Mixup on farm bill veto
The House of Representatives voted Wednesday, May 21, to override President Bush's veto of the farm bill, but a procedural mixup apparently made that vote meaningless, according to published reports.
CPMA appoints first woman to role of chairman
CALGARY, AB -- It may have taken 83 years, but the Canadian Produce Marketing Association has its first woman in the position of chairman.
Philadelphia merchants ponder spate of closings
PHILADELPHIA -- In recent weeks, three businesses have closed on the Philadelphia market, here. This follows the debt-ridden closing of Ellis Fleisher Produce Co. in April 2007.
The remaining merchants on the market are now left pondering the reasons for the closings.
One of the closings is simply the result of a shocking tragedy. Mark Stout, who owned Eckert's Produce Inc. on the Philadelphia market, was doing what he loved most -- skiing in Steamboat Springs, CO -- when he fell into a tree well as he descended a Colorado slope Jan. 15 and died of suffocation.
Chilean fruit industry gathers for annual dinner
WILMINGTON, DE -- The ports of the Delaware River trade supporting the imports of Chilean fruit gathered in force April 30 at the third annual Taste of Chile dinner, here.
According to Sheryl Rothberg, executive director of the Chilean & American Chamber of Commerce of Greater Philadelphia, all 156 seats available for the posh event were sold. The menu featured a variety of Chilean products, including avocados, grass-fed beef, wines and white honey.
RETAIL VIEW: Price takes back seat in produce promotions
Price has long been the main driver that suppliers have used to entice retailers to promote their products, but it's not the only factor -- and maybe not even the best one. There are at least a half-dozen different reasons that drive a consumer's decision to buy fresh produce, according to Stacey Larson, president of Consumer Effects, a Rocklin, CA-based company that designs and implements retail promotion programs for fresh produce.
Del Monte and Char-Broil team up for grilling promotion
Del Monte Fresh Produce Co. N.A. Inc. in Coral Gables, FL, is looking to fire- up this summer season's produce sales by partnering with Char-Broil for the "Fresh Grill Thrill" Sweepstakes.
Earthbound settles apple lawsuit
Earthbound Farm and parent company San Juan Bautista, CA-based Natural Selection Foods have settled out of court with a woman who claimed that an Earthbound manager trespassed on her property, took clippings from her rare, heirloom apple tree and propagated a 150-tree apple orchard for Natural Selection's own benefit.
Congress designates July National Watermelon Month
Months of hard work and negotiations by the National Watermelon Association have proven fruitful, as both houses of Congress passed resolutions naming July National Watermelon Month.
"It is my pleasure to share with you the great news that National Watermelon Month is now officially complete through the vote taken by the U.S. House of Representatives earlier this week," Bob Morrissey, the association's executive director, said in a statement. "This has been a nine-month effort working with over 56 House representatives, and is very worthwhile for our watermelon industry."
Memorial Day cabbage push is on for Lakeside Produce Distributors
"The Florida cabbage deal is winding down. It's pretty much finished for us," Terry Granzier, president of Lakeside Produce Distribution Inc., told The Produce News May 14.
The firm, which is based in Westlake, OH, was "moving into the Memorial Day push" in mid-May. This cabbage will be shipped from southern Georgia. North Carolina cabbage is to begin in early June.
"The crop looks nice, but freight is an absolute bear right now," he said. "Our only big issue now is trucking. Rates have gone through the roof."
HLB Tropical Food rebounding after papaya shortage
The international papaya importer and distributor HLB Tropical Food is seeing an increase in papaya production from Brazil after the South American nation experienced a shortage in Golden papaya production in April, which drastically affected the North American and European markets.
HLB's imports from Brazil to the United States dropped a staggering 51 percent in April. The situation in Europe was similar, especially affecting the Easter holiday sales. HLB's growers maintain that production has increased and is now back to its normal output.