With the total volume of the Hass avocado crop expected to come in around 300 million pounds this year, down from around 500 million pounds in 2013, “one of the things you have to really be concerned about is the expectation that the California market is going to be short of fruit,” said Robert (Bob) Lucy, president of Del Rey Avocado Co. Inc. in Fallbrook, CA, in an interview with The Produce News March 19.

Bryan Biederman, an owner of Scotlynn Sweet Pac Growers LLC in Belle Glade, FL, said business continues to boom since the company opened its doors two years ago. “We’re very thankful for the support we’ve received, and very optimistic about our future,” he told The Produce News.

WOODLAND PARK, NJ — The Eastern Produce Council held its annual dinner dance Saturday, April 5, here, returning to the Westmount Country Club after last year’s event was moved to the Hanover Marriott in Whippany, NJ.

The council presented charitable contributions totaling $15,000 to three organizations: Lead New York Program, Tomorrows Children's Fund and New Jersey Farmers Against Hunger.

SunFed, a Rio Rico, AZ-based distributor and importer of vegetables, has appointed Mark Cassius chief innovation officer.

Brookshire Bros., a Lufkin, TX-based supermarket retailer, has acquired the assets of David's Supermarkets, a grocery chain based in Grandview, TX. Of the 25 David's stores, nine will operate under the David's Supermarkets or David's Express banners, one will remain Pecan Foods and the remaining 15 will operate as Brookshire Bros.

David's Supermarkets was formerly owned by the Waldrip family, which operated stores throughout north-central Texas for 50 years.

To-Jo Mushrooms recently participated in a joint education session at the annual Research Chefs Associations Conference held in Portland, OR. To-Jo — along with the Southwest Minnesota State University Culinology Department, the Mushroom Council and Iron Chef Jehangir Mehta — gave an in-depth review as to the progress the mushroom industry is making on the “Blendability” concept and its applications across various foodservice and manufacturing platforms.