Search - The Packer

The Chelsea-Everett area bordering Boston was hit hard — really hard — by the new coronavirus in March and April, but many of the region’s produce companies are inching their way back to better days.

Most people embark on a hodgepodge approach to building sustainability into their business plan, said Andrew Southwood, owner of Montreal-based Fresh Xpressions.

Montreal Produce Terminal Market moved in late spring from an outdoor terminal in the Central Market area to a $40 million, 120,000-square-foot renovated and rebuilt facility.

When C&C Produce Inc. decided to take part in the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Farmers to Families Food Box program, it gave the company an incentive to move forward with some needed enhancements.

Connecticut Agriculture Commissioner Bryan Hurlburt said consumers are seeing the value in buying locally grown produce more since the COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the fragility of the supply chain.

The early days of the COVID-19 pandemic sent shock waves through the supermarket industry, with shoppers in panic-buying mode stripping fruit and vegetable shelves bare.

Bix Produce has swung into action not only to keep its customers well stocked, but to do whatever is necessary to help them adapt to new ways of doing business, said Alejandro Montoya, CEO and CFO.

Minnesota may be the Land of 10,000 Lakes, but it’s also the land of 10,000 restaurants, according to St. Paul-based Hospitality Minnesota.

Online ordering has become commonplace during the COVID-19 pandemic, but some in the Detroit-area produce industry say there could be a downside for the fresh fruit and vegetable categories.

Produce suppliers throughout the U.S. Heartland continue to cope with the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, with most enjoying a sales boost on the retail side while foodservice business is taking a hit.