Business conditions associated with the COVID-19 pandemic cost Fresh Del Monte Produce Inc. more than $70 million in net sales for the quarter ending Sept. 25, hampering banana, value-added and fresh sales.
The COVID-19 pandemic exposed vulnerabilities in the food supply chain, and a new research paper from Resilience360 says investments in labor-saving technology will be needed over the long-term to counter rising costs.
Only produce operators who are prepared to make adjustments to a changing market can expect to thrive, but there is much optimism about higher-trending consumer demand for fresh fruits and vegetables.
Additional COVID-19 testing sites in Florida’s Miami-Dade, Hendry, and St. Lucie counties are available for farmworkers as the fall harvest season begins, the Florida Department of Agriculture has announced.
