When it comes to providing retail customers with the ability to lock in year-round supplies of sweet onions with a single supplier, Peru plays an important role.
The feedback after each Fresh Summit indicates that retailers and other buyers arrive at the massive expo with one overarching objective — identify new products, new services and new opportunities.
As mid-September approached, some sweet potato growers in North Carolina said they were praying for rain. Then, Hurricane Florence rumbled ashore Sept. 14-15 and brought too much of a good thing.
Washington grower-shippers offer their customers a wider selection of branded apples than ever, but getting their product on produce shelves can be a challenge.
Companies that supply bananas have encountered numerous supply and transportation difficulties this year, stemming from weather and political issues in various growing regions.
Fresh Summit is fast approaching. In the hustle to arrange booth plans, meetings and travel, it’s easy to lose sight of what you want to accomplish. Fresh Summit is about more than closing a deal.
Aldi is a company that I have always been fascinated by; with over 1,800 locations in 35 states, it has a revenue projection by retail analysts just north of $11 billion in 2018, yet they largely fly under the radar.
Stemilt Growers Inc., Wenatchee, Wash., has opened a new 500,000-square-foot shipping building to handle its apples, pears and cherries, said Roger Pepperl, marketing director.
Brian Focht is the new manager of what are known collectively in the Pacific Northwest as the Marketing Associations, representing apples, pears and cherries.
The San Francisco economy remains strong and even a potential correction to the high-flying fortunes of tech companies shouldn’t ding strong demand for organic produce.
New York Apple Sales works with nine packinghouses in New York and several have seen new investment this year, said Jim Allen, vice president of marketing for the Glenmont, N.Y.-based company.
Lodi, Calif.-based Rivermaid Trading Co. has added two new growers to its Northwest pear program, said Scott Martinez, vice president of sales and the program’s manager in Medford, Ore.
Sun Orchard Fruit Co., Burt, N.Y., will offer more Pazazz apples this year, said Tim Mansfield, sales and marketing director with the Burt, N.Y.-based company.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture has filed administrative complaints under the Perishable Agricultural Commodities Act against two produce companies, one in Michigan and another in Florida.
Hollister, Calif.-based Berry People is launching its inaugural Chilean blueberry season and its AvoPeople brand organic avocados from both Mexico and Chile.
The retail market continues to evolve in Northern California, with strong emphasis on serving consumers attuned to tech savvy solutions and organic food.
Nearly 40 students interested in the produce industry will experience Fresh Summit with career ambassadors this year at what will be the busiest event ever for the Center for Growing Talent.
Following up on a complaint filed in November, the U.S. Department of Agriculture has now cited Cleveland-based Forest City Weingart Produce Co., for not paying for produce.
Vancouver, British Columbia-based The Oppenheimer Group expects to see a 50% increase in volume of its conventional Envy apples this season, giving the branded variety year-round availability.
Ocean Spray and The Oppenheimer Group are partnering again to deliver fresh cranberries throughout the fall and holiday period, said Karin Gardner, director of corporate communications for Oppy.
If you’re looking for a Washington apple, you’ve got a lot of options. Branded apples seem to be the trend among Washington grower-shippers, with many companies promoting proprietary or managed varieties.
It will be a few years before Stemilt Growers LLC uses robots to actually pick its apples, but meanwhile the company is using elevated platforms to make harvest more efficient.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture has sanctioned three produce companies for not paying reparation awards issued under the Perishable Agricultural Commodities Act.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers at the Pharr International Bridge in Texas found and seized $4.2 million worth of hard narcotics from a commercial trailer carrying fresh limes.
The Washington apple crop will be somewhat smaller than expected this year, but despite some setbacks, grower-shippers say plenty of good-quality fruit should be available.
