Packer Stories

04/26/2012

California’s desert growing region — the Coachella Valley in particular — may be known primarily for the tons of table grapes it produces each spring, but growers also produce a wide variety of vegetables, including bell peppers, corn and eggplant.

04/26/2012

BELLE GLADE, Fla. — Buoyed by favorable winter and spring growing conditions, this season’s Florida sweet corn deal started earlier than normal and began producing promotable volumes ahead of recent years.

03/29/2012

Fresh produce leaders are skeptical about a Farm Bureau proposal that would provide government-subsidized revenue-based crop insurance to growers of apples, potatoes, grapes, tomatoes and sweet corn.

03/28/2012

Rod Sbragia, former sales manager for Nogales, Ariz.-based FoodSource Nogales, is now director of sales and marketing for Nogales-based Tricar Sales Inc.

03/22/2012

S. M. Jones & Co. Inc., a south Florida sweet corn packinghouse and marketer, enters the 2012 spring season with a new partner, a new chief operating officer and new cooling machinery.

Market Scope - Corn — F.o.b.s as of May 14

CENTRAL AND SOUTH FLORIDA DISTRICTS — Shipments (322-414-346) — Movement expected to remain about the same. Trading moderate. Prices generally unchanged. Includes palletizing and cooling. Wirebound crates 4½ dozen yellow $9.20, white $9.20, bicolor $9.20. Quality generally good.

IMPERIAL AND COACHELLA VALLEYS, CALIF. — Shipments (158-235-260) — Movement expected about the same. Trading slow. Prices much lower. Cartons 4 dozen minimum white and yellow mostly $8.95, bicolor $8.95-9.95. Quality generally good. Harvest in Palo Verde Valley expected to begin the week of May 28.

SOUTH GEORGIA — Shipments (0-0-15) — Movement expected to increase seasonally. Current supplies insufficient to establish market. The first f.o.b. was expected to be issued around May 18 as more shippers start harvest.