PMA Women’s Fresh Perspectives Conference: A floral director’s impressions
The Produce Marketing Association Foundation Women’s Fresh Perspectives Conference aims to recognize and celebrate the undeniable value of women. Its mission to cultivate the potential of women in the produce and floral industry and inspire women to enhance their career skills has gained the attention of women in the industry, regardless of their career stage.
Mother’s Day caps a busy spring floral holiday season
There was no shortage of non-floral businesses trying to capitalize on the traditional floral holiday of Mother’s Day this year, including Smith & Wesson trying to convince buyers in a bright, flower-embellished print advertisement that what mom really wants is a nine-millimeter pistol. But despite all the competition, the floral industry appears to have been effective at maintaining its sales figures for Mother’s Day.
The times they are definitely a-changin’
The world is changing really rapidly and it seems like even the complexity of the changes is changing. It is estimated that every 24 hours Google generates the amount of information equal to that generated from the dawn of civilization until the year 2003. Look around and notice what’s happening in the floral industry.
NMB partners with National Women’s Soccer League
The National Mango Board announced that mangos are the official superfruit of the National Women’s Soccer League. All season long the NMB is partnering with premier teams and athletes to showcase the nutritious fruit at sampling events with player appearances, giveaways, social media engagement and much more.
Oppy strengthens greenhouse sales
Oppy’s greenhouse business just got a boost with the addition of category expert Justin Ruta to the company’s Newark, DE-based sales team.
Oppy’s New Zealand pipfruit arrives in North America with good volume, sizing
Though it’s been a “tough time getting to market,” New Zealand pears and apples are now being marketed by The Oppenheimer Group throughout North America.
Maurice A. Auerbach says California drought is pushing prices higher
On April 29, Bruce Klein, director of marketing for Maurice A. Auerbach in Secaucus, NJ, told The Produce News that it was the first day that temperatures reached into the 70s, despite that spring officially started on March 20.
But some problems the produce industry faces today aren’t going away with the passing of seasons. One of the major problems facing the domestic industry, and will likely have an impact on imported produce in the future, is the drought in California.
Klein said California growers who are farming report having enough water for their needs.
Catania Worldwide and Stellar Distributing set to provide their own figs year-round
In early April, The Produce News reported that the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal & Plant Health Inspection Service authorized the importation of Mexican figs into the United States, effective March 30, 2015.
Texas flooding wreaks havoc on crops
While the agriculturally rich Rio Grande Valley has been spared the brunt of the most recent storms and flooding in Texas, nine months of above-average rain has taken its toll in the fresh produce growing areas, with many acres having already been lost.
“We’ve had 60 inches of rain from the fall through the spring,” said Jimmy Bassetti, president of J&D Produce Inc. in Edinburg, TX. “No one has been spared.”
Fairway launching smaller-format store
Fairway Market will be opening the prototype of its new store model in Brooklyn, NY. The location will have a smaller footprint and lower cost structure than Fairway's existing stores with the same broad offering of fresh, specialty, organic and conventional products.