WOODLAND PARK, NJ — The Eastern Produce Council held its 57th annual John J. McAleavey Gala — a night the event’s namesake called “the produce prom” — Saturday, April 6, at the Westmount Country Club, here. This year's dinner dance honored Marianne Santo, the council's former president who died last September.

99 Cents Only Stores LLC has commenced going-out-of-business sales at all of its locations and the company's real estate assets, both owned and leased, in Arizona, California, Nevada and Texas.

The liquidation sale will include all the approximate 371 locations across the above-mentioned states, offering unprecedented discounts on a wide range of products from everyday household items to fresh produce to an assortment of seasonal and party merchandise.

Mexican grapes are one of the strongest production areas for Grapeco Farms, a Delano, CA-based company that was founded by industry veterans Jared Lane and Robert Cadena.

“We have a large amount of grapes from start to finish, and it’s one of the better varietal makeups,” said Lane, who serves as CEO of the company. “We’ve been redeveloping and planting new vineyards in a huge abundance over the last 4-6 years.”

Grapeco is one of the first farms to get started with the early sheet, and also one of the last to finish.

This year, 25 million households plan to celebrate Cinco de Mayo, and most plan to do so by going out, according to Numerator’s 2024 U.S. Annual Holiday Preview. Between restaurant dining and ordering delivery, the foodservice industry is expecting to serve at least 49 percent of Cinco celebrators.

With Cinco de Mayo falling on a Sunday this year, restaurants can incorporate Cinco-themed dishes into their Sunday brunch.

The Canadian Produce Marketing Association announced that Murray Driediger, president and CEO of BC Fresh Vegetables Inc., has been selected as its 2024 Lifetime Achievement Award recipient.

The Chilean Citrus Committee estimates that global citrus exports from Chile will reach 383,000 tons this season, a 4 percent decline from 2023. According to the figures provided by the committee, clementine and mandarin volumes will decline by 35 percent and 9 percent respectively. Oranges will decrease by 2 percent, with lemons increasing by 33 percent.