Tomatoes

Red Alert: What’s Behind the Surge in Tomato Prices

Wed, 22 Apr 2026 21:21:58 GMT

A “perfect storm” of freezing Florida temperatures earlier this year, heavy rains and disease in Mexico, dark winter months for Canadian greenhouse growers, rising geopolitical tensions and more has sent tomato prices soaring, leaving grocers and suppliers struggling to fill the void.

Tomato prices were up 15.3% in March and are now up nearly 23% compared to the same time last year, according to Consumer Price Index data.

“It’s been a tough month for tomatoes with low supply,” says Dino DiLaudo, senior vice president of sales and marketing for greenhouse grower Topline Farms in Leamington, Ontario.

DiLaudo says disease in some Mexican tomato fields — coupled with reduced plantings sparked by the termination of the Tomato Suspension Agreement in July 2025 that put a 17% tariff on tomatoes imported from Mexico — has put the squeeze on supplies, as has the freeze in Florida.

Topline Farms’ Dino DiLaudo discussed the “perfect storm” that led to a surge in tomato prices at Viva Fresh 2026 in San Antonio.

(Photo by Jennifer Strailey)

The early 2026 Florida freeze severely impacted tomato production, with estimated losses reaching up to 80% of the crop in that state.

And the ongoing war with Iran has triggered a spike in global energy prices. Specifically, higher diesel costs are making the transportation of tomatoes more expensive, and these logistical costs are being passed down through the supply chain.

“It was a perfect storm,” says DiLaudo. “Shortage drives demand up. And when the whole market is short, it’s hard to fill contracts,” he says. “There’s a lot of demand for greenhouse-grown because of the price of field-grown.”

Paul Murracas, senior account manager with Leamington-based Pure Flavor, which is also feeling the pinch from tomato shortages, says a lack of light this winter has been another factor.

“There was no sun in Canada this winter,” says Murracas. “Even for greenhouses with lights, it’s an issue because you can’t run your lights all the time.”

Pure Flavor’s Paul Murracas and Alaina Wilkins discuss the challenges of greenhouse-grown tomatoes this winter at Viva Fresh 2026.

(Photo by Jennifer Strailey)

In Canada, where greenhouse growers export more than 85% of their produce to the U.S., the significant lack of light this winter has further constrained production levels. But Murracas says Pure Flavor is making every effort to weather the storm and not raise prices.

“We’re doing the best we can to supply our partners,” he says. “We don’t look at our business from a one-to-two-month perspective; we look at our long-term relationships with our customers.”

Retailers Focus on Supplier Partnerships

“Tomatoes have been a very interesting category to say the least,” says Justin Rowe, produce business category manager for Northeastern Shared Services, which operates banners including Tops Friendly Markets, Price Chopper and Market 32. “It seems like it has been a long string of issues, and we just can’t get ahead in the category.”

Rowe says while the termination of the Tomato Suspension Agreement was the start of the disruption, it was still navigable for grocery retailers like Northeastern Shared Services.

“Being that we are in the Northeast, we source a lot of our greenhouse product from Canada and our home state of New York,” he says. “We do source field-grown tomatoes out of Mexico during certain times of the year, but we did not see the need to raise retails in most instances.”

But an unusually cold winter in the Northeast, with a long string of days in single-digit temperatures, impacted greenhouse tomato growers in the region.

“With the rising costs of utilities, greenhouses couldn’t afford to keep the grow lights on, and production took a big hit,” says Rowe. “TOVs [tomatoes on the vine] and beefsteaks specifically bore the brunt of it. This caused us to back off promotions and prorate our stores to spread out what we were getting from our suppliers.”

Rowe says the grocer still managed to get through most of that time frame without raising tomato prices.

“The Florida freeze really turned things upside down,” he says. “While we have remained largely in stock on field-grown tomatoes, we did back off from most promotions due to lack of supply and rising costs.

“Certain varieties, like romas, have gotten so high [that] we did need to raise our retails due to costs,” he continues. “Most of the retails we raised were done more to slow down the category than compete with rising costs. We just don’t have the supply to be promotional.”

While romas, beefsteaks and tomatoes on the vine were impacted, snacking tomatoes are another story.

At Viva Fresh 2026 in San Antonio, Janine Meyer of NatureSweet said snacking tomatoes have been spared from the tomato squeeze.

(Photo by Jennifer Strailey)

Snacking tomatoes have been spared in the tomato shortage, says Janine Meyer, vice president of sales for grocery and club at San Antonio-based NatureSweet.

“We’re fine,” she says. “We’re vertically integrated, and most of our business is in snacking tomatoes. Vertical integration is key. It shields us from the noise.”

Amid the tightening tomato market, snacking tomatoes saved the day at Northeastern Shared Services’ stores.

“The one bright spot within the category has been greenhouse-grown snacking tomatoes,” says Rowe. “We have relied on them heavily to fill the promotional void caused by the disruption on most round tomatoes.

“This is the time when having partnerships is the most important,” he adds. “We understand that costs need to go up when supply takes this much of a hit. However, we still need tomatoes on our shelves. We work together with our partners to make sure we get our fair share of the supply and only pass on the rising costs to consumers if it’s absolutely necessary.”

Viva Fresh Tackles Biggest Challenges for Tex-Mex Produce

Mon, 20 Apr 2026 11:23:49 GMT

SAN ANTONIO — From labor and water shortages to fraud and cartels, the fast-paced, insight-packed session, “TIPA on the Buzzer Beaters of Produce Policy,” at Viva Fresh Expo 2026 tackled some of the biggest challenges facing produce in the Tex-Mex corridor and beyond.

The April 17 session featured the Texas International Produce Association’s Dante Galeazzi, CEO and president, and Jed Murray, director of government relations, who offered rapid, three-minute responses to a combination of prepared questions and questions from the audience on a range of hot topics.

Call for Water Infrastructure

Persistent water shortages in South Texas, driven by drought and water obligations from Mexico under the 1944 treaty not being met, have forced farmers to cut back on both the acreage and variety planted to fruits and vegetables, says Galeazzi.

Water scarcity, affecting the Rio Grande Valley and surrounding areas, has caused some producers to plant only half their typical acreage while others face reduced yields, smaller produce and significant financial risks.

“Weather and water shortages played a major role,” says Galeazzi, who notes Texas water shortages led to decreased production of between 30% and 40% this season for growers in the state.

“Water infrastructure seems to be the very last thing we focus on,” says Galeazzi, who sees investment in other infrastructure from roads to bridges to internet. “The government needs to look at water infrastructure before it’s too late to do something about it,” he says.

Produce Prices Not Keeping Pace

While the cost of growing, packing and shipping produce has gone up exponentially, produce prices at retail went up just .03% in the last year, says Galeazzi.

“We are not seeing prices adjust quickly enough,” he says. “Just in the last year alone the price of diesel has gone up $2 a gallon. A truck from the Rio Valley in Texas to Hunts Point [Produce Market] costs $800 more in fuel.”

Add to this soaring input and labor costs, tariffs and geopolitical volatility, and the profit margin on produce shrivels further.

Labor Crisis Accelerates

Because of its proximity to Mexico, South Texas was slower to experience labor shortages than other parts of the country.

“Our folks really didn’t start feeling labor shortages until about 15 years ago, but very quickly in the last 10 years, those issues have compounded, and so we have had to move very quickly, not only to adapt to the changing environment — to adapt to H-2A — but also for our folks to understand those programs and find ways to become more efficient,” says Galeazzi.

In the last 10 years, Texas wasn’t even on the radar of the top 10% of H-2A users, says Murray.

“Last year, we were No. 7 and Q1 [first quarter] of 2026 we were No. 4,” says Murray, underscoring how quickly labor has become a key issue in the state.

“Overall, the nation has about 65,000 workers already signed up this year to come in the United States and work, with 91% [of them] being from Mexico, Venezuela, Guatemala, South Africa and some of these other countries that are sending workers this way,” he adds.

“Last year, we did right around 380,000 H-2A workers in the nation. We’re anticipating that number to be close to 430,000 if not more, this coming year,” Murray continues.

Murray then discussed the Adverse Effect Wage Rate, which in Texas went down to $11.61 an hour for a Tier 1 employee, which has helped the state’s growers have a competitive rate.

Cartels

Fielding a question from the audience on whether TIPA has seen an impact of cartel activity in Mexico, Galeazzi said, “I think we have seen impact.”

As mangoes and avocados out of Mexico require inspection, recent changes in cartel leadership in Sinaloa caused the U.S. to suspend all inspections. This also impacted H-2A worker visa applications that were shut down.

“Now takes almost three weeks to get an H-2A worker visa,” he says.

Rise in Produce Fraud

Galeazzi cautioned the audience that there’s been a rise in fraud.

Last summer a TIPA member received a call from someone falsely representing a major company in produce. The fraudster ordered a load of limes, and because the company name was already in the supplier’s system, they filled the order.

“We all do business like that. We’ve all sold to companies where you recognize the name when you pick up the phone,” says Galeazzi.

The buyer calls again and orders a second load, which the supplier fills.

“Now what happens is, between the second and the third load, the market drops about $5 in limes,” says Galeazzi. But when the seller got the green light for a third load, the buyer didn’t ask about the cost. Realizing this was suspicious, the seller called the company that was supposed to be the buyer and the scam was revealed.

“Long story short, those two loads have disappeared,” Galeazzi says. “Thankfully, he was able to move quickly and save the third load.

“What has happened, though, is that you have this ring of fraudsters, and they’re operating throughout the country, primarily out of the East Coast,” he adds. “What they’re doing is these guys are familiar with our industry and how it works. They basically are going into Blue Book, calling suppliers, impersonating large companies, and they are exposing our weaknesses.

“They know, as a produce industry, we extend people credit. They also know we don’t start calling for money until what, day 20? So, these guys are going to put in orders as fast as they can for 20 days and then disappear,” Galeazzi says.

While Galeazzi says TIPA has been challenged to find the right law enforcement to pursue these cases, last month Blue Book helped get a case together in South Florida, and they finally caught the fraudster.

“We need to be vigilant about this,” says Galeazzi. “You need to make sure you’ve got some best practices [in place].”

What Would You Ask Rollins?

Fielding another question from the audience, Galeazzi and Murray were asked what they would ask Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins if they met with her.

“We have sent communications to her about a lot of different things,” Galeazzi says. “We would first ask that they do something to improve the FSA process. FSA is a Farm Service Agency. It’s where our farmers report things, how they go in for acreage. It’s how they get crop insurance for NAP [Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program]. It’s how they access the drought programs for relief. Right now, that process is very antiquated. Believe it or not, the farmers have to physically go into the office to report acreage when they put something in the ground and they harvested it, versus an email. Changing that would be huge.”

Murray says they’d also welcome the opportunity to discuss specialty crop crop insurance and grant money for covering risk.

“They have a great, robust program for cotton and grain guys. That’s easy to do because the acres are there,” says Murray. “They’re not so specialized as we are — 2 acres of this and 3 acres of that — so it’s very difficult for them to put together a disaster relief or insurance program.”

Murray cited the disparity between the $12 billion in farm aid relief that went to American farmers of row crops compared to the $1 billion earmarked for specialty crops.

He also wants to see the USDA do more to promote fruits and vegetables as part of a healthy diet through the education system.

Canada to Cease Quality Inspections

Galeazzi also addressed efforts in response to the Canadian Food Inspection Agency’s announcement earlier this year that it plans to discontinue the Destination Inspection Service for fresh fruits and vegetables, citing budgetary reasons.

“We, alongside CPMA [Canadian Produce Marketing Association] and others … worked so hard to get those inspections in place,” he says. “We have worked hard to create equality across the United States and Canada, and so we are working alongside our friends in Canada to ensure they understand the importance of keeping government inspections for fresh produce.”

Galeazzi says another challenge to U.S.-Canada produce trade is Canada’s new packaging rules.

“Canada has a whole slew of packaging rules that are going to come into place. And there are a lot of concerns. One of the concerns is the glue on the PLU sticker is not compostable, so you may not be able to use that PLU sticker, or you might pay a fine for every single piece of produce you go with to Canada that has a PLU,” says Galeazzi.

He says TIPA is working to help the Canadian government understand the complications of such a packaging rule.

He says Canada also wants to limit food to a single package.

“How are grapes shipped? Grapes go in a bag, and then they go in a box, and then they go on a pallet,” says Galeazzi. While he says TIPA understands sustainability concerns, without protective packaging, products from grapes to berries to tomatoes will be damaged in transit, resulting in unsustainable food waste.

“I call it the Amazon effect,” says Murray. “You order something in a box, and you get two more boxes inside that, and then it goes to you. And so, I think that they kind of created this rule as well to look at what’s happening in that packaging, but they didn’t realize that standardization then transfers to fresh fruits and vegetables, which we have to protect them and have more than just one box.”

Tomato Dumping

Tomatoes and the end of the Tomato Suspension Agreement was another hot topic at Viva Fresh.

In July, the U.S. Department of Commerce terminated the 2019 Agreement Suspending the Antidumping Duty Investigation on Fresh Tomatoes from Mexico, and with that termination, the Commerce Department issued an antidumping order that places a 17.09% duty on most imported tomatoes from Mexico.

“The biggest issue too is, at some point very soon, ITC [the U.S. International Trade Commission] is going to determine if, not only is [dumping] still happening or not happening, but is 17% enough? [What] a lot of people don’t know is the 17% duty rate on tomatoes is just a placeholder at a point in a review,” says Galeazzi. “Anytime between now and six years, ITC can make the evaluation after so many years and say, ‘Hey, actually, we noticed that 17% wasn’t enough.

“Dumping was still happening, and it was happening at a rate of what looks like 25%, so everybody that already paid those millions of dollars on 17% has to make up that additional percentage,” he adds.

Galeazzi says TIPA is working to help educate ITC.

TIPA Sues OSHA

TIPA and the Texas Vegetable Association sued OSHA in late 2025 in the Northern District of Texas, challenging OSHA’s constitutional authority to create laws without legal foundation. The suit argues the 1970 Act gives the agency overly broad power. As such, it seeks to block one-size-fits-all safety regulations and their enforcement on produce companies.

Galeazzi says the lawsuit moved to South Texas last week. He gave the example of an OSHA regulation that requires a tractor driver on a farm receive training every year, even if the worker has been with the farm for 16 years.

“Does that make sense? Our concern is these regulations are being created in a vacuum without the stakeholders in the room,” says Galeazzi.

Why Pluck’d is Betting Big on Virginia-Grown Tomatoes to Close the Domestic Supply Gap

Thu, 16 Apr 2026 12:37:47 GMT

Pluck’d is a new U.S.-grown tomato brand with tomatoes available in select Walmart, Weis Markets and regional retailers. Ben Alexander, CEO of Pluck’d, says he saw a strong need for consistent, high-quality tomatoes.

“If not now, then when?” Alexander says of the timing.

He says the company has worked on projects around the world on greenhouses and brings a lot of lessons to this new venture.

“We thought the U.S. was a really solid, obvious choice, partly because we felt that we could produce a really high-quality, high-flavor product that was grown in the U.S.,” he says. “Looking at the sort of macroeconomic side of things, all of the product really is coming from Mexico and Canada. And we felt, well, why on earth does America not have more domestic production?”

He says when the company started the project, it looked at the science behind tomato production, which includes weather data to help identify the optimum location.

“It just so happened to be a wonderful coincidence that Virginia, and specifically the part of Virginia we’re in, is within a day’s drive of the entire East Coast,” he says. “That’s just a happy coincidence, more than anything.”

Winnowing Down 500 Varieties

Alexander says Pluck’d is very intentional with the selection of its first three varieties: Preemos, a mid-size tomato-on-the-vine with a rich, balanced flavor and vibrant red color; Plucculents, cocktail-sized tomatoes-on-the-vine with juicy sweetness and a bright finish; and Plucklings, small, snackable tomatoes-on-the-vine with bold flavor and natural sweetness.

He says he and the R&D team likely tasted about 500 different tomatoes to choose the final three. And from there, the team conducted blind taste testing with a wide swath of consumers from diverse demographics.

“Ultimately, we unanimously ended up with the ones that we’ve chosen,” he says. “And it started with segments, and then we worked down into varieties.”

He says within this research, there was a clear consistency void the team at Pluck’d hopes to fill.

“In the research that we did, it’s clear that there’s a lack of consistency year round,” he says. “One week is good. One week it might be bad. One week is fresh. One week it’s not fresh. Why can no one just do this week in, week out?”

Alexander says the grow team has more than 200 years of experience that helps propel the goal of freshness and quality.

“We think we’ve set the foundations to consistently provide high-quality, high-flavor product that is fresh,” he says. “You can see it in the vine. It’s still thick, it’s not withered. That’s what we’re aiming for with high-quality varieties grown properly by really experienced people.

A special callout to the Virginia headquarters of Pluck’d is featured on its packaging.

(Photo courtesy of Pluck’d)

The Packaging Strategy

Packaging plays an important role for Pluck’d. The company uses natural craft packaging with a QR code, callouts to the state of Virginia and “Always Grown in the USA.” And when the packages are stacked, it forms a tomato vine.

“We’re just trying to make it fun and something that you want to pick up and try,” he says.

The company plans a marketing campaign around “Pluck’d Around and Find out.”

“We’re just trying to be exciting, interesting, but, but ultimately, what will determine our success is consistent, high quality, freshness and good flavor, and that’s it,” he says. “We want people to think ‘Pluck’d, okay, it’s grown in the U.S. That’s the idea behind ‘Always Grown in the USA’ on the package.”

Tech Meets Nature

Alexander says the Austinville, Va., site has proprietary technology. He says Pluck’d has the ultimate goal of lowering the operation’s carbon footprint. This includes the addition of a biomass boiler in the future.

“We want a consumer to be able to buy our product, and it’d be cost competitive and obviously high-quality, highly fresh, etc.,” he says. “But also, one day, have the ability to, by virtue of buying the product, take X amount of CO2 out of the atmosphere.”

He says technology plays an important role in helping the company farm intelligently. But he says that’s in concert with Mother Nature.

“We found the perfect location that enables us, as a growing entity, to sail with the tide,” he says. “Equivalently, we use nature to our advantage because we’re not fighting it every day because we found the perfect location.”

He says that comes with improved pollination with the optimum technology to produce year-round high-quality tomatoes.

“Everything that we have done has been through that prism of like agronomy and pollination and quality,” he says. “I’m pretty certain, almost 100% certain, that we’ve got the most advanced tomato greenhouse in the U.S.”

Alexander says he hopes that the Pluck’d greenhouse will be pesticide-free thanks to a sophisticated integrated pest management system. And an irrigation system with nano filters.

“A healthy plant ultimately comes from good water,” he says.

And Alexander says Pluck’d has a “Spotless” team that is hyper-focused on cleaning everything to ensure the health of the plants. And Pluck’d selected varieties that are virus-resistant, which also helps. But he says the primary focus is on quality above all.

“We’re not focusing on yields,” he says. Yield is a sort of nice benefit that comes from the correct climate location, climate internally, the correct technology and the correct operations.”

What’s Next for the Vertically Integrated Brand

Alexander says Pluck’d has had a good reception from retailers. He says the unique value proposition of Pluck’d being picked one day and in consumers’ hands the next is important.

“There are benefits to a buyer, such as it’s not seven- to 10-days old by the time you put it on the shelf, it’s arrived at their DC a day or two since it’s been cut, and then it’s there,” he says. “As a result, the shrink should be much less. The quality when the consumer buys it is significantly better, fresher, and so it lasts longer. They see less waste. There’s just, there’s better value throughout the system than just pure price.”

As far as future plans, Alexander says the first and most critical step of launching Pluck’d is to deliver on premium quality tomatoes.

“We have a scale that means that we can succeed as a vertically integrated company. We’ve set the foundations correctly, but we’re not going to look to scale too fast,” he says. “We need to get operational excellence.”

And then, from there, he says there is potential to expand in the tomato category.

“There’s a lot left to do in just tomatoes,” he says. “We can go deeper and expand further just within that category. That’s our expertise currently. You know, everyone that we’ve hired is an expert in tomatoes.”

Del Fresco Pure Debuts New Top-Seal Packaging

Fri, 06 Mar 2026 14:22:30 GMT

Del Fresco Pure, a family-owned and -operated company that has been in business for 70 years, says it has added a new sustainable top seal for its Original Cherry Tomatoes on the Vine.

The Kingsville, Ontario, company says this packaging is designed to reduce plastic usage while maintaining freshness, quality and shelf appeal.

The packaging will be 100% recyclable, with a 26-micron laminated top seal, featuring a PET-to-PET structure with a high-transparency film barrier with anti-fog. Del Fresco Pure says this new packaging supports its broader sustainability goals and responds to growing consumer demand for environmentally responsible produce solutions.

“Celebrating 70 years of greenhouse growing is an incredible milestone for our family and our team,” says Ray Mastronardi, vice president of sales for Del Fresco Pure. “As we look to the future, innovations like our sustainable top seal packaging demonstrate our ongoing commitment to responsible agriculture, exceptional flavor, and continuous improvement for our customers and retail partners.”

Smart Farming Trial at Windset Farms Integrates AI and Sensors to Bolster Year-Round Food Security

Wed, 18 Feb 2026 22:09:35 GMT

Announced last month , Windset Farms has embarked on a new smart farming initiative at its Delta, British Columbia, headquarters designed to improve how crops are grown, managed and monitored in a changing climate.

This is a joint project, supported by the B.C. Centre for Agritech Innovation, and is in partnership with Simon Fraser University, Koidra Inc., Vivent Biosignals, and Wageningen University & Research in the Netherlands.

Ryan Cherry, vice president of sales and marketing at Windset Farms, says the international project is part of a broader focus on the province’s ag tech industry. This smart farming initiative at Windset Farms’ Delta facility is part of a $658,000 joint investment between the B.C. Centre for Agritech Innovation and industry partners on three specific projects.

Cherry says this investment seeks to boost food security, create good jobs, support communities and help spur growth in the controlled environment agriculture industry.

“By working with industry, academia and government, we’re developing solutions that address climate change while building a more sustainable and resilient agriculture sector for all British Columbians,” he says.

Moving From Reactive to Proactive Management

Cherry says what’s unique about this project, which officially began in spring 2025, is it incorporates sensors to monitor plant stress from Vivent Biosignals and intelligent automation from Koidra to provide a holistic look at Windset’s greenhouse tomato production. Vivent provides the biological data that Koidra’s machine learning uses to adjust the automated system.

“Vivent Biosignals allows us to ‘listen’ directly to the plants by capturing their electrical signals, which can indicate stress long before it’s visible to the human eye,” he says. “Koidra’s AI platform then helps analyze that plant-level data alongside environmental and operational information. Together, they create a decision-support system that’s plant-centric, combining biological insight with advanced analytics to guide greenhouse management.”

Cherry says this integration signals a shift in Windset’s decision-making process.

“Instead of responding once plants show visible stress or disease, the system helps flag issues early and supports more precise climate, irrigation and nutrient adjustments,” he explains. “That means healthier plants, more consistent production and better resource use driven by real-time data.”

Over the course of this project, the team hopes to learn how plants communicate stress in real time, which can then translate to better information for growers, Cherry says.

“Pest infestations and diseases are critical in greenhouse environments because they can spread quickly and affect large volumes of crops,” he says. “Early detection enables faster, more targeted responses that protect yield, reduce losses and minimize the need for more aggressive interventions later.”

Cherry says there are also broader benefits with better information. These include more efficient uses of inputs.

“By better understanding what plants need, the system supports smarter irrigation, nutrient delivery and climate control,” he says. “While specific savings will emerge from the trial data, the long-term expectation is reduced waste and improved sustainable growing practices.”

Scalability and the Future of Specialty Crops

While the project currently focuses on greenhouse-grown tomatoes, Cherry says the hope is that the insights from this trial would have broader applications in the specialty crop industry.

“While this project is focused on a specific production system, the project aims to make the underlying technology highly adaptable,” he says. “A proof-of-concept here opens the door to broader applications across the agri-food sector.”

Cherry says the research team has currently focused on validating performance improvements, including plant health, consistency, early detection accuracy and production efficiency versus quantifiable metrics or yield goals. He adds that the research team hopes to have products, services and processes ready for market within 24 months.

“What’s exciting is that this early work lays the foundation for long-term adoption across the sector,” he says.

Cherry explains this will also help provide more reliable year-round access to fresh produce for consumers and retailers.

“It helps stabilize supply, reduces vulnerability to disruptions and supports food security by strengthening domestic production,” he says. “Over time, that consistency benefits both retailers and shoppers.”

Building a Skilled Agri-Tech Workforce

Windset Farms’ smart farming trial is part of a larger New Smart Farming project, which includes robotic weeding technology development at the University of the Fraser Valley and drought-resilient training at Kwantlen Polytechnic University. Cherry says this project will also boost opportunities for those working in the ag tech space.

“Beyond the technology itself, the entire New Smart Farming project, through B.C. Centre for Agritech Innovation, announced it is investing heavily in training and upskilling, noting that more than 353 people are expected to receive advanced training in agri-tech, innovation and business,” he says. “This will bring highly qualified personnel into the sector to support the industry well beyond this single project.”

The investment is also a commitment to resilient, consistent food production, Cherry says.

“By integrating advanced technologies into greenhouse operations, we’re strengthening Canada’s ability to produce fresh food locally year-round while reducing reliance on imports,” he says. “It’s about building a more secure, climate-resilient agricultural system.”

It’s also a signal that smart farming is more than a buzzword, Cherry says. The project is proof that it is foundational to specialty crop production, especially CEA production.

“The integration of AI, plant-based sensing and automation represents a fundamental shift in how growers manage risk, resources and productivity,” he says.

Commodity-Specific Trade War Battles to Watch for in 2026

Tue, 23 Dec 2025 20:12:01 GMT

While larger-scale trade battles dominated national headlines, different fresh produce commodities had their own trade fights to pick. The Packer covered these in detail in 2025, and it is almost certain that the ongoing issues will hit headlines in 2026 as well.

For example, The Tomato Suspension Agreement was one of the biggest examples of a commodity-specific trade fight to grace the headlines. In late November, a source told The Packer’s Christina Herrick that U.S. tomato growers might not see the impact of the termination of the Tomato Suspension Agreement until the January 2026 crop and beyond into spring.

Coverage of the tumultuous trade fight in 2025 started in summer when Herrick sat down with Robert Guenther , executive vice president for the Florida Tomato Exchange, as the agreement neared the end of its 90-day implementation period.

“For decades, Mexican exporters have dumped tomatoes into the U.S. market below their cost of production, by margins as high as 273%, which are injuring American tomato farmers,” Guenther said.

“The 2019 Suspension Agreement and the previous four suspension agreements were supposed to stop this,” he continued. “Instead, it became a shield for repeated violations. It failed in its basic purposes: to shield U.S. tomato producers from dumped Mexican tomatoes and to ensure fair trade as required by U.S. law.”

Later, in mid-July, when the U.S. Department of Commerce ended the Tomato Suspension Agreement and imposed a 17% tariff on most imports of Mexican tomatoes, the reaction from the fresh produce industry was pronounced and deeply divided. Herrick and The Packer’s Jennifer Strailey covered the controversy’s sides .

On the one hand, Florida claimed victory. The Florida Fruit & Vegetable Association and the Florida Tomato Exchange called the end of the agreement a victory for U.S. tomato growers and a positive movement “toward fairer competition, not only for tomato growers but for all specialty crop producers nationwide.”

On the other hand, the controlled-environment agriculture industry was “deeply disappointed,” by the move.

“Because most high-value greenhouse growers farm in Canada, the U.S. and Mexico, the termination of this agreement will cause significant damage to these growers, serving as a financial barrier to new investment in U.S. greenhouses,” the CEA Alliance said.

But the situation with tomato prices, tomato trade, and prices is a nuanced one. Because they are such a staple to U.S. consumers, and supplies are dependent on Mexican-grown tomatoes, the situation begged the question: Are tomatoes poised for an eggs moment?

Other commodities faced trade threats and dumping issues

Tomatoes weren’t the only commodity to see trade war battles in 2025 that will likely continue in 2026.

For example, in mid-September, Herrick covered the growing fight over mushrooms . A group of U.S. mushroom growers accused Canadian growers of dumping mushrooms in the U.S. market below the price of production.

“These practices have resulted in significant negative impacts on U.S. mushroom growers and packers, including lost sales, depressed prices and declining profitability,” they said.

Herrick reported the trade situation between the two countries is more than a symbiotic relationship, however. Canada supplies almost all of the peat moss substrate for U.S. growers, and the U.S. supplies most of Canadian growers’ mushroom spawn, for instance.

According to the U.S. International Trade Commission , the case will extend into 2026 due in part to the government shutdown’s impact on its operation late in the year.

California’s citrus industry also found itself at the center of a pitched trade battle in 2025 as well. As Strailey reported in early October , the Golden State’s citrus growers found themselves pressured by imports exceeding exports, pest and disease threats, and tariff pains from China.

Long a desired destination for California citrus exports, China answered President Donald Trump’s first term tariff threats seriously.

“China took retaliatory measures and increased tariffs substantially,” said California Citrus Quality Council President Jim Cranney. “And since then, we’ve been operating with tariffs that are in a neighborhood of about 46%.”

The tariff fight with China looks like it will be an on-going issue in 2026. As will the question of Argentinian dumping of lemons and limes with the shifts in reciprocal tariffs on the country, among others.

NatureSweet Expands its Bachelor’s Degree Program for Ag Workers

Thu, 11 Dec 2025 19:35:34 GMT

NatureSweet, the vertically integrated company that grows, harvests and sells premium greenhouse tomatoes, cucumbers, and peppers, announced Dec. 11 that it has expanded its long-standing adult education initiative for its agricultural workforce, including expanding its bachelor’s degree program.

Nearly 20 years after the program began in Zapotlán, Mexico, with just 26 graduates in 2005, NatureSweet has reached record graduation numbers and launched new university cohorts.

As of December 2025, NatureSweet has celebrated:

431 associates graduating the program in 2025 alone, the highest number in the program’s 20-year history
2,846 total graduates across all education levels since the program began
539 associates completing literacy training
471 completing elementary school
1,072 completing middle school
759 completing high school, including the oldest graduate at 59 years old
5 university graduates to date, with enrollment rapidly growing

Currently, 179 associates are actively pursuing diplomas, 20 in high school and 159 at the university level. Among those pursuing higher education, the youngest is 22 years old and the oldest is 55, underscoring the program’s accessibility and life-changing potential at any age.

In 2023, the company introduced its “Unleashing Your Power” bachelor’s program to provide NatureSweet associates with the opportunity to pursue a university degree. With expanded support from fair-trade committees, which voted to direct resources toward educational advancement, NatureSweet established three new university groups in 2025 at its Colima, San Isidro and Zapotlán locations. These new cohorts provided 102 additional associates with the opportunity to begin a university degree. Today:

129 associates are pursuing a bachelor’s in agricultural engineering
30 associates are pursuing a bachelor’s in industrial engineering

“Our mission has always been to elevate the lives of the people who grow our food,” says Rodolfo Spielmann, president and CEO of NatureSweet. “When agricultural workers gain access to education, they gain the power to transform their families’ futures, power to lead and power to dream bigger than the circumstances around them. These milestones prove what is possible when a company invests in its people with trust, respect and long-term commitment. We’re incredibly proud of every associate who has stepped forward to pursue their education and we remain dedicated to expanding this opportunity even further.”

Why Western Mexico Remains Essential for Winter Produce in the U.S.

Thu, 04 Dec 2025 13:30:17 GMT

While the U.S. is a powerhouse of produce production, it still takes the power of imports to keep U.S. consumers supplied with fresh fruit and vegetables year-round.

Mexico is a key player in that supply chain. Much of its production, especially what is needed to supply the U.S. during the winter, comes from the country’s western states. These include everything from border states like Baja California and Sonora down to Jalisco and Michoacán in the southern end of the country.

“Western Mexico benefits from mild, stable winter weather, which allows growers to produce vegetables during the same months when U.S. and Canadian domestic production drops off,” explains Clarisa Batiz, senior vegetable category manager at Divine Flavor.

“That seasonal complement makes the region a critical piece of the year-round supply chain,” she adds. “When northern production slows during the winter, western Mexico steps in to supply peppers, tomatoes, cucumbers, squash, and other key commodities, ensuring U.S. retailers can keep shelves stocked consistently.”

Luis Obregon, president of Nogales, Ariz.-based produce sourcing and distribution company IPR Fresh, adds that the “experienced grower base and strong infrastructure make it one of the most dependable winter vegetable regions in North America.” He calls western Mexico key to his company’s ability to supply a wide variety of vegetables, but especially bell peppers and European cucumbers, to U.S. consumers year-round.

“Its proximity to the U.S. is a major advantage; shorter transit times mean fresher product and more reliable arrivals,” Obregon says.

Challenges and Opportunities: Water, Labor and Climate

Mexico’s proximity to the U.S. also means it has been experiencing some of the same challenges that also trouble U.S. produce growers in western states: water and labor shortages.

“The available labor pool is shrinking each year, and the cost of labor continues to rise sharply. Recruiting and retaining farm labor has become increasingly difficult,” Batiz reports.

The water scarcity in some western Mexican states is also getting extreme, she adds.

“Regions like Sonora and Sinaloa have seen significant water stress,” Batiz says. “Some reservoirs are reportedly operating at only 20% to 30% capacity, forcing growers to reduce planted hectares and rethink irrigation strategies.”

While the more northwestern Mexican states have been having chronic issues with too little water, some of the more southwestern states have had the opposite experience this year. For example, the 2025 Pacific hurricane season was more active than usual, bringing more rain to some parts of western Mexico during summer and fall.

The added rain has benefited Mexico’s key avocados-for-export region, says Stephanie Bazan, senior vice president of commercial strategy and execution at Avocados From Mexico. She reports that the current supply of avocados for export to the U.S. is not only abundant, but trending toward larger sizes. This is in contrast to the generally shrinking avocado sizes seen industrywide .

“When there’s a lot of good water supply, the trees can size up the fruit,” she explains. “This year we’ve had some really good climate that’s enabled the trees to size up on fruit, and it’s nice large sizes; very promotable sizes.”

While the added rain is helping avocado growers this year, Obregon cites ongoing climate variability, along with labor tightness in Mexico and the strong peso, as putting pressure on western Mexico growers and importers of their produce.

“In addition, ongoing efforts by certain U.S. groups to limit imports, along with the uncertainty surrounding potential tariffs, continue to create instability,” he says.

“Production out of Sonora and Sinaloa is coming along well, with healthy plants and good quality across peppers, tomatoes, squash and cucumbers,” says Clarisa Batiz, senior vegetable category manager at Divine Flavor.

(Photo courtesy of Divine Flavor)

Continued Work on Tech, Sustainability and Social Responsibility

Both Obregon and Batiz say the challenges the region faces will continue into the future and will demand growers adapt and make ongoing efficiency improvements. This is something Obregon says is already underway.

“Growers in western Mexico continue to improve through more efficient drip irrigation, expanded protected agriculture and better postharvest cooling practices,” he says. “At IPR Fresh, we’re focused on strengthening cold-chain performance and partnering with growers who invest in technology and sustainability. Looking ahead, we expect continued progress in precision agriculture, resource efficiency and protected growing systems.”

Batiz says that Divine Flavor expects “continued progress in greater energy efficiency, smarter water use and deeper integration of social responsibility throughout our operations.”

She says operating at a large scale, yet keeping consistent sustainability practices across all growers, is one of Divine Flavor’s strengths, with reducing its overall carbon footprint throughout the supply chain being a central focus. Taking care of its people is another.

“We put a lot of effort into responsible recruitment practices, safe working conditions and programs that support workers’ well-being. For us, retaining our workforce and having employees who want to return season after season is one of the most meaningful indicators that we’re on the right path,” she says. “These elements will be essential for building a more resilient and sustainable agricultural future.”

Western Mexico Makes Football Guac Possible

When it comes to essentials, western Mexico — particularly Michoacán, all but makes winter avocados in the U.S. possible.

“Michoacán represents about 90% of the exports that come to the U.S.” Bazan says.

In 2023, almost 92% of the fresh avocados available in the U.S. were imported, according to the USDA Economic Research Service. The majority of those imports come from Mexico to the point that Bazan describes imports from Mexico as dominating the U.S. avocado market. That is especially true during what she calls the fall/winter ramp-up to football season in the U.S., culminating in the Super Bowl.

“When the Super Bowl comes around, we’re looking at a minimum 250-million-pound opportunity,” she explains. “This is pretty much our superstar time period of the year.”

Bazan adds that a typical Super Bowl week will see roughly 32% more avocados delivered than a normal average week. She puts that into perspective as a truck full of avocados leaving Mexico every six minutes in the lead-up to the Super Bowl to keep up with U.S. demand.

“And Michoacán is the only state that can provide the avocados that meet the demand for the fruit here in the United States,” she says.

“Because October, November and December is so critical in the U.S. because of the consumption that happens in this time period, primarily as we get into college football season and the huge association between guacamole and football, it is critical [to have an] abundant supply,” Bazan explains.

Fortunately, it looks like that will happen this year.

“This year is looking like it could be a record year for us,” Bazan says. “We’ve had some strong weeks in terms of harvest and supply, and the market is very promotable right now.”

State of Winter Crops

Bazan isn’t the only one expecting good things out of western Mexico during this winter season. Batiz reports that crop conditions look strong and that Divine Flavor is expecting a solid season for both volume and quality.

“Production out of Sonora and Sinaloa is coming along well, with healthy plants and good quality across peppers, tomatoes, squash and cucumbers,” she says.

While the 2024-2025 period was difficult for many farmers due to extremely low market prices, Divine Flavor is focused on ensuring it covers its program business securely and avoids overproduction, Batiz says. The company is reducing speculative planting and aiming for a more targeted, disciplined approach to match supply more precisely with demand.

Obregon similarly reports a solid start to the season with good quality and yields on IPR Fresh’ bell peppers and European cucumbers.

“With our year-round program firmly in place, we expect steady and dependable volumes for the U.S. market throughout the winter and beyond, assuming weather conditions remain cooperative,” he says.

Millennium Pacific Strengthens West Coast Supply with California Grown Snacking Tomato Program

Wed, 03 Dec 2025 11:05:53 GMT

Millennium Pacific Greenhouses is proud to spotlight its growing portfolio of California Grown snacking tomatoes, a core category that continues to accelerate in consumer demand across the West Coast.

With multiple high-flavor varieties grown in both loose and on-the-vine formats, Millennium Pacific’s snacking tomato program delivers the consistent quality, vibrant flavor and year-round reliability that retailers expect from a premium, vertically integrated greenhouse supplier, according to a news release.

With USA production anchored at the company’s high-tech greenhouse in Tehachapi, Calif., Millennium Pacific says it provides a stable and dependable surety of supply, especially during the winter months. These locally grown snacking tomatoes are nurtured in controlled-environment conditions designed to protect flavor, maintain freshness and meet consumer expectations for convenient, crisp, high-quality produce that is grown close to home.

Retail response has been strong across the board.

“Consumers continue to gravitate toward snacking tomatoes for their convenience, flavor and versatility, and retailers have taken notice,” says Brandon Gruenberger, vice president of sales. “Our California Grown program has delivered exactly what the market wants: consistent quality, reliable winter supply and a flavor profile that stands out on the shelf.”

Millennium Pacific says its long-term commitment to West Coast supply strength is reinforced by major strategic investments this year. The company’s acquisition of a 62-acre, high-tech greenhouse facility in California earlier this fall significantly expands its U.S. footprint, while the ongoing expansion of its Delta, B.C., facilities — scheduled for completion next summer — further enhances year-round capacity across key commodities.

“As a family-owned business, growth and expansion aren’t just milestones, they’re essential to meeting the rising demand of our retail partners every single week of the year,” says Reza Bahktiyari, senior vice president. “Our investment in California and British Columbia reflects our commitment to delivering premium quality, increasing supply resilience and ensuring that exciting things continue to come from Millennium Pacific.”

As a proud participant in the California Grown program, Millennium Pacific says it remains dedicated to supporting local agriculture, sustainable practices and regional food systems, bringing consumers trusted, high-flavor snacking tomatoes grown right in their backyard.

Looking ahead, the company is preparing for a dynamic 2026. With expanded acreage, increased capacity and innovations underway, Millennium Pacific is accelerating both its brand and research and development efforts across varieties, commodities and refreshed consumer-focused packaging.

Millennium Pacific Greenhouses says it continues to shape the future of fresh with premium West-Coast–grown produce, year-round consistency and a growing lineup of products designed to meet the evolving needs of retailers and consumers.

Sunny Outlook for Florida Tomato Season

Thu, 20 Nov 2025 22:29:34 GMT

Things look good this season in the Sunshine State for tomato growers, says Robert Guenther, executive vice president of the Florida Tomato Exchange and manager of the Florida Tomato Committee.

Help from weather conditions and regulatory changes all bode well for this year’s crop and for future domestic demand, he says.

Guenther sat down with The Packer to discuss this season’s outlook and the immediate impacts of the end of the U.S.-Mexico Tomato Suspension Agreement.

How is this year’s tomato crop looking so far compared to last season?

Guenther: We have had a strong start to the season. Unlike last year, having to deal with two hurricanes back to back, this year we have seen exceptional growing conditions for tomatoes here in Florida (knock on wood), which is producing some of the best quality tomatoes growers have seen in years.

(Photo courtesy of the Florida Tomato Exchange )

Have there been acreage or planting decision adjustments for this season? If so, what drove that choice?

I think it is too early to tell. However, we have seen several new packing and shipping operations sign up for this year’s marketing season (October to June) through the federal marketing order.

Do you see the current policy environment encouraging growers to reinvest or expand acreage?

On the domestic side, we are in a government shutdown, so it’s hard to gauge until they reopen the government and Congress gets back to work. I do know that Florida tomatoes are very aligned with other specialty organizations supporting the renewal of the farm bill. If that occurs, I see some important opportunities with new investments in marketing, promotion and research programs.

I would also add that the upcoming negotiations on the USMCA (U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement) between the United States, Canada and Mexico will be an important policy area that tomato growers across the country will be engaged in to ensure fair market conditions are implemented as well as continuing each country’s right to address unfair trade practices.

What are the biggest production challenges this year in Florida?

Well, that never changes: Weather and cost of production, which is mostly driven by labor cost. We have had some important regulatory victories in the last several months to help us with labor challenges and, most importantly, stabilizing the H-2A program. More can be done, but it’s a good start as we begin our growing season and our growers are signing up guest workers for their season.

Are you seeing any noticeable changes in competition or buyer interest in Florida tomatoes since the termination [of the Tomato Suspension Agreement]?

I think those observations will come later in the season, say January through the spring. At the moment with the season just starting, growers are working hard to fulfill their obligations with customers.

Have wholesale or fob prices improved enough to offset higher input costs?

Ask me that at the end of the season! But we are watching this very closely to better understand how market prices (both grower returns and retail prices) react to the new policy environment that are in place this season. Remember, the United States and Mexico are implementing new requirements on how tomatoes will flow through the U.S. market.

What does the business outlook look like for Florida tomato growers this year and looking ahead to 2026?

I am very bullish about the outlook for this year and into 2026.

First, if we can get a strong farm bill, USMCA can be negotiated in an appropriate manner; we see additional regulatory relief, which can help with cost of production impacts, and anti-dumping requirements stabilize the domestic market, the future looks bright for the Florida tomato industry.

Second, we have tremendously good weather to kick off the season.

What does a profitable price point look like for Florida growers now, compared to before the agreement ended?

That depends on input cost, weather, the economy and consumer demand. Right now, it would be difficult to point to an actual price point. Quite frankly, the tomato market can move up and down very quickly because of and of these factors or a combination of them.

What would a good year look like to you under these new trade conditions?

Less volatility in the market, including a reduction in import surges, which is what we saw last season and improved returns for growers.

How do you think Florida’s winter crop window positions Florida tomatoes compared to imports under the new trade conditions?

Well, I can say we feel we are positioned much better than we have been in the past 30 years. Again, the new trade conditions are in place to build a strong and stable market and supply of fresh tomatoes for the U.S. consumer.

Has the end of the suspension agreement changed the way Florida tomato growers plan or market their crops?

We will know much more at the end of this season and beyond, but we are focusing a lot of attention on this space as the new policies come into full effect.

What’s your sense of how Florida’s tomato future looks five years out?

I hope that consumer demand increases, new varieties are introduced that sync with consumer preferences, additional market expansion, and a strong and unified domestic tomato industry.

Enza Zaden, Pairwise on Mission to Feed the World Vegetables

Thu, 20 Nov 2025 18:19:05 GMT

Enza Zaden, a Netherlands-based vegetable breeding company that develops and supplies vegetable seeds for some 30 crops to growers worldwide, has entered a strategic agreement to license Pairwise’s Fulcrum Platform, a suite of precision plant breeding tools.

“At Enza Zaden, our mission is to grant people everywhere access to healthy vegetables by developing high-quality varieties and seeds,” says Jaap Mazereeuw, CEO of Enza Zaden. “This collaboration reflects our commitment to breakthrough plant science and responsible innovation to benefit growers, consumers and the environment. Pairwise’s Fulcrum Platform equips us with advanced tools for research, strengthening our ongoing focus on sustainability and creating value for our customers.”

Co-founded by the inventors of CRISPR, Pairwise’s Fulcrum Platform aims to accelerate the development of climate-resilient, nutritious and sustainable crops. By integrating advanced gene-editing tools with its intellectual property portfolio, Pairwise says the platform enables accelerated agricultural innovation worldwide.

“Enza Zaden has a long tradition of developing innovative vegetable varieties. We’re proud to support them in accelerating the natural potential of crops with cutting-edge tools,” says Tom Adams, CEO of Pairwise. “Gene editing is a precise, modern breeding method that complements traditional approaches, enabling breeders to achieve results faster while addressing key challenges like sustainability and disease resistance. Gene editing represents a vital tool for advancing resilient, climate-smart crops that align with sustainable agriculture goals.”

To learn more about the partnership, The Packer connected with Xana Verweij, global biotech director for Enza Zaden.

What are the most pressing challenges vegetable growers face today that gene editing can solve, and how will Enza Zaden and Pairwise joining forces help to expedite these solutions?

Verweij: The world’s population is growing rapidly, and climate change is intensifying the challenges faced by vegetable growers. At Enza Zaden, we contribute to the global availability of healthy food and a sustainable future by developing vegetable varieties that, for example, are resistant to diseases and better able to withstand extreme weather conditions.

The agreement with Pairwise is focused on research and innovation in plant science, supporting Enza Zaden’s mission to breed vegetables that help feed the world. Gene-editing technology will be used to enhance our research programs. The goal is to accelerate the development of improved vegetable varieties that meet the evolving needs of growers, retailers, and consumers.

Are there certain types of vegetables on which Enza Zaden will be focused using the Pairwise platform breeding tools?

The GE technology and IP licensed from Pairwise will be used to enhance Enza Zaden’s research programs. The goal is to accelerate the development of vegetable varieties that meet the evolving needs of growers, retailers and consumers. At this moment all use is focused on research; any future commercial use will be considered in line with regulatory and market developments and Enza Zaden’s strategy.

What are some of Enza Zaden’s past vegetable seed innovation success stories, and what impact have they had on the fresh produce industry?

Enza Zaden has developed tomato seeds with resistance to Tomato Brown Rugose Fruit Virus (ToBRFV), a major global threat to tomato production. These resistant varieties help growers maintain yields and fruit quality, reduce losses and ensure a reliable supply for retailers and consumers.

Each year, Enza Zaden introduces approximately 100 new varieties designed to help growers worldwide produce healthy, diverse and sustainable food. Do you expect the partnership with Pairwise will eventually result in the commercial launch of new vegetable seeds?

The agreement is focused on research use at this moment; there are no genome-edited varieties being introduced to the market as part of this agreement. Enza Zaden’s commitment to non-GMO commercial breeding remains unchanged. Possible commercial use will be communicated when relevant.

FreshXperts Welcomes Dennis E. Kihlstadius

Tue, 18 Nov 2025 16:17:05 GMT

Consulting consortium FreshXperts LLC announced Nov. 17 that Dennis E. Kihlstadius has joined its team of experts advising the fresh-produce and perishable foods industry.

The group describes Kihlstadius as a highly respected authority in postharvest science, ripening technology and fresh produce handling.

“Dennis brings a depth of technical expertise rarely found in our industry,” says FreshXperts founder Anthony J. Totta. “His knowledge of ripening science and postharvest handling is unmatched, and we are excited to offer his capabilities to our clients. He elevates our consortium and strengthens our mission to serve the entire fresh produce supply chain from grower to consumer.”

FreshXperts says Kihlstadius has spent over two decades as an instructor at the University of California–Davis’ Postharvest Fruit Ripening Workshop and served as an instructor at the Produce Academy for 13 years under lead instructor Ronnie De La Cruz. He has also launched or helped launch ripening programs for the National Mango Board and California’s avocado industry, as well as worked in ripening, conditioning and handling programs for tomatoes and pears in California.

Kihlstadius’ areas of expertise and past experience include, according to the group:

Postharvest assessments and system optimization.
Ripening-room design, operation and training.
Reducing shrink and maximizing shelf life.
Field-to-retail quality control systems.
Technical education and training for staff at all levels.
International sourcing, market entry and supply chain alignment, especially cross-border technical support for Asian, North and South American markets.

From Stigma to Selling Point: The Future of GMOs in Produce

Mon, 17 Nov 2025 13:21:19 GMT

The Packer’s Sustainability Insights 2025 survey of growers, retailers and consumers found when it comes to genetically modified organisms (GMOs) or bioengineered produce, while the majority of growers indicate they’re ready to embrace them, consumers are more hesitant.

Sustainability Insights surveyed approximately 500 consumers on their fresh produce purchases and perception of GMOs. When asked: Do you consciously avoid buying products that are genetically modified? Sixty-five percent said yes, and 35% said no. When those who indicated avoiding GMOs were asked what their primary concern was in consuming a genetically modified fruit or vegetable, “chemicals” was the most frequently used word.

Nathan Pumplin, CEO of Norfolk Healthy Produce, the company behind the Empress Purple Tomato, a bioengineered tomato “packed with antioxidants,” says confusion is still holding some consumers back.

“On the consumer side, I think there is still confusion about what a GMO is,” he says. “Asking about a generic GMO is much different than asking about a specific product like a Pinkglow pineapple, Arctic Apples or the Empress Purple Tomato” — all of which are bioengineered.

“When you ask consumers, do you consciously avoid buying products that are genetically modified, I’m not surprised at all that 65% of them say yes. I might expect that number to be even higher,” he says. “But I also would be really interested to then look at their purchase behavior and what they bought over the last month or two in the grocery store. What percentage of them bought foods that have genetically modified ingredients? The answer would be over 95%.

“We also know there is a strong say-do gap between how people answer survey questions and what their eating and purchase behavior is,” he adds.

USDA estimates that up to 80% of all processed foods contain GMOs or GMO derivatives. Given that, Pumplin says unless consumers are buying organic exclusively, they’re already consuming bioengineered food from center store.

“GMOs are purchased way more than non-GMOs, if you look at food in general,” he says. “So, it’s a strange way that we’ve framed GMOs within produce.”

Pumplin says the reason there are fewer GMOs in produce than center store is twofold.

“One, it’s difficult and costly to develop new produce varieties, and the prize wasn’t there,” he explains. “So, the companies that were developing GMOs said, ‘Okay, we’re going for corn, we’re going for soy because other crops don’t make enough money, and it costs us a lot of money to develop them.’”

Pumplin says the second challenge is there haven’t been many GMO products in produce that are differentiated in the eyes of the consumer.

“It’s kind of the chicken or the egg,” he says. “People are not going to develop GMO produce items if there’s not a market for it, and there’s not going to be a market for it if people aren’t developing new products.”

Pumplin says that’s the cycle Norfolk is trying to break with the purple tomato.

“We had to be extremely frugal, extremely cost conscious, as we brought the product to market,” he says. “We had to do it step by step, engaging more and more consumers and heavily engaging with the supply chain all the way along to demonstrate that it’s worthwhile getting out to market.”

Growers Are More Receptive

Another key to breaking the chicken or the egg cycle, Pumplin says, is to offer growers more innovative bioengineered solutions in produce that are disease resistant, use fewer resources to grow and offer more flavor, nutrients and other benefits.

Sustainability Insights surveyed nearly 75 growers, revealing 54% of growers consider GMOs a sustainable solution. And while 80% said they do not currently offer a GMO product, 54% said they would consider a GMO product in the future.

The survey, fielded June and July 2025, included growers across the continental U.S., with 1,324 average acres farmed per respondent and over two-thirds of farmers surveyed over the age of 45.

“It’s interesting the disconnect with growers, where 54% are open to growing a GMO product but currently only 20% offer a biotech product,” Pumplin says. “This suggests that growers don’t yet have enough products and opportunities offered that meet their needs. Meeting that demand is a primary driver for our company.”

Premium Perception

Pumplin was on the USDA Fruit and Vegetable Industry Advisory Committee a couple years ago, when the group gathered in Washington, D.C.

“There was a presentation from the organic certification group, and their big thing was: How do we catch cheaters? Organic is a premium label, and we need to make sure that everything that has an organic label really is organic,” Pumplin recalls. “Then bioengineering came up and [the presenter] said here’s the rules about bioengineering, and here’s how we make sure that anything that is bioengineered has the label on it.

“I raised my hand and said there’s kind of an interesting contrast here,” he continues. “So, what if I have a product that’s not bioengineered, and I put the bioengineered label on it? Will I get in trouble? She laughed and said: ‘Why would anyone ever do that?’ Like that’s the craziest thing. It just shows you that the thinking has been that organic is a premium and bioengineered is a warning.”

The Norfolk Healthy Produce CEO says he’s convinced that’s about to change.

At last month’s International Fresh Produce Association Global Produce and Floral Show in Anaheim, Calif., The Packer spoke with Pumplin at the Red Sun Farms booth where he was sampling the Empress Purple Tomato.

“It’s been nonstop people coming to the booth to sample the purple tomato,” Pumplin said. “It’s received so much attention, and not a single person has said: ‘This is a GMO, I’m not trying it.’ This is our fourth IFPA. The first year we heard: ‘I don’t know. Is it OK?’ Now they’re asking where they can buy purple tomatoes.”

Pumplin says the quantity of purple tomatoes the company brought to IFPA for sampling would usually have lasted two days, but this year they were gone in less than a day.

“I guarantee within five years from now people are going to be competing for developing the new leading GMO produce items once it’s clear that the supply chain will accept them,” he says. “And the supply chain will accept them because the vast majority of consumers want these products.

“I also fully believe that within a few years, bioengineering will be seen as a premium label, and people will reach for bioengineered the same way that they go to organic because it fits their value system,” he adds.

Positive Messaging

Today’s produce consumer is constantly changing and evolving, and Pumplin says it’s time for the industry to change as well.

“In the produce industry, so much of what we do is what we’ve done in the past, and we don’t really want to change it,” he says. “It’s just not possible anymore for the industry to be so — I don’t want to say stuck in the past — but just resistant to innovation, because the customers have moved on, and the industry has not.”

At this intersection of innovation and education, there’s opportunity.

“There haven’t been scientists telling positive stories about GMOs in a way that’s relatable to people,” Pumplin says. “It’s just been a massive gap. We need more engagement, and that message needs to get through to every produce consumer.”

Your next read:
Are Consumers Finally Ready to Embrace GMOs in the Produce Aisle?

Growers, Retailers, Consumers Share Top Sustainability Priorities

Growers Double Down on Sustainability as Key to Profitability

Turning Light Into Yield: How Quantum Dots Could Revolutionize Tomato Production

Wed, 05 Nov 2025 17:45:19 GMT

The way food is growing is changing. Labor constraints or increased water regulations out west are some of the catalysts behind that shift.

At the University of Minnesota, researchers are experimenting with new technology to help growers use less water and produce more food — but all indoors — and it’s opening a new field of opportunity to change the way food is grown.

Taking Controlled Environment Agriculture Into Uncharted Waters

Controlled environment agriculture (CEA) isn’t new, but with a renewed focus, there’s a revolution in how it’s used.

Just take the University of Minnesota for example. Step into one of the many greenhouses on campus, and one in particular doesn’t look like the rest. There are bright lights and various crops being grown indoors, but there’s something missing in this particular greenhouse: soil.

“One of the major factors that we have going on is hydroponics here. Hydroponics is literally water working. In Greek, that’s what it means, working with water,” says assistant professor Nate Eylands. “And so a lot of our plants here, if I were to pull these out, there is not a soil substrate in there. It is pretty much just roots hanging out in water. And so in order to do that, what we need to do is take all the traditional benching out of here and put in our own systems here.”

Eylands says hydroponic systems like this use a fraction of the water compared to traditional agriculture. The benches he crafted just for his research are angled at about two and a half degrees slope. He says that allows the water to gravity feed down to a drain, then it’s pumped back up to the beginning. It’s a recirculating system that saves on water, nutrients among other resources.

“Having this recirculating system is probably that primary benefit. We’re able to use about 9[%] to 10% of the water that you would for growing these per kilogram basis, per biomass basis — this 9[%] to 10% of that water that use out in the field,” he says. “We’re not having any runoff. Any of our nutrients aren’t leaching out into our environment, into our waterways. So by recircling, we’re only providing and the plants are only taking what they need at that very moment.”

The Introduction of Quantum Dots Sounds Crazy, But It’s Showing Promise

But saving water is just the start. Eylands’ team is experimenting with quantum dots — microscopic particles that transform light to make plants grow faster.

“Quantum dots are little nanoparticles, and they absorb photons of light and change that photon into a different photon,” Eylands says. “Say you have blue light coming in, it might be red light coming out of it. So, what we’re doing is taking a liquid quantum dot and we’re spraying it on some of these plants. You can’t tell which ones of them have it. And then on the leaf surface, they are absorbing that photon, say a blue photon, and converting it to a red photon. And that might speed up the process of photosynthesis at different stages of the plant growth.”

By altering the light spectrum, researchers hope to speed the flowering on these plants — boosting yields and making indoor production more efficient.

“What we’re trying to find out is: Can we get to an earlier flowering time? Can we get more fruit out of an individual plant? Can we speed up the vegetative cycle? Can we do any of these phenology benefits that help growers out in an economical way that leads to profitability?” Eylands continues.

Today, that research is being done on tomatoes. While it’s in its early stages, the goal is for this research to reach commercial tomato production.

“We have a lot of different factors that might inhibit that right now. For one, we don’t really know the cost of this,” Eylands says. “It takes a plasma reactor to make these quantum dots. It’s very arduous, very difficult. We have plasma physicists over on the East Bank making these quantum dots, so it’s not something that I’m making in-house. However, through these collaborations, we’re able to get our hands on some of these and formulate some of this to work with plant growth.”

The Goal? Make Controlled Environment Ag More Profitable

The larger mission, Eylands says, is clear: make controlled environment agriculture more profitable for commercial growers — and bust the myth that growing indoors doesn’t pay.

“In controlled environment agriculture, we run into a problem of profitability. The economic model always has to work out,” Eylands says. “We pay for lights, we pay for infrastructure — all this equipment around us. That capital cost is pretty expensive. So, what I want to see is more productivity out of these plants so that when we look at production costs overall they come down for growers.”

One example in the Minnesota greenhouse: dwarf tomatoes growing in systems designed for leafy greens. Eylands says this approach could open new opportunities for farmers.

“What I think is really cool about this project is in most cases what you’re seeing in tomato growth is these tall houses with vining structures to trellis these tomatoes,” Eylands says. “They might be harvested on scissor lifts that are 20' tall. So, what we’re doing here is we’re also showcasing a way that you can take a setup that was made maybe for leafy greens like lettuce or kale or bok choy, something of nature, and allowing those growers to diversify their crop offerings by saying, ‘Hey, look at these dwarf tomatoes. These fit right in your your NFT (nutrient film techniques) hydroponic system here,’ so it’s allowing them options out there. Is this economic model going to work? If you can’t quite sell all your leafy greens, maybe sell.”

From light-bending nanoparticles to water-saving hydroponics, the work at the University of Minnesota could reshape how America’s produce is grown — and take profitability, for those growers, to new heights.

Tomato Suspension Renegotiation: Where It Stands and What’s Ahead

Wed, 22 Oct 2025 20:00:00 GMT

ANAHEIM, Calif. — In July, the U.S. Department of Commerce terminated the 2019 Agreement Suspending the Antidumping Duty Investigation on Fresh Tomatoes from Mexico, and with that termination, the Commerce Department issued an antidumping order that places a 17.09% duty on most imported tomatoes from Mexico.

Dante Galeazzi, president and CEO of the Texas International Produce Association, sat down with The Packer at the International Fresh Produce Association Global Produce and Floral Show to discuss the latest updates on efforts to bring forth a new tomato suspension agreement.

While TIPA and other organizations have been working to bring back some reiteration of the tomato suspension agreement, Galeazzi says theirs is one of many conversations around trade happening in Washington, D.C. Adding to that, the Mexican government has also introduced its own rules for handling tomatoes to prevent a larger antidumping margin.

“So, now you’ve got now you’ve got almost two strategies for tomatoes from two different countries,” he says.

Things are moving fast, Galeazzi says, and TIPA and other organizations still have some questions about prices for certain commodities with these new rules.

“Not only were we paying a 17.09% duty on all of our tomatoes and what does that look like in the bonds in the system, etc. Now we’re also having to adhere to this brand new set of rules out of the Mexican government,” he says. “How do you handle rejections? How do you handle quality concerns?”

Galeazzi says TIPA and other organizations, such as the Fresh Produce Association of the Americas, have been collaborating to identify the best experts to guide importers navigating these new rules.

While tomato prices didn’t rise significantly at the termination, many of the growers were under contract for those tomatoes, Galeazzi says. However, he suspects the fresh produce industry will see more impacts with the January crop.

“The next wave, which is probably going to be the January crop, is going to be the first time you will have Mexico make decisions about their volume as it relates to the influence of things like the duties,” he says. “Coming into 2026, we will feel the impacts of what the tomato suspension agreement has done to the tomato trade in the U.S.”

USMCA Renegotiation

Galeazzi says TIPA is part of a larger group working together on a joint review ahead of the potential renewal of the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement in 2026, adding that the organization is uniquely positioned with its position along the border.

“We experience a lot of the impacts of USMCA differently than a lot of the other industries because we’re dealing with the trucks every day crossing back and forth,” he says. “We’re dealing with the lack of harmonization. We are dealing with documents and papers and phytosanitary disputes and all of these other kinds of challenges that continue to come through.”

Galeazzi says while he sees an opportunity to improve the agreement, the renegotiations must be mindful not to cause additional burdens or impacts.

“One of our things has always been ‘do no harm,’” he says. “Because USMCA has done some great things. Now we do obviously want to change some things that can improve the trade relationships for both our importers and our domestic folks, but ‘do no harm’ should be the mantra for these renegotiations.”

Growing Anticipation: Kraft Heinz Masters of Tomatoes

Wed, 15 Oct 2025 18:32:15 GMT

Ketchup is a condiment that’s often taken for granted. But a peek behind the curtain at Kraft Heinz on the eve of the 150th anniversary of Heinz Tomato Ketchup reveals a commitment to sustainable farming, a passion for agriculture that starts with seed selection, an investment in master tomato growers and more.

Tomatoes for Heinz Ketchup are grown on nearly every continent, with some 200,000 acres cultivated in California alone. The company says it’s the world’s largest buyer of processing tomatoes as well as the world’s No. 1 processing tomato seed company.

On this scale, there’s more than a little science and complexity to making a consistent product around the globe.

To learn what’s behind the company’s “Grown Not Made” slogan for Heinz Ketchup, The Packer recently sat down with Patrick Sheridan, vice president of global agriculture at Kraft Heinz and Heinz Tomato Master Gerry Schamberger.

“’Grown Not Made’ started about 150 years ago — we’re going to celebrate the big anniversary next year for Heinz ketchup — and our founder really took it to the level of the ingredient,” says Sheridan, who leads all things agriculture at Kraft Heinz, including the company’s seed business. “The slogan says, ‘a great product needs great ingredients,’ meaning you have great farmers, great growers, with a great farming system that produces quality ingredients for the No. 1 ketchup in the world. And for us, tomatoes are one of our core ingredients.”

Sheridan says the company started breeding for Heinz tomatoes about 90 years ago to create “the perfect Heinz ketchup tomato” that delivers consistent quality — and it all starts with seeds.

Heinz tomato plant varieties are constantly trialed.

(Photo courtesy of Kraft Heinz)

“We have a very extensive process where we look at each and every potential candidate or seed variety and how it performs in the field, how it performs in the factory, how you could turn that tomato into ketchup,” he says. “We have what we call our pilot plant, where we test every new candidate in multiple stages of the development process. We test the existing varieties multiple times throughout the season for multiple growers.

“We’re looking to create a better experience for consumers, so we’re putting a lot of R&D effort into creating Heinz varieties that give us that consistent experience,” he continues.

Increasing weather challenges and an evolving disease spectrum means Heinz is continually trialing new varieties around the world.

“We are experiencing certain variations in the weather patterns and various geographies or growing regions,” Sheridan says. “As the environment in which the tomatoes need to grow and perform changes, we also need to change the varieties and make sure they are adapted to those growing conditions they encounter today.”

Heinz tomatoes need to deliver the same rich color every time.

(Photo courtesy of Kraft Heinz)

And the iconic red of a Heinz Ketchup bottle is not left to chance either.

“We are very, very proud of the color of our product, which is really 100% just from those tomatoes,” says Sheridan. “We never add any color of any shape or form to that signature red color. It’s just from those perfect Heinz tomatoes that we have developed.”

To ensure consistency of color regardless of where the tomatoes are grown around the globe, Heinz has a special color tile against which all suppliers check the color of the ketchup.

“Every supplier that we work with always checks against that tile to make sure that that color is perfect and on spec,” he says.

Wait for It

Anyone who’s ever tapped the bottom of a Heinz ketchup bottle to coax the condiment onto a burger or basket of fries has actually experienced a precisely calculated quality that Kraft Heinz says sets its ketchup apart.

“We’ve developed our own proprietary measuring tool that measures how fast that ketchup flows, so the consumer has that perfect experience — that signature Heinz ketchup viscosity or thickness — when you put it on your plate,” Sheridan says.

Called the “Heinz quantifier,” Schamberger says the tool was developed many decades ago for Heinz ketchup.

“Specifically, it is to give an indication of how fast the ketchup comes out of the bottle,” Schamberger says. “Obviously we want a nice, slow ketchup. I think it was calculated to be .028 miles per hour. So, we’re talking about the speed of a snail.”

The optimal Heinz tomato satisfies what Schamberger says are the two biggest factors important to consumers: consistency of the viscosity and color.

“Consumers want a deep red color that indicates the product is a high quality,” he says.

Sheridan says consumers want the ketchup to retain its shape but not be too solid.

“When you stick your fries into that ketchup, you want it to run down just a little bit on your fry before you stick it in your mouth,” he says. “And that is why we need that meter to give you that [optimal] flow.

“And we deliver this design consistently across the world for every single serving,” he adds. “That is so amazing, because [our tomatoes are] 100% natural — the color, the viscosity. I find this mind-blowing that we work with Mother Nature and every grower delivers the same product every single time.”

“For us, sustainability starts with great farming and the great growers we support,” says Kraft Heinz’s Patrick Sheridan.

(Photo courtesy of Kraft Heinz)

Sustainability for the Grower

Sustainability is another key theme at Kraft Heinz, where Sheridan says he’s on a mission to make the company’s ingredient supply chain more productive and sustainable.

“For us, sustainability starts with great farming and the great growers we support. Across many geographies, we have teams on the ground that work with our growers to help them become more productive growers and better growers,” Sheridan says. “So, when we show up, we don’t lead with sustainability. For us, sustainability is a consequence. It’s the result. We lead with the grower. We lead with what can we do to help the grower perform better.”

Sheridan says sustainability is about more than environmental sustainability, it’s also the viability of the farming operation from an economic perspective.

“Growers need to make money so that they can invest in the land, and they can invest in the farming system and make that more productive and more sustainable,” he says.

Sheridan says listening to growers, understanding their unique challenges and then bringing the company’s decades of research and understanding of agriculture systems to boost soil health are also key to its sustainability efforts.

“We have hard evidence that shows if you increase your soil health, you increase your productivity, you improve your farm performance, and as a result, you also improve the sustainability performance,” he says. “The great tomatoes we get, the reliable supply chains that we’ve built, are really grounded in the soil and in this this approach of working with the growers as partners.”

Village Fresh Adds Premium Beefsteak Tomatoes

Tue, 07 Oct 2025 18:15:11 GMT

Honoring the Big Bend region of Texas, Village Fresh Greenhouse Grown says it has introduced Big Bend Beefs, a premium beefsteak tomato grown in the West Texas region.

The company says the Big Bend Beefs offer bold flavor and beautiful appearance and bring the taste of the Lone Star State to consumers.

Known for its wide-open skies, rugged landscapes and resilient spirit, Village Fresh says the Big Bend region is more than a geographic location. Since 1996, Village Fresh has grown tomatoes in the Big Bend region due to its high number of clear-sky days. The region is also home to the largest International Dark Sky Reserve in the world, the McDonald Observatory.

Big Bend Beefs will be available in a range of pack sizes for consumers, retailers and foodservice operators, the company says. This includes bulk loose tomatoes, 2-count and 3-count trays, and club store family packs.

Village Fresh will officially debut the Big Bend Beefs at the International Fresh Produce Association’s Global Produce and Floral Show, set for Oct. 16-18 in Anaheim, Calif. The company says it plans to showcase its Big Bend Beefs packaging lineup and a virtual experience of the West Texas night sky that inspired the brand at its booth No. 881.

Village Fresh says it has been recognized by the McDonald Observatory for adopting night-sky friendly lighting across its operations. These include shielding bulbs using amber hues, reducing intensity and limiting unnecessary nighttime lighting.

The company says this recognition by the McDonald Observatory also reflects its broader sustainable growing practices.

“Our presence in West Texas has always been about more than growing produce,” says Helen Aquino, director of brand marketing and communications for Village Fresh. “It’s about honoring the land, supporting the community, and practicing sustainability in ways that protect not only our crops but also the environment. Partnering with McDonald Observatory’s Dark Sky initiative is part of that commitment, ensuring that what makes this region special will remain for generations to come.”

Mastronardi to Showcase New Packaging, Products at IFPA

Mon, 29 Sep 2025 17:04:08 GMT

Mastronardi Produce says it plans to bring “Flavor Coast to Coast” at its 2025 International Fresh Produce Association’s Global Produce and Floral Show booth, No. 4157, in Anaheim, Calif.

Mastronardi says this theme celebrates the company’s flavor first approach to produce and network of greenhouses.

The company says it plans an exclusive Linkedln mini series “Next Stop: Flavor.” Each episode takes viewers on a journey to explore new Mastronardi products, greenhouse growing and more, with exclusive team interviews and personal stories.

Mastronardi says it will also highlight innovations in snacking, organic products, new brands and sustainable packaging at the show.

IFPA Global Produce and Floral Show attendees will get a chance to see Mastronardi’s new Backyard Farms Green Leaf Lettuce Paper Bag. The company says the design uses 65% less plastic than a traditional PET tray, while keeping the lettuce crisp. Earlier this year, the design earned the Packaging Innovation Award at the Canadian Produce Marketing Association Convention and Trade Show.

Mastronardi will also showcase its Summer Blast Blueberry Snacking Cup grab-and-go resealable cups at the IFPA Global Produce and Floral Show.

(Photo courtesy of Mastronardi Produce)

The company will also showcase its new Summer Blast Blueberry Snacking Cup, packaged in convenient, grab-and-go resealable cups. Mastronardi says it will also launch Organic WOW Joyberry Blueberries as consumer demand for organics remains strong.

Booth visitors will also get a first glimpse at the company’s updated Angel Sweet brand with impactful new packaging and the new Mastronardi Tomato Branch. Mastronardi will also showcase its recently launched Secilia tomato and the newest addition to the popular BOMBS lineup, BOMBS Squad.

“The Flavor Coast to Coast theme is more than a tagline — it’s a celebration of our journey, our people and our commitment to delivering WOW flavor experiences,” says Geoff Kosar, vice president of marketing for Mastronardi Produce. “We’re excited to connect with attendees at GPFS and share the stories behind our products, innovations and relentless pursuit of flavor.”

NatureSweet Offers Día de Muertos Tomato Mix

Tue, 23 Sep 2025 17:19:31 GMT

NatureSweet says it is honoring Día de Muertos (Day of the Dead) with a limited-edition medley of snacking tomatoes in vibrant fall colors.

Observed Oct. 28 to Nov. 2, Día de Muertos is a time for families to gather, share memories of loved ones and enjoy delicious food together.

“We’re thrilled to pay homage to a holiday that’s all about joy, color, and connection,” says Daniela Franco, assistant brand manager at NatureSweet. “With each bite of this vibrant medley, we hope families find a fresh and flavorful way to celebrate together.”

The Día de Muertos Seasonal Medley will be available in 10-ounce and 24-ounce clamshells, featuring a festive top-seal that pays tribute to the traditional Mexican holiday. Inside are red, orange and dark snacking tomatoes; the company calls the colorful tomato mix perfect for this joyful celebration of life and remembrance.

To mark the occasion, NatureSweet has partnered with The Produce Moms to create a special loaded black bean dip recipe, featuring the Día de Muertos medley.

“This dip brings bold flavor, beautiful colors, and healthy twist to the season,” says Lori Taylor, founder of The Produce Moms. “It’s delicious way to honor the holiday, while enjoying fresh produce.”

The Día de Muertos Seasonal Medley will be available starting mid-October at select retailers, including Aldi, Kroger, Harris Teeter, Giant Eagle, Giant Foods, and Wakefern.

Mastronardi Announces National Tomato Month Promotions

Mon, 22 Sep 2025 16:58:50 GMT

Mastronardi Produce says it plans to go “all out” to honor its Sunset Campari cocktail tomato for National Tomato Month, which starts Oct. 1, with promotions during the month.

“Campari changed what a grocery store tomato could be,” said Paul Mastronardi, president and CEO of Mastronardi Produce. “Thirty years later, we continue to push the envelope with flavor, quality and availability for all our products. We’re looking forward to celebrating this month with our retail partners and consumers alike.”

Throughout the month, the company says retailers and consumers can look forward to various activities and publicity celebrating Campari. The promotion kicks off with the launch of three videos honoring the tomato, each focusing on the connection between flavor and memory. One video tells the story of the discovery, one leans into family and nostalgia and another approaches food and memory with a comedic twist, the company says.

Retailers can expect robust support from the brand through paid digital advertising, a national morning show TV tour, and online campaign. In-store, they can take advantage of custom POS displays to join the celebrations and leverage brand promotions, the company says.

“Campari recently celebrated its 30th birthday, and this campaign allows retailers to tap into our wider marketing efforts for National Tomato Month,” says Geoff Kosar, vice president of marketing. “We also have a big surprise planned for consumers in October, so stay tuned.”

Consumers can look for social media content featuring favorite recipes, influencer partnerships, and nostalgia inspired posts on the Sunset social channels, @sunsetgrown.

How the Purple Tomato is Changing Consumer Perception of GMOs

Fri, 12 Sep 2025 15:45:05 GMT

Eating the rainbow has become easier and more flavorful in recent years, especially when it comes to anthocyanins — the purple pigment that’s in blueberries, blackberries, red grape skins, eggplant and now — thanks to genetic modification — the purple tomato.

Nathan Pumplin is CEO of Norfolk Healthy Produce, the company behind the Empress Purple Tomato, a bioengineered tomato made by adding two genes from snapdragons. These tomatoes are a rich source of antioxidants because the purple pigments are in the whole tomato, not just the skin.

“They’re really good for people’s health, and most of us don’t eat nearly enough anthocyanins,” Pumplin says.

But the trained molecular biologist, who has worked for nearly 20 years in R&D and commercializing new types of plants that solve problems, says bringing a GMO purple tomato to market has not been without challenges.

“The first GMOs were really marketed to farmers, and the innovative farmers said: ‘OK, there’s these new GMO crops, do I want to use them?’ And they very quickly saw: ‘Wow, this solves a lot of problems for me. Yes, I want to adopt them,’” he says. “What was forgotten was that it was food being produced and sold to consumers, and consumers never had an opportunity to engage with GMOs in the food system.”

“There were people who felt the food supply was playing God in the lab by adding DNA to create new varieties, and no one had asked them if they wanted to opt in or opt out,” Pumplin continues. “I think a lot of people felt like they were treated like guinea pigs. Their opinions and their values weren’t respected when those first crops launched. And that’s a huge problem.”

Adding to the challenge is the reality that most consumers don’t know what a GMO is, making education critical to driving demand for the purple tomato.

The Empress Purple Tomato is a stunner in a variety of dishes from appetizers to salads.

(Photo courtesy of Norfolk Healthy Produce)

“What’s really gratifying is that we find, generally, 80% to 90% of people in the U.S. want this product,” Pumplin says. “They know it’s a GMO, and they get a chance to ask questions like: ‘Well, don’t all GMOs have pesticides?’ And we can say: ‘No, there’s no pesticides on these. And they have the opportunity to ask a lot of questions, and then the vast majority of people say, ‘OK, I really want this.’”

While Pumplin says backlash against GMOs halted innovation and new product development for years, now he sees things coming full circle. And as consumers are hungry for the new, the flavorful and the nutritious, the fresh produce industry has innovated with the help of GMOs in some exciting ways.

“Now we have some breakthrough products, and so I’m really proud to say, our purple tomato — which is marketed in grocery stores right now under the Empress brand — is doing extremely well,” he says. “We also have the Pinkglow pineapple from Del Monte on the market. We have the Arctic Apple, which is growing and doing very well in a lot of segments.”

“I think we’re on the brink of a widespread recognition within the industry that this is something that consumers are no longer afraid of,” he adds. “They simply want a better product. They want something they can afford. They want something that their kids will eat. They want something that’s nutritious, that’s beautiful, that tastes good, all of that.”

But while today’s consumer might be ready for the better, purple tomato, Pumplin says it’s the produce industry that needs to catch up on GMOs.

“There’s just simply so little fear among the broad consumer base right now, and also such a desire for new and better products,” he says. “A big part of my messaging is to try to make sure that folks in the produce industry, these key decision-makers, understand where their consumers are.

“Because I think that’s actually the biggest gap right now. Consumers have moved on, and a lot of the decision-makers in the industry, haven’t caught up to where the consumers are,” he says. “They think the consumers are still 10 years ago, afraid of GMOs, and that’s not true anymore.”

Are Consumers Finally Ready to Embrace GMOs in the Produce Aisle?

Thu, 04 Sep 2025 06:16:56 GMT

Consumers know it’s important to eat a rainbow of fresh fruits and vegetables, however, they often fall short of meeting this important nutrition goal, especially when it comes to anthocyanins — the purple pigment that’s in blueberries, blackberries, red grape skins, eggplant and purple potatoes.

But what if the industry made it easier for consumers to get these crucial antioxidants in their diets by offering new and flavorful ways to consume them?

Enter Nathan Pumplin, CEO of Norfolk Healthy Produce, the company behind the Empress Purple Tomato, a bioengineered or genetically modified organism tomato “packed with antioxidants.”

“They’re really good for people’s health, and most of us don’t eat nearly enough anthocyanins,” Pumplin says.

The trained molecular biologist with a doctorate in plant biology has worked for nearly 20 years in research and development and the intersection of R&D and commercialization of new types of plants that solve problems.

What are the advantages of a problem-solving plant? Pumplin says they can offer a host of benefits from being grown using less fertilizer and less pesticides to being naturally resistant to diseases and other added sustainability benefits.

As CEO of the Davis, Calif.-based company, Pumplin is focused on developing better purple tomatoes and engaging with the supply chain — right down to the consumer — to introduce them to a tomato that he says not only has nutritional benefits and tastes great, but shelf-life advantages as well.

Origin of GMOs’ Image Problem

But bringing a GMO purple tomato to market has not been without challenges.

The Packer’s Sustainability Insights 2025 report, set to drop Sept. 22, asked some 500 consumers across the country if they actively avoided GMOs. Those who indicated they did were asked why. The leading response was “chemicals.” Another survey respondent replied: “Frankenfoods are not what God intended us to consume.”

What sparked these misconceptions and negative sentiment around GMOs?

“To me, it’s very, very clear. And here’s kind of my simple understanding: When there’s any new technology that comes out — say, the first smartphones — there’s a very small set of people who start to use those new products and those are the innovators — the early adopters.”

Then there’s the middle of the curve who wait and see, and those who will resist adoption altogether, he says.

“When the first GMOs were launched, they were really marketed to farmers, and the innovative farmers said, ‘OK, there’s these new GMO crops, do I want to use them?’ And they very quickly saw, ‘Wow, this solves a lot of problems for me. Yes, I want to adopt them.’ And then sort of the middle of the [curve] farmers also very quickly adopted,” says Pumplin.

The first customers of GMOs were farmers and, in several years, the majority of the country’s corn and soy acreage was GMO, he says.

“What was forgotten was that it was food being produced and sold to consumers, and consumers never had an opportunity to engage with GMOs in the food system,” says Pumplin.

GMOs became widespread in the food system for years, and while some were comfortable with it, others felt betrayed, he says.

“There were people who felt the food supply was playing God in the lab by adding DNA to create new varieties and no one had asked them if they wanted to opt in or opt out,” says Pumplin. “I think a lot of people felt like they were treated like guinea pigs. Their opinions and their values weren’t respected when those first crops launched. And that’s a huge problem.

“One of the things I’m trying to do with our company is engage in a dialog with consumers about why we think this is a better tomato,” he continues. “We made it with biotechnology, but it’s not better because it’s biotechnology.”

Breakthroughs on the Brink

As consumers are hungry for the new, the flavorful and the nutritious, the fresh produce industry has innovated with the help of GMOs in some exciting ways.

GMOs have allowed for some “breakthrough products,” says Pumplin, pointing to Norfolk’s Empress Purple Tomato that is in grocery stores now and “doing extremely well.” Other examples include Fresh Del Monte’s Pinkglow Pineapple and the Arctic Apple.

“We have a lot of crops that people don’t know are GMOs — like all the papayas that come from Hawaii and a lot of the sweet corn on the market. A lot of these have been improved with biotechnology, and I think we’re on the brink of widespread recognition within the industry that this is something that consumers are no longer afraid of,” he says. “They simply want a better product. They want something they can afford. They want something that their kids will eat. They want something that’s nutritious, that’s beautiful, that tastes good — all of that.”

Several years ago, Norfolk conducted a nationwide consumer study asking if presented with the purple tomato product concept, would they be interested in trying it?

“Eighty percent of them were interested to extremely interested in trying the product,” says Pumplin. “And there were only 10% of consumers who said, ‘Nope, I don’t want to at all. I’m not there yet with GMOs.’”

But retailers who have been at the forefront of the GMO conversation with consumers for years may have lingering doubts.

“They say, ‘Well, you know, I get 10 questions a year asking if a product is GMO and it makes me nervous.’ And yet, what they don’t hear is the millions of people who say, ‘We want something better and we’re not afraid of biotechnology,” says Pumplin. “There’s sort of this silent majority.

“There’s just simply so little fear among the broad consumer base right now, and also such a desire for new and better products,” he continues. “And a big part of my job is to try to make sure that folks in the produce industry — these key decision-makers — understand where their consumers are, because I think that’s actually the biggest gap right now. Consumers have moved on, and a lot of the decision-makers in the industry haven’t caught up to where the consumers are.”

Education is Key

While Pumplin sees consumers becoming increasingly open to trying and embracing the purple tomato, education is critical to continuing to move the needle.

“We know that most consumers don’t actually know what a GMO is,” Pumplin says. When consumers go to their local grocery store, they’re looking on the packaging for shortcuts to identify products that are aligned with their values and how they want to feed their families. He says labels like “non-GMO,” “pesticide free” and “organic” become cues for the consumer to determine what’s good, what’s bad and what they can trust.

“If you ask consumers what they think is good, they’re taking cues from the packaging and marketers, who are taking cues from other marketers, and so we have this interesting kind of reinforcement system of what’s good and what’s bad, but it’s not actually connected to the food science,” Pumplin says. “It’s not connected to the supply chain. It’s not connected to a lot of what’s good for us.”

When Pumplin has the opportunity to engage with consumers and answer their questions about the purple tomato, that can be an eye-opening moment for many shoppers.

“What’s really gratifying is that we find, generally, 80% to 90% of people in the U.S. want this product,” Pumplin says. “They know it’s a GMO, and they get a chance to ask questions like, ‘Well, don’t all GMOs have pesticides?’ And we can say, ‘No, there’s no pesticides on these. They say, ‘Well, GMOs are sprayed with Roundup, right?’ We say, ‘This has nothing to do with Roundup.’ And they have the opportunity to ask a lot of questions, and then the vast majority of people say, ‘OK, I really want this’”

The Empress Purple Tomato, which has been reviewed by the Food and Drug Administration and USDA and fully has the green light to sell the product in the U.S., indicates bioengineered on the label, and there’s a QR code that goes to the Norfolk website that shares the science behind the tomato, says Pumplin, who adds that the Empress Purple Tomato will soon be available in Canada as well.

GMOs and the Future of Food

What role does Pumplin see GMOs playing in the future of fresh produce and the broader food system?

“I want to make sure it’s clear that GMO is not a silver bullet. It’s not going to solve all the problems out there,” he says.

But Pumplin does see GMOs as a complement to the traditional plant breeding that’s been conducted for thousands of years and continues to innovate, as in the case of easy peel mandarins, he says.

“What we need to do is continue excellent plant breeding for certain cases. And if we can sprinkle on biotechnology that can help us get more nutrients and disease resistance [against something like] the brown rugose virus, which is a major upheaval in tomatoes, and if we were allowed to use biotechnology, we could combat it much more efficiently, much quicker, much more sustainably and in a way that we know is safe,” he says. “These are the kind of use cases that if we can change public opinion and key decision-makers’ opinions about these technologies, that’s going to be to the benefit of everyone.”

Nature Fresh Farms Enters Leafy Greens Market with Revol Greens Partnership

Fri, 22 Aug 2025 11:42:11 GMT

Leamington, Ontario-based greenhouse grower Nature Fresh Farms says in a press release that the company has entered into the greenhouse-grown leafy greens market with an exclusive partnership with Owatonna, Minn.-based Revol Greens .

Nature Fresh Farms says this partnership positions the company to offer both organic and conventional packaged salads and leverage Revol Greens’ specialized growing expertise and state-of-the-art facilities based in four states.

The companies say this is a natural extension for Nature Fresh, aligning the new offerings with the company’s vision to lead the advancement of controlled environment agriculture. Nature Fresh says leafy greens, particularly packaged salads, represent a large and strategically important consumer segment with significant opportunities for CEA-based differentiation.

“The leafy greens segment offers tremendous potential for innovation and consumer value creation through controlled environment agriculture, and we’re excited to bring our proven approach to this important market category,” says Patrick Criteser, CEO at Nature Fresh Farms, in the release.

Nature Fresh says the market for leafy greens has experienced consistent growth driven by consumer demand for fresh, locally grown produce available year-round.

“This exclusive partnership creates a compelling value proposition for consumers seeking premium, sustainably grown leafy greens while positioning both companies for accelerated growth in the expanding CEA market,” says Dirk Aleven, president for Revol Greens, in the release.

Boston Summer Business Builds Momentum

Tue, 19 Aug 2025 17:19:27 GMT

Produce business seems to be bouncing back in the Boston area this summer following a challenging winter/spring period, and distributors are hopeful the upward trend will continue into fall.

Peter Condakes Co.

“It was a very quiet winter and spring,” says Peter John Condakes, president of Peter Condakes Co. Inc. at the New England Produce Center in Chelsea, Mass.

The region underwent three straight months of below-normal temperatures, he says, and other major U.S. population centers endured chilly weather as well, which limited consumers from venturing out.

At the same time, weather in growing areas like Florida and Mexico was perfect, he says, resulting in bountiful supplies of many fresh produce items.

“There was an abundance of product and a dearth of demand,” Condakes says.

Since up to 70% of the company’s business is foodservice, sales were impacted when residents decided not to visit their favorite restaurants. The slowdown lasted into May, but business started growing again in June and was back to normal by August.

Top-selling summer items at Peter Condakes Co. include several kinds of squashes, peppers, cucumbers, peppers, tomatoes and leafy greens. It offers products from local growers in summer, especially row crops, along with a few local tomatoes, Condakes says.

Community-Suffolk

Steven Piazza, president of Chelsea-based Community-Suffolk Inc., says area business has continued to improve after the end of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We really had a shaking out in the New England area,” he says. “Since then, we’ve bounced back, and everybody in the industry seems to be flourishing and doing well.”

Summer items at Community-Suffolk include a wide selection of local vegetables from Canada, such as broccoli, celery, carrots and potatoes.

“The Canadian product is just starting to come into its own,” Piazza said in early August. “People are looking for [vegetables] that are closer to home and fresh.”

The company handles about 40 items.

“We tend to concentrate on what we do best and try to maintain our volume, quality and value on those items,” Piazza says.

So far, quality seems to be very nice this season, he says, despite a heat spell in late July.

“I think they’re going to grow through that and maintain good quality until the fall,” Piazza adds.

J. Bonafede & Sons

Business at J. Bonafede & Sons at the New England Produce Center has been similar to last year, but Eugene Fabio, president, says he’d like more foot traffic.

“Ever since COVID, foot traffic has gone down,” Fabio says.

The company sells mostly tropical fruits and vegetables. Sales of mangoes, cactus pears and limes are active, he says, while banana movement is steady. Other good sellers include avocados and Canadian tomatoes.

J. Bonafede & Sons also offers organic bananas and sometimes has some organic pineapples and limes on hand.

Smaller stores tend to blossom in the spring and summer in the Boston area, Fabio says, and the number of ethnic stores, especially Southeast Asian markets, continues to increase.

J. Bonafede & Sons typically stocks about 40 items.

The company also does a fair amount of foodservice business, but it often reaches foodservice customers, such as schools and airports, through wholesalers, Fabio says.

Upgrades

Some companies at the New England Produce Center have made improvements to better serve their customers.

Peter Condakes Co. Inc. has relaunched its website, Condakes says.

“That was a long time coming,” he says.

The revamped site, petercondakes.com , offers a comprehensive listing of all the fruits, vegetables, tomatoes and tropical items the company offers and provides background on the firm, which traces its roots back to 1900.

J. Bonafede & Sons is in the middle of some cosmetic and functional renovation Fabio says.

That includes replacing the electric refrigeration units in some of the company’s trailers, replacing some trailers, rebuilding several banana rooms, installing new lighting and replacing refrigeration in the cooler.

“We’re putting some money into the [facility] to make it work better, look better and buff up the appearance a little bit,” he says.

The company also was concluding a third-party food safety audit in early August, and it has hired Fabio’s son, Alex, to take on a number of responsibilities, including personnel and overseeing buying.

Alex Fabio has a wide range of experience working in and operating a number of businesses, his father says, adding: “We’re hoping some of his
experience will help us focus our business and to grow it.”

Del Fresco Pure Partners on ‘Hot Nonna Summer’ Campaign

Mon, 18 Aug 2025 12:17:57 GMT

Nonna Life, a lifestyle brand that celebrates Italian Canadian culture, and Del Fresco Pure, a family-owned and -operated Canadian greenhouse company, have joined forces on their second brand collaboration: “Hot Nonna Summer.”

This latest campaign follows their first team up: an Aperitivo style event hosted by Nonna Life during the Canadian Produce Marketing Association convention in Montreal last April. Both brands combine their shared commitment to culture, sustainability and authentic experiences to offer consumers the very best in food, culture and lifestyle, according to a news release.

“This collaboration is a match made in heaven,” says Ariane Laezza, founder of Nonna Life. “Del Fresco Pure’s commitment to sustainable sourcing and high-quality produce perfectly complements Nonna Life’s focus on community and cultural traditions with a contemporary approach. Together, we’ve come up with something truly special that celebrates locally grown produce, traditional recipes and quintessential Italian-Canadian experiences, all wrapped up in the spirit of our beloved grandmothers.”

Nonna Life and Del Fresco Pure are celebrating the recent success of their “Hot Nonna Summer” campaign, which they say has gained traction worldwide when its “starter pack” meme went viral. Launched on the first day of summer, the campaign featured limited-edition wheeled shopping carts that were outfitted with custom patches, buttons and traditional “cornicello,” filled with items featured in the starter pack, including greenhouse grown Del Fresco Pure tomatoes, a dish towel, a wooden spoon, Pastina, ginger ale, strawberry hard candies, a visor, recipe cards and a summer playlist featuring top Italo-disco hits.

Thirty “granny carts” were hand-delivered by the Hot Nonna Summer Delivery Service, an electric VW Bus, to influencers in the food and cultural spaces, reaching over a million combined followers and over 100,000 interactions, the release says.

“‘Hot Nonna Summer’ was such a fun campaign to do and it’s been exciting to see it come to life; I’m so happy that it has resonated with so many people,” says Laezza. “It’s a perfect example of how we can collaborate with great partners like Del Fresco Pure to create impactful experiences that resonate with our community. This campaign has allowed us to showcase locally grown produce in a fun, engaging way, and it’s been amazing to see so many people embrace the spirit of summer with Nonna Life.”

The companies say ‘Hot Nonna Summer’ was created to honor the vibrant energy and enduring influence of nonnas, who serve as the heartbeat of family tradition.

“We grow produce Nonna would be proud to serve. This campaign is about honoring that legacy — and showcasing it with a modern twist,” says Sonia Klinger, marketing manager at Del Fresco Pure. “As a single-family-owned and operated company, we take pride in our dedication to growing and delivering niche gourmet items that elevate every meal. We’re delivering the highest quality greenhouse grown produce that is also responsibly grown, making a positive impact on both people and the planet. It’s an exciting time for both of our brands.”

Wholesum Touts Responsible Agriculture in New Report

Thu, 31 Jul 2025 21:46:57 GMT

Wholesum , a grower and shipper of Fair Trade-certified produce, released its 2024 Conscientious Company Report. This company says in a news release that this report, titled People, Power, Progress, demonstrates its commitment to responsible agriculture.

Highlights from the 2024 report include:

Wholesum’s launch of NextGen Academy, a leadership development initiative designed by employees to prepare emerging leaders within the company.
Expansion of solar-powered trolleys and carts which reduce energy use and increase efficiency in greenhouse operations.
58% renewable energy use at Wholesum Farms Sonora, and ongoing work to restore and improve systems at other sites.
More than $726,000 in Fair Trade funds reinvested in community health, transportation and education programs.
Wholesum Farms Sonora hosted its largest-ever Preventative Health Campaign — the biggest in the company and region’s history, benefiting over 950 participants with health screenings, workshops and follow-up care plans.
Expanded workforce transportation program, replacing 89 individual cars with shared shuttles, reducing 966,102 pounds of CO₂ emissions.
More than 61 million pounds of 100% organic produce delivered to market.
In-house production of 360 pounds of organic seed and the production and release of over 2.3 million ladybugs and 970,000 parasitoid wasps as part of advanced biological control efforts.
63 tons of carton and 82 tons of metal recycled.
40 native plant species restored in local ecosystems.
Greenhouse sites, using only 5 gallons of water per pound of tomato production, up to four times more efficient than field-grown tomatoes.

“As we look back on 2024, we recognize a year marked not only by measurable progress, but by the people and values that drive it,” Ricardo and Theojary (Theo) Crisantes Jr., co-owners, and executive leaders at Wholesum, say in a news release. “This report is about more than metrics. It’s about vision, leadership and our collective momentum toward a better future.”

Wholesum says its efforts directly support the UN Sustainable Development Goals, with a focused impact on gender equality, with 42% female representation companywide and targeted efforts to increase leadership representation at production sites and responsible consumption production with renewable inputs reaching 65.6% in 2024 and significant gains in raw and packaging materials, according to the company.

“As a third-generation family farming operation, Wholesum has long believed that transparency, equity and stewardship are essential to a thriving agricultural system,” Ricardo Crisantes says. “With farms in both the U.S. and Mexico, and a heritage of over 90 years in farming, Wholesum continues to demonstrate that ethical and sustainable business practices can go hand in hand with innovation and growth. “We invite our partners, consumers and fellow growers to walk with us on this path and power progress together.”

Lipman Family Farms Expands Fresh-Cut Operations

Thu, 31 Jul 2025 12:04:17 GMT

Lipman Family Farms, an Immokalee, Fla.-based vertically integrated supplier of fresh tomatoes and vegetables, has opened its newest fresh-cut facility in Manteca, Calif. Specializing in sliced tomatoes, the new facility marks the company’s eighth fresh-cut operation across North America.

Lipman says the new facility offers transparency and control of the product from farm to processing to plate, and its strategic location supports the company’s ability to service just-in-time deliveries on freshly sliced and diced vegetables.

“Lipman Family Farms believes that fresh-cut, value-added solutions will continue to play a vital role in meeting operator needs,” Elyse Lipman, CEO of Lipman Family Farms, told The Packer. “With accelerating demand for consistency, safety and convenience, we see strategic regional infrastructure — like this Northern California facility — as essential for delivering just-in-time freshness with reliability and scale. For us, this is about meeting the needs of foodservice and following through on our vertically integrated vision.”

While the Manteca operation currently specializes in sliced tomatoes, Lipman says the company plans to expand into other core commodities as the facility grows.

“By focusing on tomatoes in Manteca, Lipman can offer speed and flexibility to serve both foodservice and retail deli customers,” Lipman says. “Each segment depends on fresh, consistent and ready-to-use product that’s carefully prepared and quickly delivered. Our expansion to date ensures that we can provide for the California and West Coast region. This complements our geographically diverse fresh-cut locations, with a strong distribution reaching nationwide.”

Lipman says while a number of factors are driving demand for value-added produce in both retail and restaurant foodservice, labor-saving solutions are particularly sought after.

“Labor is a big factor in the growth of value-added produce,” she says. “With ongoing staffing challenges in kitchens and produce departments, foodservice operators are turning to partners like Lipman to provide solutions that reduce the need for on-site processing. Our fresh-cut operations meet that need while maintaining high quality and freshness.”

Food safety is another driver of value-added produce.

“We’re seeing strong and sustained growth. Our investments to date are directly aligned with increasing demand due to the fresh-cut category’s ability to drive consistency, ease labor costs and streamline food safety for foodservice,” Lipman says. “Operators rely on partners who can deliver precision and quality at scale, and we’re expanding our capabilities to meet that need.”

Lipman is eyeing continued expansion as it seeks to meet the growing demand for value-added produce for foodservice applications.

“The opening of our Manteca facility is part of a broad, strategic expansion in fresh-cut and value-added capabilities,” Lipman says. “With eight strategically located facilities across North America and growing demand for ready-to-use produce, we are well positioned to continue that growth. Our integrated model and regional footprint enable us to scale and stay close to our customers.”

To learn more about the company’s fresh-cut capabilities, visit Lipman Family Farms during the IFPA Foodservice Conference in Monterey, Calif., July 31 to Aug. 1.