The iconic Get Crackin’ campaign that helped Wonderful Pistachios become a household name is back. The company's newest commercial features Spot, an agile mobile robot with a decidedly doggy name from Boston Dynamics.

ORLANDO, FL — The theme of the Southeast Produce Council's 2023 Southern Exposure conference and trade show was "Produce, the final frontier," inspired by the popular "Star Trek" television shows and movies.

And after talking with SEPC executives, exhibitors, sponsors and attendees, their impression of the event, held here March 2-4, may be summed up in two words: mission accomplished.

The Kroger Co. announced a more than $770 million incremental investment in its associates during 2023. The company will use this investment to raise average hourly rates, improve healthcare options and build new training and development opportunities.

Last year’s domestic apple crop is a tale of two seasons as weather conditions in major growing regions dictated significantly different results for orchards in the Northwest and Northeast.

The extreme heat in late summer and overall challenging weather conditions in Washington caused a significant 20 percent drop in volume to a 100 million case crop. This shortfall created supply challenges for retailers who typically rely heavily on fruit from the country’s largest apple growing region.

Ramadan, which begins Wednesday, March 22, and runs through Friday, April 21, is an important holiday for Muslims around the world and Natural Delights is preparing to ship premium Medjool dates to retailers across North America. 

“Natural Delights sales continue to grow each Ramadan,” said Bridgette Weber, trade marketing manager for Natural Delights. “Muslim shoppers purchase large quantities of dates for themselves and as gifts for family and friends.

Apeel Sciences announced the promotion of Ryan Fink to senior vice president of the Americas and the appointment of Marius du Plessis as chief commercial officer in EMEA to lead priority business initiatives in their respective markets. Du Plessis and Fink will leverage their extensive produce supply chain experience to strengthen Apeel’s core commercial business, improving supply network value and expanding market growth in Europe and The Americas.