Giumarra to debut French apple variety next month
Giumarra Wenatchee announced that its new apple offering, Antarès, will have initial trial shipments beginning in February.
Citrus industry gears up for the challenges it faces
Citrus fruit ranks first internationally in trade value among all fruits. Sweet oranges are the major fruit grown in the citrus category and represent approximately 70 percent of the citrus output.
According to the Food & Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Brazil is the leading citrus producer in the world, followed by China, the U.S., Mexico, India, Spain, Iran, Italy, Nigeria and Turkey.
Bushmans’ on schedule for potato movement
The disappearance of Wisconsin potatoes from winter storage for Bushmans’ Inc. “is exactly where we budgeted it to be,” said Mike Carter, chief executive officer of the potato company based in Rosholt, WI.
“We had great movement over the holidays,” he said. “We have an above-average size profile and above-average yields. We expect to finish strong sometime in July.”
Website launched for Organic Produce Summit
The Organic Produce Summit, which will be held in Monterey, CA, July 13-14, launched its website on Jan. 18 for the purpose of allowing exhibitors and attendees to register for the event.
The press releases and email blasts touting the event call it the only produce industry show “dedicated exclusively to the $11 billion organic fresh produce market.”
Church Bros. restructures sales department
Church Bros. Farms, a leading grower-processor-shipper of more than 500 fresh vegetable SKUs, based in Salinas, CA, is restructuring its sales department to better serve its customers as the company continues its growth.
East Coast produce companies fare well in blizzard
Despite the more than two feet of snow that hammered the Northeast during the weekend of Jan. 23-25, East Coast produce operators fared relatively well with few interruptions of service.
Evan Kazan of Target Interstate, a major logistics operation headquartered at Hunts Point Terminal Market in the Bronx, NY, told The Produce News Jan. 25 that companies were well prepared for the storm.
Kroger's new produce departments expand choices, selection
The Kroger Co. has renovated and expanded the produce departments at 11 North Carolina stores. To date the company invested more than $4 million to remodel produce departments in 51 stores throughout its Mid-Atlantic Division, which includes North Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia, eastern Tennessee, Kentucky and southern Ohio.
Organic Produce Summit registration open, featured speaker announced
Registration for exhibitors, retailers and attendees at the inaugural Organic Produce Summit is now open through the event website organicproducesummit.com. The first ever gathering for producers, handlers and other members of the organic produce community is slated for July 13-14 at the Monterey Hyatt in Monterey, CA.
Listeria outbreak claims life; Dole suspends Springfield operations
An outbreak of Listeria monocytogenes linked to packaged salads produced at Dole's Springfield, OH, processing facility has resulted in one death and 11 other illnesses. All ill people, including a pregnant woman, reported being hospitalized. As a result Dole has temporarily suspended operations at its Springfield production facility and is withdrawing potentially contaminated product.
SunFed gears up for new spring production
GUAYMAS, SONORA — Assuming El Niño gives West Mexico growers a break, more vegetable supplies should be coming to produce buyers in the near future.
A recent tour of Sonora’s Guaymas and Hermosillo growing areas indicated that strong new crops are on the vine and will be harvested in coming weeks.