With heavy investments into organic pineapple farms over the past decade Dole Food Co. is experiencing significant growth in its organic pineapple business.
For the third year, Access Organics Inc., Kalispell, Mont., will be sourcing product from the Navajo Pride Organic program starting around Aug. 19, said Access Organics president Bonnie Poux.
Organic mushrooms continue to account for an increasing portion of the category — 12%, to be exact — said Kevin Delaney, vice president of sales and marketing for To-Jo Mushrooms, Avondale, Pa.
About 23% of the fruit produced by Sage Fruit Co. LLC, Yakima, Wash., is organically grown, and that makes Chuck Sinks, president of sales and marketing, a happy man.
With avocados ranking No. 1 on the Environmental Working Group’s Clean Fifteen list of produce items, you might think sales of the organic version of the fruit would be minimal.
The organic produce category may not be expanding at the dizzying speed it was a few years ago, but the growth rate remains significant, and grower-shippers don’t see a substantial drop-off anytime soon.
From grapes to grapefruit, sales of organic fruit are on the rise, and suppliers anticipate ample volume of good-quality product for the late spring and summer months.
Organic produce sales may be no longer be escalating at a double-digit rate, but retailers, foodservice operators and grower-shippers say movement continues to trend upward.
Porterville, Calif.-based Homegrown Organic Farms plans to unveil a new citrus line in November, said Stephen Paul, category director for stone fruit, fall fruit and blueberries.
With consumption of organic products having set a new standard across the U.S. in 2017, organic produce suppliers say they’re poised for further growth.
In 2017, organic sales set a new standard in the U.S., and fresh produce played a key role in that achievement, according to the Washington, D.C.-based Organic Trade Association.
In 2017, organic sales set a new standard in the U.S., and fresh produce played a key role in that achievement, according to the Washington, D.C.-based Organic Trade Association.
Berries and mushrooms are among the hottest organic produce items, corn could be next, and there seems to be ample opportunity for growth in the organic value-added category, industry experts say.
Organic table grapes make up another category that is growing at a rapid pace, said Stephen Paul, category director for Homegrown Organic Farms, Porterville, Calif.
Grower-shippers anticipate continued growth in the leafy greens and value-added salad categories, and many say they plan to expand their product lines with new organic offerings.
It doesn’t appear that the popularity of organic fruits and vegetables is going to fade anytime soon, with Americans spending nearly $50 billion on organics in 2017.
Plant City, Fla.-based strawberry and blueberry grower-shipper Wish Farms has begun to market Florida blueberries from its new Misty Organics farm in Alturas, Fla.
Salinas, Calif.-based Naturipe Farms LLC has an earlier peak on organic blueberries that was expected to begin at the end of April in California, said Brian Vertrees, director of business development-West.
Fresh fruits and vegetables are fundamental to Canada’s growing organic market, which now is worth $5.4 billion in sales annually, according to the Canada Organic Trade Association.
Organic produce is listed among the top 50 trends for 2018 by the National Restaurant Association, and “veggie-centric/vegetable-forward cuisine” is included in the association’s Top 10 Hot Trends for 2018.
Sales of organic fruits and vegetables have been on the rise for several years now, and retailers say movement in the category isn’t showing any signs of slowing.
