First quarter (October to December 2016) revenue was £351.0m, an increase of 4.3% on the prior year. The strong start to the year was underpinned by volume growth of 3.9%.

Britvic GB (Great Britain) Stills revenue declined by 3.8%. Whilst both Robinsons and Fruit Shoot continued to decline, both brands showed signs of an improving trend. J20 grew with a strong Christmas performance led by the Spritz and Glitter Berry variants. Britvic France revenue increased 6.3% led by strong growth from Fruit Shoot and Pressade. The International division reported a 19.8% increase in revenue, compared to a 13.8% decline in Q1 2015 and was largely as a result of a 14.1% increase in volume. The majority of the growth came from Fruit Shoot in the US.

Stanić Beverages Hrvatska, owners of the Croatian fruit juice brand Juicy presented their  products at the recent Gulfood fair held at the Dubai Trade Centre. The company’s products – Juicy 100% juice (orange, apple and pineapple ) and Juicy Nectar Cranberry – have been available on the market in the United Arab Emirates since 2015. Juicy’s drinks are available at a number of well known spots in Dubai, including Cipriani, Blue Marlin Ibiza, The Act, Roberto’s and Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club. In an interview with agrobiz.hr, Svjetlan Stanić, CEO of Stanić Beverages Hrvatska said:  “Our aim is to cover the entire MENA region (Middle East & Africa) and achieve our mid-term plan of exporting 10,000,000 litres a year.”

Source: Croatia Week

Researchers are hoping that the “blue belly” of the Asian citrus psyllid, the carrier of citrus greening disease could provide a link to how they can fight this dangerous disease that threatens the global citrus market. Researchers at the Boyce Thompson Institute, New York, have been looking at a protein that makes the bellies of citrus psyllids blue and studying the possible connection it may have with the natural process of spreading the devastating bacterium in the first place. By blocking bacterial transmission by the psyllid rather than killing it the approach may provide a longer lasting solution because the insect isn’t under pressure to evolve to survive the treatment, which commonly occurs with pesticide usage.

Source: South West Farm Press

A team led by University of California Riverside (UCR) plant scientists has been given a five-year USD5.1 million grant to find an effective treatment for citrus greening disease, officially known as huanglongbing.

The disease attacks citrus crops with devastating results and is carried by a tiny winged insect, the Asian citrus psyllid, with the bacteria causing the leaves on citrus plants to appear mottled and misshapen. The fruit has a bitter flavour and remains green. Infected trees usually die within three to five years.

Caroline Roper, a bacteriologist and plant pathologist, is heading a team of six UCR scientists, as well as five other researchers from other universities. The grant comes from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and UCR will receive USD3.1 million of the total grant package.

Source: San Bernardino County Sun