Retailers are feeling the pinch from rising costs as produce sales are generally down from a year ago. Labor issues are continuing to be a concern at retail as well.

Continental Fresh specializes in tropical imports from Latin America, servicing retail, foodservice, wholesale and process customers throughout the United States.

Coming off a first quarter of 2023 with its vegetable program of cucumbers and squash, Continental Fresh saw much success. The second and third quarter of 2023 is heavily devoted to Mexican mangos, packing under the Water For All label.

The towering skyscrapers and busy streets of Manhattan and the other four boroughs of New York City are a world away from the more than 36,000 farms — over 98 percent of them family-owned — that operate throughout the state of New York, generating more than $6 billion in annual income and employing close to 60,000 people.

There has been much written about the shortage of labor in the ag industry with growers, shippers, distributors and retailers all vying with other industries to deal with an apparent systemic labor shortage. The need appears to be more acute at the blue-collar end of the spectrum, but what about at the white collar level? Is there a labor shortage? The Produce News attempted to answer the question by interviewing principals at several executive search firms that specialize in the produce industry.

New Jersey peach and nectarine growers are expecting unusually high demand for their fruit this season after weather affected other growing regions. The New Jersey Department of Agriculture is poised to help growers and retailers get the word out that Jersey Fresh peaches are in-season.

Before the pandemic, exotic fruit was slowly gaining in popularity, as foodies and Millennials were discovering interesting new fruit to eat, whether alone or in innovative recipes. These adventurous shoppers were buying tropical fruit at historic rates, with retailers clamoring for more from tropical importers and wholesalers.

Once March of 2020 came, sales started to decrease, as consumers were more interested in buying traditional items, especially with their produce. Sticking to something known was putting people more at ease during a turbulent time.