This year’s New England Produce & Floral Council Expo, being held April 27 at the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center, is similar in format and schedule to previous expos, but a few new features have been added.

One thing about cherries that virtually everyone seems to agree on — and a reality that is frequently mentioned by shippers during interviews — is the volatility of the crop, largely due to its sensitivity to weather. A late frost, an untimely hailstorm or rain at harvest time can unexpectedly reduce what might otherwise be a full crop.

It really should not be a surprise due to the well-known significant reduction in the 2011 California avocado crop, but a $50 avocado market is still rare enough to turn most heads anyway.

MONTREAL – The Canadian Produce Marketing Association held its 86^th annual convention and exhibition April 13-15, here, and while the majority of companies on the trade show floor were veteran exhibitors, a handful experienced their first CPMA and got a taste of why so many come back year after year.

The Portland, OR-based Pear Bureau Northwest has developed new point-of-sale materials to raise consumer awareness of the April, May and June availability of Anjou pears. The materials spotlight red and green Anjou pears and their usage in spring menus alongside other seasonal produce like strawberries, spring greens and mangos.

Seasonal promotions have proven to be a key element in maximizing the sales of Salinas, CA-based Tanimura & Antle’s “Artisan” lettuce. The most recent “Artisan” lettuce Get in Shape program was credited with significant increases in product distribution and attracting several new retail customers. As a result, the growth in demand has the company planning a doubled production for the fall.