COVID
South Africa will go on a nationwide lockdown midnight March 26 to prevent the spread of the coronavirus COVID-19, but industry sources report fruit exports are expected to continue without interruption.
The Packer’s Tom Karst visits March 24 with Wendy Reinhardt Kapsak, president and CEO of the Produce for Better Health Foundation about PBH’s recent consumer-facing activity in view of the COVID-19 outbreak.
The disconnect between long lines at food banks and images of wasted produce has struck a nerve with the American public.
While the business effects of COVID-19 have been severe, export sales of U.S. fresh produce to Asia are improving.
2020 U.S. potato acreage is likely to be down substantially in response to disappearing foodservice demand for frozen potatoes and large count-carton potatoes in the wake of COVID-19 restrictions.
A new temporary rule will allow H-2A workers to stay in the U.S. beyond the current three-year maximum and should give U.S. growers a bigger pool of guest farmworkers to fill their needs.
Suntreat Packing & Shipping Co., Dinuba, Calif., has donated citrus to New York City, the hotspot for COVID-19 cases and deaths in the U.S.
As we delve ever deeper into the coronavirus COVID-19 situation, food distributors and retailers are discovering this pandemic may unfortunately be with us for at least the immediate future.
The U.S. Apple Association, the Northwest Horticultural Council and other organizations have asked Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue to consider the needs of tree fruit growers when allocating funds from the CARES Act.
A panel of retail and foodservice experts will share their perspectives on the COVID-19 crisis at the Produce Marketing Association’s April 15 Virtual Town Hall.
Tim York began working in the produce industry after college, without knowing he would never leave it.
The Hass Avocado Board is compiling information from research company IRI to update the industry weekly on the retail avocado segment during the COVID-19 crisis.
In the continuing market disruption related to the COVID-19, supermarkets are not running their typical amount of weekly promotions for fruits and vegetables.
An April 17 web seminar hosted by The Packer and conducted by Category Partners will look at what is coming next for fresh produce at retail during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Higher unemployment expected to take toll in coming weeks
Twenty-nine U.S. senators have asked Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue to directly pay specialty crop growers and to immediately increase purchases of fresh produce for food banks and federal feeding programs.
Fair Trade USA has received a 30-month grant of $1.4 million from the Walmart Foundation.
The coronavirus COVID-19 is changing consumer demand in affected global regions and choking exports of U.S. produce to Asian markets.
The New England Produce Council, Burlington, Mass., has postponed a dinner meeting event.
Farm Journal, the parent company of The Packer, will host leaders from the produce industry and other segments of agriculture at an online event, the Farm Country Forum, on April 16.
D’Arrigo Bros. of California, Salinas, has donated more than 250,000 pounds of produce to charitable organizations as they struggle to keep up with demand during the COVID-19 crisis.
The Packer’s Tom Karst visited April 6 with Scott Horsfall, CEO of the California Leafy Greens Marketing Agreement.
Industry associations have presented to the U.S. Department of Agriculture what is being called a Produce Market Stabilization Program to help produce operators survive the COVID-19 pandemic.
Fresh produce demand remains higher than usual at retail, even as panic buying subsides, and retailers are moving forward with promotional activity, albeit adjusted in some cases.
Driscoll’s plans to donate more than $4 million globally, with funds to health clinics and food banks, fresh berry donations and community resources in response to the worldwide pandemic.
Southern Specialties Inc., Pompano Beach, Fla., has donated thousands of pounds of specialty produce to hospital staffs, including heirloom tomatoes, white asparagus and yellow beefsteak tomatoes.
A previous post looked at the rise bagged produce in recent weeks
The Packer’s Tom Karst visited April 8 with Mike Mauti, managing partner of the consulting firm Execulytics on the Canadian retail perspective during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Florida Fruit & Vegetable Association is helping growers find consumers to buy their produce during the COVID-19 crisis.
Suffering millions in lost farm sales because of COVID-19 restrictions on restaurants since mid-March, some Florida growers are now selling some of their crops directly to consumers.