensitive goods - a substantialplus of 26 percent incomparison with the precedingyear. The growth mayprimarily be attributed to thegeneral economic upswing in

the region and, in particular, tothe touristic upswing there.Future large-scale events willmake additional contributionsto the good market situation.

"The green sector isprofiting especially from theWorld Expo 2020 in Dubaiand the Football World Cup2022 in Qatar. Gigantic areasmust be provided withgreenery. This enormous needfor investment has exertedvery positive influences onIPM and WOP DUBAI 2014.The increasing tourism israising the demand for fruit

and vegetables as well as forflowers," Oliver P. Kuhrt,CEO of Messe Essen GmbH,was pleased about the successof the events. "Thecombination of both fairsresulted in valuable synergeticeffects for our visitors,"continued Kuhrt.

At IPM DUBAI, 80exhibitors from 23 countriespresented their wide availableranges - starting with plantsand horticultural technologyvia floristry right up to gardenfeatures. Quality products"Made in Germany" received a

GREEN SECTOR IS PROFITING FROM THEECONOMIC UPSWING BY THE GULF

platform with the cooperativebooth organised by INDEGA("Representation of interestsof the German horticultureindustry"). Other nationalbooths were provided byEgypt and Ethiopia.

The specialist lecturesintegrated into the fair hallsmet with great interest andaddressed the subject oflandscaping for the first time.Additional main focal pointswere the proper applicationof measuring systems duringplant breeding, the utilisationof substrates and plantprotection. On the third dayof the fair, the series oflectures focused on weddingfloristry. Outside the fair sitetoo, a top-class programmewas offered to the visitorsand the exhibitors. The visits

to horticultural andlandscaping businesses and toa garden centre provided theparticipants with exclusiveinsights into localhorticulture.

The "Middle East FloralDesign Excellence Award"concentrated on floral tabledecorations on the highest level.In addition to an expert jury, thevisitors were also able to choosetheir favourites. Patrick vanHesselingen, Floral Designer atFlowers by Contempo Dubai,emerged as the winner.

WOP DUBAI: MoreExhibition Area andEnlarged CountryParticipations In 2014, WOP DUBAI wasbigger and more internationalthan ever. 170 exhibitors from24 countries introduced theirinnovations from the fields offresh goods, goods security,

technical equipment, transport,trading and service. Australia,Morocco and Polandcelebrated their premieres withofficial country participations.For the first time, Italy'snational booth was organisedby the most important Italianmarketing and communicationorganisation for the fruit andvegetable sectors "CentroServizi Ortofrutticoli".Belgium, China and Portugalextended their participations.France is planning to enlargeits booth for 2015.

The companies showed thatthey were very satisfied with thecourse of the fair. They were ableto establish a lot of contacts tothe most important supermarketsin the region and to open up newsales markets. WOP DUBAI wasrounded off by the "EurofruitBusiness Forum" in whichexperts discussed the latestdevelopments in the sectors.


IPM & WOP DUBAI REVIEW

2 3GULF AGRICULTURE


EIMA INTERNATIONAL REVIEW

EIMA International canvaunt extraordinarynumbers for the 41st

edition which just closed with235,614 visitors logged in. Alsogrowing was the number offoreign business people arrivingto confirm the exposition as anagricultural mechanization pointof reference on the world scene.

Technologies, the economyas well as social cooperation inagriculture were among thethemes which came to thesurface during the event. Thepresident of the ItalianFederation of AgriculturalMachinery Manufacturers,Massimo Goldoni ofFederUnacoma, affirmed thatagricultural mechanization isone of finest expressions of ourcivilization.

The agricultural mechanizationexposition came to a close withhistoric results. The number of

EIMA 2014: APHENOMENALEDITION

Feder Unacoma communications and press officemanager Girolamo Rossi with Gulf Agriculturemagazine managing editor Matt



2 5GULF AGRICULTURE


visitors attending the most recentedition in 2012 came to 196,000and those arriving this timereached 235,614 for a 20%increase which went well beyondall expectations.

From the early hours ofWednesday the 12th until theevening of Sunday the 16th, theflows of the crowds through theentry gates of the trade fair centerwere incessant as were thearrivals of foreign businesspeople.

The data made public byFederUnacoma disclose thegrowing number of businesspeople from abroad came to38,773 for a 21% gain over theprevious edition. With visitorsarriving from 124 countries,1,800 manufacturing industriesexhibiting, 650 of them comingfrom abroad, 60 official foreigndelegations and 700 accreditedmembers of the media from 40countries, EIMA Internationalwas crowned as an event ofglobal relevance.

The five-day run of theexposition included a schedule ofmore than 150 conferences andmeetings hosted onmechanization issues andagronomics and agriculturalpolicies. There was also room for

social matters and cooperationand economic ethics in aconference on Agriculture andLegality dedicated to agriculturalsocial cooperatives operating onconfiscated lands controlled byorganized crime.

On this issue, Ccile Kyenge, aEuropean Member of theParliament for the ItalianDemocratic Party, used theEIMA International window torecall the fundamental role ofagriculture for the creation ofbalanced economic systems in

the developing countries as wellas the advanced counties.

The FederUnacoma presidentdeclared, over these days wehave witnessed enormous crowdsof people amazingly attentive andmotivated for learning even thefrontiers of the technical detailsof the machinery and equipmentpresented at this review.

Agricultural machinery is theproduct of very special ingenuityand talents in manufacturing andone of the finest expressions ofour civilization.



Growtech Eurasia, the14th InternationalGreenhouse,

Agricultural Equipment andTechnologies Fair held fromDecember 3-6, 2014 at AntalyaExpo Center, hosted over 650national and internationalexhibitors from 35 countriesincluding Germany, France,Holland, England and Spain.

Visitor numbers hasincreased by 20% and reached75.218. International Visitornumbers has increased by 50%.Growtech Eurasia hostedvisitors more than 70 countries.Main visiting countries are Iran,Jordan, Egypt, Azerbaijan,Russia, Lebanon, Iraq & Spain.

Growtech Eurasia broughttogether latest product andservices of the agriculturesector with an exhibitor profilefrom seed growing, seedlinggrowing, greenhouse vegetablegrowing, modern fruit growing,greenhouse technologies,irrigation systems, plantnutrition, project planning,project designing and packing.As in the previous years,seminars were organized duringGrowtech Eurasia 2014 Fair,

Spanish exhibitors atGROWTECH reportgreat resultsAn outstanding group ofSpanish exhibitors attended thelast edition of Growtech(Turkey) to promote andexpand their presence in CentralAsia and Middle East backedby AGRAGEX, the SpanishExporters Association ofAgricultural Machinery and itscomponents, Greenhouses and

Crop Protection, IrrigationSystems, Livestock Equipment,Nutrition and Animal Health,Forestry Machinery, Biomassand Post-HarvestingEquipment.

Spain was the second foreigncountry with the highestnumber of participants in thisedition. The Spanish exhibitorsreport great results fromGROWTECH 2014 and anincreasing number ofinternational visitors, so theyconsider this trade fair thereference in the region.

Spanish livestock andagricultural equipment industryis very interested on CentralAsia and Middle East markets,so attending the last edition ofGROWTECH was planned as agreat opportunity to show itsmain assets: Europeantechnology, a flexible range ofmodels adapted to all kind ofrequirements, and excellentvalue. Last June, some of thesecompanies were part of a TradeDelegation that visited Turkeyorganized by AGRAGEX.

An outstanding group ofSpanish companies showcasedtheir latest developments inorder to reveal they are a goodoption for a sustainabledevelopment of agriculture inthis area. Nothing can be moresustainable than the mostadapted equipment for eachkind of crop, soil or weatherconditions and Spanishindustry, due to its flexibleproduction structure, is able toproduce short series andevelop tailored models,something big corporationsusually can't.

Spanish manufacturers ofgreenhouses and plantprotection products haveworldwide recognition fortheir advanced technologies,developed to meet thedemanding requirements of theSpanish horticulture producers.Spain has the largestextensions of production underplastic in the world, withextreme growing conditions.This is the reason why afeatured range of

GROWTECH EURASIA REVIEW

THE INTERNATIONAL HORTICULTUREAND AGRICULTURE TRADE FAIR


manufacturers have developedspecific and state of the arttechnologies to give an answerto meet producers' needs.

Spain has very dry weathertoo, so Spanish manufacturershave developed worldwideleading technologies foragricultural irrigation and watermanagement.

Spanish fertilization andplant nutrition companies havealso showcased atGROWTECH a wide range ofinnovative solutions for asustainable evolution of theagriculture in Turkey andCentral Asian countries.

With its favorablegeographical conditions andclimate, Turkey is consideredto be one of the leadingcountries in the world in thefield of food and agriculture.The restructuring efforts thatbegan in the early 1980s,alongside a series of reformssuch as privatizations and thereduction of trade barriers inthe agriculture sector,resulted in a domestic market

that is an integral part of theworld economy today.

Turkey has a large andgrowing food and agricultureindustry that corresponds to 9percent of the overall grossvalue-added (GVA) and 25percent of the employment levelsin the country. Turkey is the

world leader in the production ofdried figs, hazelnuts,sultanas/raisins and driedapricots. It has the largest milkand dairy production in itsregion. In addition, Turkey hasan estimated total of 11,000 plantspecies, whereas the total numberof species in Europe is 11,500.

GROWTECH EURASIA REVIEW

2 9GULF AGRICULTURE


The Irrigation Associationjust wrapped up its 35thannual Irrigation Show

& Education Conference inPhoenix, which had over 4,100participants and 304 exhibitingcompanies.

IA offered 20 differentagriculture, turf/landscape andbusiness education classes, inaddition to over 30 irrigationseminars and technical sessions.Attendees earned IA continuingeducation units for all educationat the show.

IA offered certificationexams for irrigation technicians,contractors, auditors, designersand water managers throughoutthe week. Over 140 industryprofessionals sat for exams on-site at the show.

The show opened with anOasis in the Desert-themedparty. IA served dinner anddrinks but left the entertainmentup to the attendees, whoentertained their peers withenthusiastic karaokeperformances. This year's showmarked the first year that IAhosted a Women in IrrigationSocial, where approximately 75women gathered to shareinformation, develop networksand meet new industry friends.To close out the week, theassociation toasted to anothersuccessful event at the BlendingBorders InternationalReception, open for the firsttime to all attendees with a full-registration.

Show floor doors opened onWednesday, Nov. 19. Attendeescrowded the exhibit hall to viewthe latest innovations on display

at the new product contestshowcase, meet with exhibitorsand attend show floor educationsessions. In addition toagricultural and landscapeirrigation presentations, showfloor sessions included anupdate on the Smart WaterApplication Technologiesinitiative and recognition of thewinners of the 2014 SmartMarketing Contest.

Thursday's general sessionhonored both IA award winnersand 2014 new product contestwinners. IA's president, WarrenC. Thoma, updated theaudience about associationinitiatives. Incoming PresidentAric J. Olson, CSSBB, CPIM,CSCP, CAIS, CID, discussedthe organization's plans for theyear ahead.

Keynote speaker LowellCatlett, PhD, discussed how

technology innovation willdrive future growth in theindustry. Catlett kept theaudience laughing as he sharedhis unique perspective onemerging technologies and howto anticipate future trends in theirrigation industry.

At the end of the week, guestspeakers from New Zealand,Uruguay and the United Statesgathered for the second annualInternational AgriculturalIrrigation Summit. Presentersdiscussed global regulations,agricultural best practices andinternational sustainabilityinitiatives. Attendeesparticipated in a paneldiscussion that focused onchallenges facing globalagricultural production,partnership opportunities andefficient irrigation's role insustainable, long-term solutions.

IRRIGATION SHOW REVIEW

IRRIGATION SHOW BRINGS OVER4,000 INDUSTRY PROFESSIONALS

IA OFFERED 20 DIFFERENT AGRICULTURE, TURF,LANDSCAPE AND BUSINESS EDUCATION CLASSES,IN ADDITION TO OVER 30 IRRIGATIONSEMINARS AND TECHNICAL SESSIONS.


Senninger Irrigation, aglobal leader inagricultural irrigation

manufacturing, is pleased toannounce the release of the newUP3 Dual Nozzle fitting.

The UP3 Dual NozzleFitting makes renozzlingduring the season a quick,tool-free experience. Itreplaces the regular barb fittingon hose drops and givesgrowers the ability to housetwo additional UP3 snap-innozzles on each drop.

Growers who experiencefrequent drops in wellcapacity, who need an extranozzle to irrigate wintercrops, or those who justprefer to tailor-manage theirresources will now find iteasier to change their flows asneeded.

Coupled with Senninger'sUP3 nozzle technology, thebarb fitting greatly simplifiesrenozzling. Just pinch and pullto remove a nozzle from thecarrier or the sprinkler and

switch it with another. There isno need to disassemble thesprinkler and no need to carryextra nozzles into the field.The Dual Nozzle Fitting iscurrently not recommended forin-canopy installations.

About SenningerIrrigation, Inc. Founded in 1963, SenningerIrrigation, Inc. is one of theworld's leading manufacturersof agricultural irrigationproducts, including sprinklers,spray nozzles and pressureregulators. Senningerproducts are made in theUnited States and soldworldwide through qualifieddealers. Products can befound in farms, nurseries,greenhouses, open fields, aswell as mining operations. Tofind the nearest dealer, callSenninger's headquarters inClermont, Florida at 407-877-5655. Senninger is dedicatedto low pressure and highperformance solutions.

IRRIGATION

3 1GULF AGRICULTURE

SENNINGERIRRIGATIONINTRODUCESNEW DUALNOZZLEFITTING

THE UP3 DUALNOZZLE FITTINGMAKESRENOZZLINGDURING THESEASON A QUICK,TOOL-FREEEXPERIENCE. ITREPLACES THEREGULAR BARBFITTING ON HOSEDROPS AND GIVESGROWERS THEABILITY TO HOUSETWO ADDITIONALUP3 SNAP-INNOZZLES ON EACH DROP.

Holex Flower, the freshcut flower exportcompany to distant

destinations from the heart of theflower world: The Netherlands.

Holex Flower was founded in1982 and is located at the flowerauction at Aalsmeer. In 2005Holex Flower became memberof the Dutch Flower Group, theworld's largest floral company.Holex Flower is market leaderwhen it comes to export of freshcut flowers to overseasdestinations by air from Holland.They started more than 30 yearsago with exporting to the UnitedStates, and of today they exportto more than 100 destinationsworldwide. Holex Flower isknown as a reliable, experiencedpartner that delivers service andquality at a competitive price.Wordwide sourcing helps HolexFlower to serve any customerwith a complete range ofproducts.

At this moment HolexFlower is exporting freshcutflowers to North America,the Middle and Far East. Theirbusiness in the Middle East has

become significant over the last10 years. The traditionalmarkets they are exporting toare very similar to the MiddleEast, that's why the Middle Eastmarket fits Holex Flower as aglove. These markets meet thesame standards of high qualityflowers, a wide assortment,innovative way of packing andbest transport options.

With an enthusiastic team of70 people Holex Flowerdelivers tailor made solutionsfor every possible customer orevent. The differentdepartments in Holex Flowerhave their own focus andspecialization, thesedepartments are:� Quality control department� Picking and Packing

department� Freight department� Sales and Purchasing

department� Financial department


PLANTS & FLOWERS

HOLEX FLOWER, A WORLD OF FLOWERS


Holex Flower is shipping95% of all flowers they exportby air, their experienced freightdepartment is always focusingon the best transportationoptions for their customers. Allflowers leave the company at4°C.to start their journey todifferent worldwidedestinations.

The strategy of HolexFlower is to supplywholesalers worldwide, theysee in wholesale customerstheir key partners to reach outto florists and floral designers.Customers of Holex Flowerare supplying flowers to theWhite House in Washington,fancy parties in the MiddleEast and famous hotels inShanghai.

WebshopOn a daily base more than 500unique pictures are uploaded tothe Holex Flower webshop toshow real time what is availablefor their customers. Thecustomers see these pictures ofwhat Holex has purchased onany particular moment; “Whatyou see is what you get”.

Holex Flower can facilitatetheir wholesale customers apersonalized webshop page, withtheir own layout, in order forthem to offer to their customers acomplete assortment of Dutch

flowers. The wholesaler canmake a unique web account foreach individual customer withtheir specific mark up, freightcost, etc.

PLANTS & FLOWERS

3 3GULF AGRICULTURE

Curious what Holex Flower has to offer and wondering what theycould do for you? Please feel free to contact them [email protected]. Ps: don't forget to visit the website www.holex.com and see the 3minutes company movie.


MARTEX®-JerzyMarek Strenkowski, isa family owned

company from Poland engagedin the production and supply oftextile products for nurseries,including those can beeffectively used in the temperate,dry or even hot climate.

The company offers differentkinds of products including aseries of containers under thecommon name of ARBO®.Also there are nursery and

transportation bags, bags forgeneral purpose and for thecollection of small plastic items(plastic bottles, cans, AL),household waste utilization,and many others.

Under the brand ofMARTEX®, the companyoffers mats for protectionagainst weed, containers forground and water perennials,expanding tape for connectingof tree and its support, multi-colour marking tape, protective

PLANTER BAGS

MARTEX OFFERS HIGHQUALITY PLANTER BAGSMARTEX® DELIVERS ITS PRODUCTS TO MORE THAN 24COUNTRIES IN EUROPE. LOOKING FOR DISTRIBUTORS INGULF AND THE MIDDLE EAST


material for draining pipes andtrees located near the roadsand streets, tunnels/ sleeves forventilation and weights used infoil tunnels.

Additionally, the companyoffers the following range ofproducts: jute textile (in balesand KARO type clothing), jutefelt, knitted fabric/net forshading, bedding material forapplication directly on ground,geo-textile, foil and foam withthermo-insulative propertiesfor plants and objects (in balesand variety of formats),capillary mats for tables,wrapping band for trees,stabilizers of ground in theslopy area.

Water saving jute mat, forapplication in dry and hotclimate, which effectivelyreduces water evaporation and

its assimilation by weed;aluminum foil coated containerwhich reflects sunlight, andthermo-insulative inserts, forapplication inside bags, pots or

directly on ground are alsoincluded in the product range.

MARTEX® delivers itsproducts to more than 24countries in Europe.

PLANTER BAGS

3 5GULF AGRICULTURE


Sospalm is the system usedby the majority ofprofessionals in Spain for

the control of the red palmweevil. This is easy tounderstand if we analyze thecomparative advantages withother systems. While traditionalendotherapy requires repeated

perforations, the Sospalm peg isfixed to the palm, thus avoidingrepeated perforations andunnecessary damage whilstalso increasing labourefficency.

With the Sospalm System weadminister a small dose ofinsecticide via the peg into thestem which is then carrieddirectly to the growing point.

The Sospalm system isinstalled in the lower part of thestem thus protecting the entirearea where the insecticidecirculates, which is vital tocontrol lateral and base attacksin Phoenix dactilyfera andreduces the cost of treatment,above all in tall palms.

The Sospalm system is safefor the user andenvironmentally friendly. Itprotects the palm against thered weevil without affecting thequality of the fruit, as with theSospalm Protocol we avoidinsecticide residues in datesmaking them fit forconsumption even just a fewdays after treatment.

Technical days atUniversidad Miguel Hernandezin Elche, Spain.

With the participation of 250experts and after 4 years of teststhe following conclusions werepresented.

- Sospalm peg is an efficientmethod for injectinginsecticides into palm trees.

- As the same point ofinjection is re-used, furtherperforations are not required.

- After monthly injectionsvia the Sospalm peg ofTiametoxan, acetamiprid,

abamcetine or Imidacloprid,these last two disolved isSospalm Liquid, over the twoyears of trials all the PhoenixCanariensis and PhoenixDactilyfera survived the attacks.

Other notable results. Thehigh incidence of infestation inthe principal areas ofproduction in Spain, added to ahigh number of tall palms, ledus to centre our efforts on thecreation of a protocol whichguarantees the absence ofinsecticide residues in dates, aprimary factor of quality andthe protection of the growingpoints in taller palms. Beforethese results were obtainedfarmers had to interrupttreatment which left the palmsunprotected.

Trials to detect residues indates.

Metjoul and Confitera datesharvested from trees which hadbeen injected using SospalmEndotherapy with Tiametoxan,Abamectine and Imidacloprid30 days earlier, did not showtraces of residues above theminimum detectable limit.

Results of the trials to detectthe presence of insecticide inthe growing point of tall palms.

The complete results of all ofthe trials can be seen athttp://palmeralelx.umh.es/trabajos-catedra-2/lucha-activa-contra-el-picudo-iii-tratamientos-con-endoterapia/

Sospalm was tested in elche,the largest palm grove ineurope, demonstrating that it isthe most efficient system tocontrol the red palm weevil.

www.sospalm.com

RED PALM WEEVIL CONTROL

SOSPALM: LOW COST TREATMENT OF THE RED PALM WEEVIL

In palms up to 13m high injected monthly withImidacloprid dissolved in Sospalm Liquid, the

insecticide was detected at the growing pointin several of the trials performed.


Case of successIntegral plan to control the redpalm weevil in the municipalityof Alicante.

PreambleAlicante has a census of about18000 palm trees spreadthrough the whole municipalitydistributed by variety in thefollowing way:

9135 Phoenix dactylifera.6500 Wasingtonia Robusta.2071 Phoenix Canariensis525 Trechycarpus FortuneiThe existence of Red Palm

Weevil (RynchophorusFerrigineus) in the municipalityof Alicante is a sad fact,computing a total of 42 palmsaffected from 2008 until today,all of them on privateproperties.

In 2008 the integral plan tocontrol de red palm weevil inthe city of Alicante wasdesigned as a matter ofurgency.

GoalsThe aim is clear, obvious andconcrete:

1º.- To protect the populationof palms, mainly the Date Palm(Phoenix Dactylifera) and theCanary Palm (PhoenixCanariensis), from red weevilattacks as the only way topreserve our local landscape inthe municipality of Alicante.

2º. To protect the historicPalm grove of Alicante.

Elements of the plana) Control measures� Surveillance, detection and

information.� Preventive treatments.� Curative treatments.� Trapping network� Pruning� Advice to individuals� Training for operators

Currently, due the recentlegislation in Spain which setsout new guidelines for thereduction and sustainable use ofplant protection products, weare increasing the use ofendotherapy, already in usewith satisfactory results sinceearly 2009 with the SOSPALMsystem, consisting of theinsertion in the stem of thepalm of a plastic peg thatserves as a means ofintroduction for the insecticideinto the palm.

The reasons that lead us touse this system are various, butthe most important are thefollowing:� No impact on the public of

the plant protection product.� Ease of application� It is not necessary to make a

new hole for every treatment� Low cost when compared to

other methods.In Phoenix Canariensis

palms we are using 3 Sospalmpegs of 25 cm per palm and inPhoenix Dactylifera palms weare using 2 Sospalm pegs of 15cm per palm, usingImidacloprid with thedissolvent Sospalm Liquid asinsecticide.

Parallel to endotherapy, intimes of high level of adultactivity, the action iscomplemented with sprays tothe growing point of the palmwith 25 litres of solution withthe actives Clorpirifos andImidacloprid.b) Advisory service forprivate owners

To provide information tothe private owner in order toencourage the fight against theplague on all fronts.

After inspection the palm islabeled as:

1. Very severe attack / deathof the palm. Palm tree fellingis recommended.


3 7GULF AGRICULTURE

Sospalm improves labour efficiency since itis not necessary to carry complicated andheavy equipment.


2. Severe attack / Palm canbe saved. When inspecting apalm tree, if the attack of redweevil is confirmed but it isconsidered that the palm canbe saved, the followingrecommendations are offered:� To perform endotherapy

treatments with the Sospalmsystem using authorizedchemicals.

� To perform showertreatments with thechemicals recommended bythe regional government.3. Light attack. It is

recommended:� To perform Sospalm

endotherapy.� To perform shower

treatment.In all cases, after 15 days

the technical personnel of the

town hall will carry out aninspection and check that thepalm tree has been treated.They will also checkperiodically that the treatmentscontinue in the affectedspecimen (endotherapy andshowers).c) Monitoring, mass trap.

Since the presence is knowna priori of large outbreaks ofinfestation in rural districts ofthe municipality, a large trapnetwork has been designed inorder to capture en mass thelargest number of adults inflight during the months fromMarch to November in orderto avoid the spread of all theseadults.

The aim is to drive theflight gradients of existingoutbreaks outwards and the

concentration of current focalpoints, instead of inwardtowards the urbanenvironment.

Conclusions� There are 434 affected palm

trees on private property inthe municipality of Alicante.

� There have been no fatalitiesdue to attacks from the redpalm weevil on palms ofmunicipal ownership.

� After the performance ofendotherapy treatments withthe Sospalm peg there havebeen no attacks from the redpalm weevil.

� The experimental palms thatwere dissected do not showany damage produced bySospalm endotherapy after4 years of use.



Apple scab caused by thefungus Venturiainaequalis is

economically the mostdestructive disease in appleproduction worldwide. Applescab control requires multipleapplications of fungicidesduring spring and summer. Apotential biological controlagent - H39, based on aparticular strain of the fungusCladosporium - has been testedin several European field trialsduring the last two years. H39appeared to very successfullyreduce apple scab in leaves andfruits. The same control levelscould be reached as withcommon fungicide sprayapplication schedules. Abiological control company iscurrently evaluating thepossible commercial use of theH39 antagonist. An importantstep which might lead toreduction of the dependency onchemical fungicides in the nearfuture.

Apple scab can cause - if notcontrolled - extensive yieldlosses (70 percent or higher) inregions with humid, coolweather during spring andsummer months. Losses are thedirect result of a high numberof infected and damaged fruitsor indirectly from repeateddefoliation which can reducetree growth and yield.

Control of apple scab incommercial orchards currentlydepends on multipleapplications of fungicides:preventive and curative.Resistance of the Venturiafungus to an increasing numberof chemical fungicides in majorapple growing areas has arisenover recent years. Furthermore,government regulations, e.g. in

the European Union, restrictmore and more the use offungicides. The increasingdemand for fruit without orwith low pesticide residues isanother reason why alternativesfor chemical fungicides areneeded.

The antagonistCladosporium cladosporioidesH39 was found to significantlyreduce sporulation of Venturiainaequalis, the fungus causingapple scab. The potential of thisantagonistic isolate has duringtwo years been tested byseveral institutes in orchardswith different apple cultivars inHungary, Poland, Germany andthe Netherlands. Treatmentswith H39 were conducted asregular calendar sprays or afterinfection periods. In theNetherlands (Randwijk) thetrials focused on the effect oftiming of application of theantagonist H39 before or afterinfection periods.

The overall results of thefield trials consistently showed- for the first time - that stand-alone applications of H39reduce apple scab in leaves andfruits. This has beendemonstrated in an organicgrowing system as well as inconventional orchards by sprayschedules applied during springor summer. In both systems thesame control levels could bereached as with commonfungicide schedules. Efficaciesof control reached 42 to 98%on leaf scab incidence and 41to 94% on fruit scab.

The next step is to developH39 into a commercialbiological control product. Acompany is currently evaluatingthe possible commercial use ofthe H39 antagonist.

CROP PROTECTION

3 9GULF AGRICULTURE

BIOLOGICAL CONTROL AGAINST APPLE SCAB

THE INCREASINGDEMAND FOR FRUITWITHOUT OR WITHLOW PESTICIDERESIDUES IS ANOTHERREASON WHYALTERNATIVES FORCHEMICAL FUNGICIDESARE NEEDED

Documents

Gulf Agriculture Magazine (Jan-Feb 2015)