Bob Von Rohr, director of customer relations for Sunny Valley International, headquartered in Glassboro, NJ, told The Produce News that the company’s primary blueberry import programs are from Argentina and Chile, and it brings some product in from Uruguay.

“Timing on our Argentina deal is similar to last year,” said Mr. Von Rohr. “Because we don’t source from the early production areas, we will start in early October with our first air shipments. Peak volumes will pivot around the few weeks before and few weeks after the mid-November time frame.

Ben Reilly, the Midwest business development manager for Los Angeles-based Giumarra Cos., said that the company is forecasting and planning for continued growth in its blueberry import program starting in Argentina early this year.

“The blueberry program will then continue through to Uruguay and Chile,” Mr. Reilly said. “We have additional imported blackberries from Guatemala, and we have also added a number of new growers in the northern states of the U.S., extending our volume to later in the season. Our Mexican imports will start during the week of Sept. 10.”

Ronnie Cohen, a partner at Vision Import Group LLC, River Edge, NJ, said the firm’s mango volume from its South American suppliers will be greater this year and will follow the company’s strategy of steady growth in that space.

“Currently we are bringing mangos in from Brazil and our Brazilian deal is larger than it was last year,” he said in early September. “And we expect to double the volume we had last year from Ecuador.”

Continental Fresh LLC imports mangos throughout the year, but its real time to shine is in the period from late summer into November when Brazilian mangos take center stage.

The Coconut Grove, FL-based company is one of the larger importers of mangos from Brazil, as it has been importing from that South American country for almost two decades.

“We’ve been working in Brazil for 18 years,” said Albert Perez, the company’s managing partner. “We’ve established a very good relationship with a couple of shippers.”

Thirty-seven years ago when David Warren launched his company, Central American Produce Inc., the name was a great descriptor of the point of origin of the products it sourced.

His son, Michael Warren, who is the current president of the Pompano Beach, FL, operation, said “my father began by bringing in melons from Guatemala and pineapples as well. He pioneered the sno pea business in Guatemala.”

In response to the increase in assessment funding from half a cent to three-quarters of a cent per pound for whole fresh mangos sold in the United States, the National Mango Board’s consumer, retail and foodservice promotions, as well as nutrition, health and food-safety research programs will be expanded beginning in Quarter 4.The NMB approved these new projects during its board meeting held Sept. 11-13 in Washington, DC.

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