Why is it that supermarket produce departments look so great at 2 p.m. and slip into an unfortunate collapse by 6 p.m.?

A shopper enters a produce department and picks up a few yellow and red peppers then suddenly places them back on the display. That same customer then handles several bunches of broccoli and puts them back. She now wants some Romaine lettuce, but the display is empty and messy. Then that shopper finally leaves without buying anything.

Agrokasa Holdings S.A., a leading vertically integrated grower, packer and distributor of avocados, table grapes, blueberries and asparagus, along with its subsidiary Sociedad Agricola Drokasa S.A., announced Sept. 8 that it has entered into an agreement to sell 100 percent of its interest in Agrokasa to agro-industrial conglomerate Grupo HAME.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has imposed sanctions on Tyler’s Pride Produce LLC of Kenner, LA, for violating the Perishable Agricultural Commodities Act. These sanctions include barring the business and the principal operators of the business from engaging in PACA-licensed business or other activities without approval from USDA.

C&S Wholesale Grocers entered into a definitive agreement to purchase 413 stores, eight distribution centers and two offices that have become available due to The Kroger Co. and Albertsons Cos. Inc. merger; the agreement is set to close in early 2024. 

The Vineland Produce Auction has long been the premier produce auction in the country. Its success is important to New Jersey and the Northeast’s ag industry overall.

Located on 44 acres in Vineland, NJ, the cooperative is comprised of hundreds of member farmers and an elected board of directors. The facility has nearly 130,000 square feet of crossdock loading, which the member farmers, brokers and distributors utilize.

Apples and autumn go hand in hand, and Keystone Fruit Marketing has been all about apples dating back to 1977.

"Apples were the first commodity Keystone took to market," said Lisa Fetterhoff, director of operations. "And the first grower they worked with, El Vista Orchards in Fairfield, PA, is still a grower partner today!"