Peas

FairFruit Brings Year-Round Peas And French Beans to Canada

Wed, 29 Apr 2026 22:33:12 GMT

FairFruit, a company specializing in specialty vegetables and exotic fruits, has expanded its year-round specialty vegetable exports to Canada.

FairFruit says the Canadian market is a natural next step for its international sales evolution. Building on a positive track record in the U.S. and Europe, the company says the Canadian market offers a large and growing urban consumer base of 40 million people and a thriving food retail market.

“FairFruit offers Canadian buyers a sustainable supply proposition that combines consistency, honesty and long-term value,” says Evert Wulfrank, CEO of FairFruit USA. “Our year-round French beans and peas present a direct, dependable solution that addresses gaps in the Canadian market, backed by values that resonate with Canadian consumers. Our aim is become a recognized, trusted supplier to the eastern Canadian fresh produce trade.”

FairFruit says it used Canadian market research to identify opportunities to develop direct supplies from its own production companies in Guatemala and Peru. FairFruit says that dual origin model offers buyers supply continuity during the complementary primary growing seasons of Guatemala (November to April) and Peru (May to November).

“Our goal is to become a trusted, consistent supplier for Canadian buyers and a long-term partner in their growth,” Caroline Floren, sales and operations manager at FairFruit USA, says. “The quality of our relationships matters more to us than volume at the outset.”

Grown according to strict quality and food safety specifications, and packed and cold-chain managed from field to port, FairFruit says its portfolio includes both conventional and Fairtrade-certified French beans, peas, brassicas, and mini and colored carrots.

The company says established import hubs in eastern Canada present an attractive entry point for its year-round complementary Guatemalan and Peruvian supply model.

“We are a unique player with producers in both Guatemala and Peru, and we’re the largest company dedicated to exporting Peruvian peas to the UK, European Union, the U.S. and Japan,” Wulfrank says. “Our current customers choose us because our product arrives on specification, at consistent volume, season after season. We’re ready to offer Canadian buyers the same.”

FairFruit manages production from agronomic decisions in the field to quality validation at the packing stage. The company says this vertical integration enables it to guarantee consistent volume and specifications, reliability that retail and foodservice buyers require.

FairFruit will exhibit at the Canadian Produce Market Association’s Guatemala Pavilion, booth 1843, in Toronto, Canada.

North Bay Produce partners with Guatemalan grower

Thu, 22 Sep 2022 02:13:32 GMT

Traverse City, Mich.-based North Bay Produce Inc. has partnered with Guatemalan farm to bring imports of French green beans , snow peas, sugar snap peas, and Brussels sprouts to North American customers.

The Guatemalan operation, called UniSpice, specializes in planned growing cycles, according to the release. The controlled farm only plants orders to customer specifications as a group, which the release said is an approach that ensures consistency. The high altitude and cooler nights of the farm, located in the highlands of Guatemala, give crops higher brix for a sweeter taste, according to the release.

North Bay Produce imports the Guatemalan farm’s produce directly to the firm’s MidAmerica Warehouse in Mascoutah, Ill., according to the release. The facility is located in a place where it can reach 90% of the U.S. population within 18 hours or less by truck. The facility, according to the release, also is one of twelve USDA certified cold treatment Facilities in the U.S., and one of two adjacent to an airport runway.

Arkansas sweet potato season shaping up well

Fri, 23 Sep 2022 18:41:55 GMT

There should be no gap between old crop and new crop sweet potato shipments in Arkansas, one leading marketer reports.

New crop harvest typically begins in July or August and usually continues into November. Sweet potatoes can be marketed from storage year-round.

The 2019 sweet potato crop has moved out in good fashion and the outlook for the 2020 crop is strong, said Autumn Campbell, sales manager for Matthews Ridgeview Farms, Wynne, Ark.

“Our storage crop looks great and our plants look beautiful; we do not foresee any issues with shortages or a gap,” she said May 12.

Campbell said the company has been “blessed” through the pandemic and has kept its team safe and healthy with appropriate precautions.

“We are proud to be a part of an industry that is so essential to our country and the entire world,” she said.

For the 2020 crop, planting season has been going great and plants look beautiful, Campbell said.

“It’s warming up here in Arkansas and we are looking at a nice crop for this year,” she said. “We are growing every year and excited about it.”

Big footprint

The USDA does not report annual acreage numbers for Arkansas sweet potatoes.

The Census of Agriculture reported sweet potatoes accounted for 4,598 acres in 2017, or about 42% of total vegetable acreages. 2017 acreage was way up compared with 2012, when 2,410 acres of sweet potatoes were harvested.

The report said 75 operations grew sweet potatoes in 2017, up from just 17 in 2012.

The biggest sweet potato region is in Cross County in northeastern Arkansas, and Rick Wimberley, extension agent for the county, said growers there have been receiving big rains this spring.

While that may delay some planting, rains haven’t hurt the crop potential, he said. Wimberley said acreage in the county could be close to about 3,000 acres.

Sweet potatoes represent the biggest part of Arkansas vegetable acreage.

The Census of Agriculture reported Arkansas growers harvested 11,062 acres of vegetables that year in 2017, nearly the same as 11,111 acres in 2012.

The Census of Agriculture reported 748 operations in Arkansas harvested vegetable acreage in 2017, compared with 625 operations in 2012. The state does not report annual vegetable acreage reports; 2017 is the most recent year available.

Watermelons also are a big crop in Arkansas, according to USDA statistics, with 1,822 acres harvested in 2017, compared with 1,880 in 2012.

The Census of Agriculture reported tomatoes also ranked high, with 952 acres grown on 398 operations in 2017. That is down slightly compared with 2012, when 373 operations grew just over 1,100 ares of tomatoes in the state.

2017 Arkansas vegetable and melon statistics:

Fresh market vegetables: 9,500 acres;

Sweet potatoes: 4,598 acres, 3,492 fresh market acres;
Watermelon: 1,822 acres;
Tomatoes: 952 acres;
Turnip greens: 734 acres;
Summer squash: 578 acres;
Snap beans: 403 acres, 107 fresh market acres;
Pumpkins: 363 acres;
Sweet corn: 341 acres;
Southern peas (cowpeas): 284 acres;
Bell peppers: 128 acres;
Lettuce: 100 acres;
Cucumbers: 118 acres;
Okra: 82 acres;
Mustard greens: 68 acres;
Cabbage: 64 acres;
Cantaloupes: 56 acres; and
Potatoes: 62 acres.

Realted content:
Grapes and pecans gain ground
Arkansas sweet potato acreage rises, but tomato acres fall
Arkansas Produce

It's red, blue ... green and orange in the PMG top 20

Tue, 15 Nov 2022 07:29:09 GMT

Although things weren’t all red, white and blue on PMG in the week leading up to the July Fourth holiday, seasonal favorites still stacked the top 20. Specialty melons vaulted into first place, with mangoes rising nine spots from the week before to land at No. 2, bumping cucumbers to No. 3. Okra rose two spots, to No. 4, and beans climbed to No. 5 from No. 8 the previous week.

The PMG platform connects produce buyers and sellers. Below, find the top 20 searched commodities on PMG June 24-30.

Avocados rejoined the list at No. 6, and cherries rose three spots to No. 7. Broccoli came back to the list at No. 8, and peas rose to No. 9 from No. 15 the week before. Blackberries fell to No. 10 from the top slot.

Lemons fell seven spots to No. 11, and blueberries fell to No. 12 from No. 3 the week before. Lettuce jumped to No. 13 from its previous No. 20 rank, while peaches slipped two places to No. 14. Haitian mangoes gained a spot to complete the top 15.

Watermelon fell nine spots to No. 16, and apples came back to the list at No. 17. Beets also rejoined, at No. 18, bumping oranges to No. 19. Sweet potatoes came back to round out the top 20.

Mann Packing relaunches stringless sugar snap peas

Thu, 06 Oct 2022 14:05:52 GMT

Mann Packing Co. , Inc, a subsidiary of Fresh Del Monte N.A ., Inc. is relaunching its stringless sugar snap peas in newly redesigned packaging to modernize the look and feel of the brand, according to a news release.

Originally launched in 1997, Mann stringless sugar snap peas are the perfect solution for consumers looking for a healthy and easy snack alternative, according to the release.

The unique, tasty vegetables are a crunchy and nutritious snack that can be enjoyed right out of the bag, making them a convenient option for both adults and kids to enjoy. Vegetables provide a multitude of health benefits, yet due to taste preferences, lack of time, and access, nearly 90% of Americans don’t eat enough, the release stated.

Mann Packing Company’s stringless sugar snap peas are currently available at Meijer, Giant Food, Schnucks, and Lunds & Byerlys locations across 12 states. They are available for purchase in 6-ounce, 8-ounce, 15-ounce, 24-ounce, and 32-ounce packages.

As with all other Mann products, stringless sugar snap peas follow sustainable practices for planting, harvesting and transporting. For more information including recipes, please visit https://www.veggiesmadeeasy.com/products/stringless-sugar-snap-peas/.