Southern Specialties looking for moderate growth
Southern Specialties, headquartered in Pompano Beach, FL, has built a strong reputation in the asparagus business, which puts it in a good place for growth when U.S. buyers are looking for additional supplies or a new supplier.
Proposed fee concerns Perishables Specialists
It was two days before the deadline for comments on a new user fee on fumigating fresh produce when customs broker Frank Ramos talked to The Produce News — and he was upset.
“You don’t go from zero to $375 all at once,” said the president of The Perishable Specialists, headquartered in Miami, FL. “I understand that fees may have to go up, but to go up that much? It’s unfair, it’s unethical.”
Baley: No major hiccups in production thus far
Hollis Baley, director of marketing for Klamath Basin Fresh Organics LLC, said the cooperative is gearing up for its harvest to begin along normal timetables in September. KBFO is a cooperative of 17 family farms in the basin, all of which recognize the importance of sustainability. The majority of these family-based farms are third- and fourth-generation ag-related businesses.
The cooperative’s organic potato manifest includes russets, reds, Yukon Gold, Purple Majesty, Klamath Pearl and Purple Fiesta. Fingerlings include Ruby Crescent, Russian Banana, French and Amarosa.
Joint potato trade mission heading to Vietnam, Philippines
The Washington State Potato Commission and Oregon Potato Commission continue with collaborative efforts to gain increased international market access. This October and November, state agriculture directors from Oregon and Washington will lead a trade mission to Vietnam and the Philippines to promote fresh potatoes grown in the Pacific Northwest. Representatives from both potato commissions will be included in the delegation.
CMI ready for national rollout of Sweet Gourmet Pears program
Columbia Marketing International, headquartered in Wenatchee, WA, is ready for the national rollout of its new Sweet Gourmet Pears program which includes a new pouch bag. “CMI introduced the Sweet Gourmet pouch bag for Bartletts, Anjous, Red Anjous and Bosc pears on a test basis last year,” said Steve Lutz, vice president of marketing “We were very pleased with the results. We found that the pouch bag grew volume because it increased consumer transactions with a minimal level of cross-category cannibalization. The results were meaningful increases in both dollars and volume.”
Pear conditioning program continues to gain in popularity for Rainier Fruit
The conditioned pear program offered by Rainier Fruit Co. to its retail partners continues to gain traction in the marketplace. “We set record monthly and season shipments of conditioned pears this season,” said Director of Marketing Suzanne Wolter. “We believe it’s a real testament to the appeal for both retailers and consumers, given the extremely large apple crop that’s just now finishing up.”
Domex Superfresh Growers’ Nager: Warm days, cool nights make for great pears
Domex Superfresh Growers, headquartered in Yakima, WA, is anticipating a 30-percent increase in pear volume this season. “The fruit is looking clean with good sizing for active promotions and movement,” said Vice President of Marketing Howard Nager. “The weather this past season has been ideal for growing pears. The warm days and cool nights combined with the fertile soil of the Pacific Northwest has produced a great crop for this year.”
Campaign promotes need-to-know info
The Pear Bureau Northwest plans to launch a new consumer advertising and public relations campaign designed to engage and educate consumers, supplying them with vital need-to-know information on pear ripening and recipe usage. “Fun, eye-catching ads will appear in print and digital versions of Cooking Light, Food Network Magazine, Every Day with Rachael Ray Magazine, Bon Appetit and more,” Director of Communications Cristie Mather told The Produce News. “In addition, online ads for USA Pears will appear on a vast network of food and lifestyle websites.”
Indianapolis Fruit draws record crowd to annual golf outing and trade show
Indianapolis Fruit Co. hosted its 27th annual golf outing and trade show July 21-22, drawing more than 100 vendor suppliers and 300 retail customers, making it the best attended event in the company's history. More than 450 total guests enjoyed the two-day expo, held at the Crane Bay Event Center in downtown Indianapolis.
Country Fresh Mushroom Co. soon to unveil environmentally friendly quick-blanch pouches
“Country Fresh has continued its efforts to provide our partners with the freshest product and innovative packaging,” said Bob Besix, senior vice president of sales and marketing for Country Fresh Mushroom Co., headquartered in Toughkenamon, PA. “This effort also applies to our soon-to-be unveiled environmentally friendly quick-blanch pouches.”
Besix noted that Country Fresh’s product offerings have expanded to include fresh and quick-blanched to its added-value produce lineup.