Connecticut

Cedro Banana Distributors Marks a Century of Business

Thu, 23 Oct 2025 19:57:43 GMT

New Haven, Conn.-based Cedro Banana Distributors is celebrating its 100^th anniversary, says Billy Mascari, who handles purchasing, sourcing, wholesale sales and business development for the fifth-generation, family-owned firm.

In addition to its extensive history in the business, the company continues to grow with the addition of 5,000 square feet of cooling space for its full line of tropical items.

“We picked up some more chain business,” Mascari says.

The firm recently picked up more business for its ripening program as well as tropical sales, he explains.

The company’s product line includes bananas, green and yellow plantains, mangoes, avocados, limes, and root items such as malanga, yuca and yams as well as potatoes and onions.

“We basically do it all,” Mascari says.

Though banana shipments were pretty steady as of early October, he says, the same couldn’t be said of plantains.

“Plantains are scarce from Ecuador,
so the plantain market is very high,” Mascari explains.

Besides tight supplies, costs have risen because of increased tariffs, he says.

A 15% tariff is now levied on product from Ecuador and Costa Rica; that’s up from 10%.

The price increase comes as demand picks up as weather cools and families begin to cook more and anticipate the holidays, he says.

Conditions are similar in Guatemala.

“It makes a strong market, but there’s limited supply,” Mascari says. “You don’t get to sell as much volume as you would like to, but the prices have increased.”

Some challenges exist in the banana market as well.

“Quality has been a little bit of an issue,” he says.

Some diseases, such as sigatoka, have hit some of the plantations in Ecuador.

How Connecticut Suppliers Are Shaping Up for Fall

Thu, 23 Oct 2025 12:31:15 GMT

As supplies of Connecticut’s summer produce wind down, sales of fall/winter offerings are picking up, and distributors look forward to another strong season.

JP Jarjura & Sons

Good growing conditions with not too much rain were just what growers needed to produce a good summer crop, says Bill Jarjura, owner of JP Jarjura & Sons Co., Waterbury, Conn. He expects an equally productive fall crop of apples.

“We had a big crop this year here, but the prices for the farmers weren’t the greatest,” he says.

That’s because, despite some strong prices early on due to cool weather, which caused a slow start, supplies picked up as the weather warmed and volume increased.

“It was a supply-and-demand situation,” Jarjura says.

Local tomatoes were finished for the season by early October, and items such as local squash, peppers and eggplant were dwindling down. Corn will be available through October, and local apples will be plentiful during October, November and December.

Quality is very good this season on all the apple varieties, including macoun, cortland, macintosh, gala, golden delicious and mutsu, he says. But volume might be down slightly compared to last year.

Prices on the company’s items should be relatively reasonable, Jarjura adds, because of ample supplies from various sources.

City Line Food Distributors

On the foodservice side, West Haven, Conn.-based City Line Food Distributors Inc. is slowly growing its business following last year’s acquisition of another company — Prime Source Foods, Londonderry, N.H. — says CEO Robert Berkowitz.

The company now serves foodservice customers with a wide range of produce and other items in up to eight Northeastern states from three warehouses.

“We carry a full line of every produce item,” Berkowitz says. City Line’s produce program is strongest in Connecticut, but with the latest acquisition, “we’re introducing more produce items every day to New Hampshire.”

The company now also offers some ProMark private label produce from Unipro, an Atlanta-based foodservice cooperative.

“Business has been solid, a little bit better than last year,” Berkowitz says.

City Line purchases locally grown items when they’re available but also sources regionally and nationally as well as from growing areas such as Canada, Mexico and Asia, he says.

Local cucumbers, peppers, cherries and grapes were winding down in October as apple offerings were picking up.

As Halloween approaches, the firm will offer local pumpkins as well as gourds, butternut squash and other items associated with that occasion. The company’s customers include restaurants, hotels, caterers, country clubs and schools.

Onofrio’s Fresh Cut

The fresh-cut business also seems to be thriving, at least for New Haven, Conn.-based Onofrio’s Fresh Cut Inc.

The 101-year-old company features more than 50 items with a wide selection of cut-up fruits and vegetables, says Richard Onofrio, owner and president.

Onofrio already anticipates a significant sales boost for Thanksgiving, when he’ll offer a tasty selection that includes several kinds of stuffings with ingredients like cranberries and raisins.

“We do very, very well for that holiday,” he says.

A veggie kabob is another popular offering from the company.

Fresh-cut fruit choices include pineapples, honeydew melons, cantaloupes, kiwifruit and watermelons.

“We do a huge job with watermelons — bulk, slices, bowls and cups,” he says.

Vegetable selections include red, green and yellow peppers, onions, cherry tomatoes, grape tomatoes, green and yellow squash, celery and onions.

“Butternut squash, turnips and yams are really big for Thanksgiving,” Onofrio adds.

Onofrio’s grandfather, Angelo, started the business as a corner store. Twenty-six years ago, it closed and reopened as a fresh-cut supplier for several major chains and some smaller markets, primarily in Connecticut, New Jersey and New York.

Onofrio says the business continues to grow with changing times.

“The new generation has mostly husbands and wives working, and they don’t have the time to cut up [produce] like they did years ago,” he says.

Here's where Connecticut crops stand after heavy rainfall

Fri, 03 Nov 2023 15:27:57 GMT

Excessive rainfall hurt some of the fall corn, squash and cucumber crops in Connecticut but doesn’t seem to have had much of an impact on apples. Meanwhile, imported bananas continue to be a good seller in the produce department.

Precipitation has been a thorn in the side of JP Jarjura & Sons Co. , a Waterbury, Conn.-based produce wholesaler.

“During July, August and September, there was too much rainfall this year,” said owner William Jarjura. “It hurt some of the crops, there’s no question about it.”

The Connecticut River overflowed its banks, he said. “The guys near the river got flooded out. That’s caused a little shortage.”

Jarjura said he normally would pay $13 for five dozen ears of corn. This year, the price is $18 to $20.

“The corn market was a little high, but the quality was still OK for whoever had it on higher ground,” he said.

Quality of the pumpkin, butternut, acorn and spaghetti squash crops was marginal, he said, and volume was fair. The tomato crop rotted from the ground up.

“All the leaves fell off the plant,” he said. “It wasn’t a good vegetable year.”

The situation was a little different for the apple crop.

“We have a nice crop out there, and we kept up on our fungicide program, so we should be OK,” said Eric Henry, president of Blue Hills Orchard Inc. , Wallingford, Conn.

Blue Hills Orchard grows several apple varieties, including empire, fuji, Pink Lady and EverCrisp. Harvesting for most of the apples should be finished by the end of October, Henry said. Shipments will continue out of storage until spring.

“We’ve had a ridiculous amount of rain,” Henry said, adding that includes more than 1 foot of precipitation from mid-September until mid-October — highly unusual for that time of year.

“The rain sized the fruit up nicely, but it messed up our picking schedule,” he said.

Larger fruit means greater volume.

“If you put an extra quarter inch per piece of fruit, that adds bushels,” Henry said.

JP Jarjura & Sons also distributes apples.

“The apple crop seemed to be OK for some reason,” Jarjura said. “There seems to be a decent amount of apples this year.”

The company ships a number of soft-skin apples, like mcintosh, cortland and macoun, he said.

Blue Hills Orchard has added a picking platform to make the apple harvest easier, Henry said.

The new equipment is working well on the company’s high-density trellis system, he said. It’s easier to reach trees without using ladders or picking buckets, which saves labor and increases efficiency.

“That’s the name of the game,” Henry said.

Bananas are top of mind at New Haven, Conn.-based Cedro Banana Distributors , where sales have been steady all year long, since they’re one of the cheapest items in the produce department, said Billy Mascari, vice president.

Bananas have been averaging about 69 cents a pound. During these inflationary times, some consumers are cutting back on more expensive items and buying an extra hand of bananas, Mascari said.

“Our ripening rooms are always at full capacity,” he said.

Besides its wholesale and ripening operations, Cedro has a trucking division, Mascari Bros. Inc., which recently added three new trucks, bringing the total to 10, he said.

Checking in with Connecticut Agriculture Commissioner Bryan Hurlburt

Fri, 23 Sep 2022 21:36:33 GMT

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.

“Like everything with the pandemic, the rollercoaster has been steep in the beginning and a lot of high ups and low downs. I think we are at a more level place,” Hurlburt said. “The ups and downs did sort of level out.”

A lot of Connecticut’s farms and wholesalers that depended on foodservice customers found new ways to market their goods, using cooperative efforts, community supported agriculture subscription memberships, and direct-to-consumer pickup and delivery.

“You can’t be a farm for hundreds of years and multiple generations if you’re not entrepreneurial and innovative and find new ways to market your goods and meet market demand,” Hurlburt said. “So, we saw a number of folks do just that.”

Also, there have been a lot of changes at the Connecticut Regional Market, formerly known as the Hartford Regional Market.

The 33-acre property has four main warehouses with 14 tenants, most operating from multiple units.

Inside the facilities are the wholesalers and distributors. Outside, there’s a more consumer-facing farmers market, with a big portion dedicated to floral sales.

The state government closed the market to the general public for a bit at the start of the pandemic while officials figured out how to handle the usual crowds.

In late 2018, the state legislature voted for a management transition from the Connecticut Marketing Authority housed in the state’s Department of Agriculture to the Capital Region Development Authority.

A quasi-governmental agency that focuses on redevelopment, the authority has been investing heavily in facility improvements since then.

“The feeling was that this is a better organization (for management of the market) because they’re real estate developers and managers,” Hurlburt said. “The (Connecticut) Regional Market needs some investment. It needs some engineering done to it. And you know, quite honestly, that’s not where the Connecticut Department of Agriculture has expertise, and the CRDA does.”

Watch the video and look for a full “Connecticut: Know Your Market” editorial section Nov. 9 to learn much more.

Related news:

Connecticut market prepares for winter

Fri, 23 Sep 2022 21:36:33 GMT

Belltown Hill Orchards , South Glastonbury, Conn., is a 110-year-old farm on 180 acres today run by brothers Donald and Michael Preli, fourth-generation family growers.

They grow sweet cherries, blueberries, tree fruit and squash, finishing the season with pumpkins and apples for wholesale, on-farm retail and you-pick sales.

“Everything went smoothly, to our surprise,” Donald Preli said, as season trickled down at the end of October.

“As a whole, I think everybody had a pretty decent year because of retail doing better. From what I hear, everybody fared better than they expected.”

Farmers, marketers and distributors kept business going by requiring masks, social distancing and finding new ways to sell products during the COVID-19 pandemic, said Connecticut Agriculture Commissioner Bryan Hurlburt.

“Like everything with the pandemic, the rollercoaster has been steep in the beginning and a lot of high ups and low downs. I think we are at a more level place,” Hurlburt said. “The ups and downs did sort of level out.”

A lot of Connecticut’s farms and wholesalers that depended on foodservice customers found new ways to market their goods, using cooperative efforts, community supported agriculture subscription memberships, and direct-to-consumer pickup and delivery.

“You can’t be a farm for hundreds of years and multiple generations if you’re not entrepreneurial and innovative and find new ways to market your goods and meet market demand,” Hurlburt said. “So, we saw a number of folks do just that.”

The third smallest state in the U.S. in land size, Connecticut is filled with small farmers and a thriving farmers market and farmstand sector.

Business is still “very, very good,” said Kevin Bassette of Killam and Bassette Farmstead, also in South Glastonbury.

Owned by Kevin, his wife, Chris, and his former employer, Henry Killam, the farm has more than 45 acres of fresh produce. Sweet corn comprises 20 acres alone.

In November, Bassette has collard greens, broccoli, cauliflower, turnips, beets, late kale and carrots.

They have two farmstands, one full-service and one on-site using the honor system, and they sell their produce at several farmers markets statewide, offer four community-supported agriculture subscription memberships and curbside delivery.

“I’d never had that many people come knocking at my door to buy something. They were coming from all over, not just nearby,” Kevin Bassette said.

Chris Bassette established curbside delivery, especially for people more vulnerable to the coronavirus. The driver would go to the home, place the food down, ring the doorbell and leave.

She also changed the payment procedure to Paypal and Venmo to reduce touching during in-person purchases. And they instituted gloves, masks, extra tables, sanitizer and bagged produce.

The 144 outdoor stalls of the farmers market at the Connecticut Regional Market, Hartford, were delayed from opening at its traditional season-opening time while officials figured out how to handle the usual crowds, Hurlburt said.

But the five fresh produce wholesale distributors, plus Sysco, that use the inside of the warehouses at the regional market never stopped.

Preli kept taking his Belltown Hill products there.

“They had a few different rules, but it was probably a long time coming — like driving one way through the market — nothing that (was) deterring selling the product,” he said.

This season’s lighter crop meant larger fruit, which isn’t the preferred size for foodservice and institutions anyway, Preli said.

Belltown Hill Orchards’ major retail customer, Big Y Foods, Springfield, Mass., had its produce buyer work from home, Preli said, which made things a little slower, but not too much.

“We were not really as affected as what we panicked about earlier,” Preli said.

Taking up more than 35% of the market share, Stop & Shop was by far the retail leader in the third quarter of 2020, according to Shelby Market data of the Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont cities of Hartford, East Hartford,

Middletown, New Haven-Milford, Norwich-New London and Springfield.

Big Y was another big leader, with 19.6% of the market share, more than double the third-place ShopRite, with 9.6% share.

Then came Walmart, Whole Foods Market, Price Chopper, BJ’s Wholesale Club, Target, Geissler’s Supermarket and Price Rite.

Those stores comprised the top 10 leading grocery retailers in this New England region.

As winter approaches, there is rising anxiety, the challenge of “COVID fatigue” and a possible rollercoaster market as a number of towns see spikes in COVID-19 positivity rates, Hurlburt said.

“I think that we all need to be patient. I think that we all need to stay and be reminded that each individual one of us can make a difference and if we use the proper protocols, we can minimize the outbreak and the spread,” Hurlburt said.

“And the more we can minimize the risk of COVID, the more we can keep the economy open and keep events happening, whether it be indoor farmers markets, farmstands or helping our local grocery stores to do more to place CT-grown products on their shelves.”

Connecticut’s regional market changes hands, gets some updates

Fri, 23 Sep 2022 21:36:33 GMT

Formerly known as the Hartford Regional Market, the Connecticut Regional Market has needed renovations and repairs for years — like several Northeastern wholesale food distribution markets built more than 50 years ago.

Opened in 1948, this market covers 33 acres, with 185,000 square feet of warehouse and refrigerated space, an active railroad spur and 144 stalls in its outdoor farmers market.

It’s the largest perishable food distribution facility between New York and Boston.

And it’s finally getting an update.

In 2019, the Capital Region Development Authority invested $1.1 million in facility improvements, said Joseph Geremia, chief financial officer.

The opportunity arose when the state general assembly passed a bill in 2018 to have the state Department of Agriculture and Markets transfer ownership and operations to the Authority, a quasi-governmental agency that does a lot of redevelopment.

“They knew it need a lot of attention, capital attention. And there’s a lot of belief that with excess land available, it just wasn’t being used to its full purpose,” Geremia said.

The authority took over Dec. 24, 2019, and has since hired commercial broker and property management firm RM Bradley to handle day-to-day operations, maintenance and tenant relations, Geremia said.

Six of the 14 tenants work with fresh produce from parts of the four main warehouses that operate 24 hours a day.

Repaving 200 square feet of the market was one of the first improvements the authority made.

“That was one of the major tenant concerns when we got there,” Geremia said.

“The roadways getting to the docks were very deteriorated.”

The authority also made these improvements:

Fixed fences, installed security gate and booth;
Weatherized farmers market pavilion;
Added spot lighting, upgraded pole lighting;
Created gated outdoor market café seating;
Updated offices and conference room;
Built a covered bus station for the bus stop; and
Installed new water pipes, boiler and performed other maintenance.

The market is in the process of getting new roofs and roof supports, a $125,000 project, and there’s another $250,000 in capital funds that will go into the market in the coming year, Geremia said.

The authority is going to release a request for proposals for a future-use study of the additional unused land and at least five warehouse units that aren’t being utilized.

“People want to put small and large greenhouses on the undeveloped land. We’re trying to get more information on how other markets are going about this, and we’re also trying to build another building for other tenants with more modern construction design for easier movement for trucks and goods,” Geremia said.

There might be new tenants, but a few current tenants are interested in this public-private partnership.

The new building will have better docking system, new refrigeration and air conditioning, he said.

“The feeling was that this is a better organization (for management of the market) because they’re real estate developers and managers,” Connecticut Agriculture Commissioner Bryan Hurlburt said.

“The (Connecticut) Regional Market needs some investment. It needs some engineering done to it. And you know, quite honestly, that’s not where the Connecticut Department of Agriculture has expertise, and the CRDA does.”

Grower-focused New England conference and expo set for December

Fri, 13 Nov 2020 06:13:30 GMT

The New England Vegetable and Fruit Conference and Trade Show will include more than 150 exhibitors and 40 educational sessions covering major vegetable, berry and tree-fruit crops, as well as special topics.

The event is Dec. 10-12 in Manchester, N.H.

Cut-flower production, specialty salads and irrigation technology are some of the topics, according to a news release.

“Farmer-to-farmer” information-sharing sessions are informal, in-depth discussions on timely grower issues, and a poster session features student researchers.

The event is sponsored by the New England Vegetable & Berry Growers’ Association and the Massachusetts Fruit Growers’ Association in partnership with the universities of Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont, as well as Cornell University , Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association and the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station.

Visit the New England Vegetable and Fruit Conference website for registration details.

Related news:

What Connecticut produce distributors expect for fall

Mon, 04 Nov 2024 18:42:18 GMT

The 2024 local growing season is over in Connecticut, except for a few items like winter squashes, and distributors are beginning to look to other regions to fill their customers’ needs for the coming fall and winter seasons, said Bill Jarjura, owner of JP Jarjura & Sons Co., Waterbury, Conn.

The summer season was a fruitful one, especially for corn, he said.

By mid-October, Jarjura was beginning to transition to southern growing areas, but some items were pricey and in short supply because of the impact of Hurricane Helene.

For example, beans that typically sold for $24 per crate were selling for $40 to $45, he said. Prices also were higher on squash, peppers, eggplant, cucumbers and pickles.

Jarjura said the situation could be worse if the threatened strike by longshore workers had taken place.

He said he expected sales at his company, which serves primarily Connecticut, New York and New Jersey, to be similar to last year.

At Cedro Banana Distributors, New Haven, Conn., company owner and Vice President Billy Mascari said banana pricing and supplies should stay consistent, but the same can’t be said for some other tropical items.

“We anticipate [banana] supplies being normal through the end of the year,” he said.

But supplies of mangoes from Brazil and Ecuador are tight, and prices have skyrocketed.

“Mango pricing is at an all-time high,” Mascari said in mid-October. “It’s very hard to get large sizes right now.”

He expected conditions to improve as the season progresses, however.

Supplies of green plantains from Ecuador should be steady through the end of year, with no major shortages or price increases expected. But Mascari said buyers should remain leery.

“Weather can change this business over a weekend,” he said.

Sales of tropicals will pick up for the holidays, especially in Spanish communities, he said. And the company has a blueberry import deal from Argentina from September through November, when volume out of Peru is light.

Cedro monitors markets and weather patterns worldwide and sources from suppliers in several growing areas to ensure that it meets its customers’ needs, Mascari said.

“If we’re just sourcing from one supplier, that’s where it gets dangerous,” he said.

On the foodservice side, City Line Food Distributors Inc., West Haven, Conn., continues to stock a wide range of items from several growing areas primarily for high-end eateries, said CEO Robert Berkowitz.

“We stock every item in produce for foodservice,” he said.

The company serves yacht clubs and similar establishments in Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts and parts of New York.

Hardy vegetables, like sweetpotatoes, onions, potatoes and mushrooms, are some of the popular items at this time of year, Berkowitz said. Sales of salad ingredients generally slow as the weather cools.

City Line has trucks arriving from California and southern growing areas two or three times a week and from wherever potatoes and onions are available, he said.

“We’re sourcing from all over,” he said.

There can always be weather or other issues that affect fruits and vegetables, but City Line doesn’t let those problems affect the quality of its product, Berkowitz said.

“We’re very selective,” he said. “We screen the product very carefully.”

His high-end clientele won’t accept substandard product, he said.

USDA restricts PACA violators in Connecticut and California

Tue, 15 Nov 2022 07:26:17 GMT

The USDA has imposed sanctions on two produce businesses for failing to meet contractual obligations to the sellers of produce they purchased and failing to pay reparation awards issued under the Perishable Agricultural Commodities Act (PACA), according to a news release .

These sanctions include suspending the businesses’ PACA licenses and barring the principal operators of the businesses from engaging in PAA-licensed business or other activities without approval from USDA, according to the release.

The release said the following businesses and individuals are currently restricted from operating in the produce industry:

Cariati Developers Incorporated, operating out of Meriden, Conn., for failing to pay a $20,648 award in favor of an Ohio seller. As of the issuance date of the reparation order, Erica Maher was listed as the officer, director and major shareholder of the business.
Growers Direct, Inc., operating out of Costa Mesa, Calif., for failing to pay a $4,165 award in favor of a California seller. As of the issuance date of the reparation order, Lixin He was listed as the officer, director and major stockholder of the business.

For more information, contact John Koller, Chief, Dispute Resolution Branch, at (202) 720-2890, or PACAdispute@usda.gov.

Top retailers in the Northeast by market share

Tue, 15 Nov 2022 07:42:35 GMT

Each year, The Shelby Report showcases valuable retail market share data. In the interactive map below, find each major market around the Northeast. Also, highlighted are the major cities in each market.

All markets are “labeled” or identified by their primary state (with metros or key cities). Percentages are estimates based on annualized sales, industry data, institutional research and store footprints. Shares are updated as market metrics dictate and retailers supply their store lists.*

Market shares are for chains, independents and/or the wholesalers (voluntary or cooperative) which supply them within each region’s distribution area, extending well beyond typical metros or CBSAs. Each market is defined by the sphere of distribution, not by a rigid geographic boundary.

Major cities in each market:

Connecticut/Massachusets/Vermont - Hartford, Springfield, Montpelier
East Pennsylvania/Delaware/New Jersey - Philadelphia, Harrisburg, Scranton, Wilmington, Dover, Camden, Trenton
Maryland/DC/N. Virginia/Delaware - Baltimore, Washington, Arlington, Charlottesville, Georgetown
Massachusets/Rhode Island/New Hampshire/Maine - Boston, Providence, Manchester, Portland, Bangor
New York/ New Jersey - New York City, Newark
Upstate New York - Vermont - Albany, Syracuse, Burlington
Western New York - Northern Pennsylvania - Buffalo, Rochester
Western Pennsylvania -West Virginia-Maryland - Pittsburg, Erie, Morgantown