Nine ornamental horticulture growers from around the world have reached the finals for the AIPH International Grower of the Year Awards 2024.

Organized by the International AIPH in collaboration with Host Sponsor IPM Essen and Founding Partner FloraCulture International, the awards recognise the ‘best of the best’ in ornamentals production.

With more shoppers opting to save time by ordering groceries online, Food Lion expanded its Food Lion To Go grocery pick up service to 35 more stores in Delaware, Georgia, Maryland, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia.

With the availability of this service at these new stores, the omnichannel retailer now offers Food Lion to Go Pickup or Home Delivery at approximately 90 percent of its 10-state operating area.

Ben B. Schwartz & Sons, which operates on the Michigan Produce Terminal in Detroit, will be expanding its product offerings to customers. 

“We will be launching a bagging line with the capabilities of bagging citrus, onions and potatoes to begin,” said Jordan Grainger, vice president of sales. “We are excited about increasing our product offerings to our customers with our bagging operation. This will complement our current service offerings to our customers.”

For the first time organizations from both Chile and Peru will meet at the Global Grape Convention 2024 to collaboratively seek solutions to the problems of the grape sector as well as provide market information. The grape producing and exporting industry worldwide has experienced a process of change and stress marked by climatic factors, the Covid-19 pandemic, logistical issues in origin and destination, and the cultivation of new varieties that have not achieved expected results.

The International Fresh Produce Association has been hard at work since the Global Show, digesting all of the feedback, ideas and work that happened on-site. Here is a brief summary of what’s been on its mind since the show:

Floral Committee Meeting:

The U.S. Department of Agriculture imposed sanctions on three produce businesses for failing to meet contractual obligations to the sellers of produce they purchased and failing to pay reparation awards issued under the Perishable Agricultural Commodities Act.

These sanctions include suspending the businesses’ PACA licenses and barring the principal operators of the businesses from engaging in PACA-licensed business or other activities without approval from USDA.

The following businesses and individuals are currently restricted from operating in the produce industry: