Mann Packing Co. is launching seasonal fresh vegetable trays to meet consumer demand for convenient entertaining products during the holidays and on through Super Bowl Sunday.

DMA Solutions Inc., a leading marketing agency in the fresh produce industry, has created the 2014 Produce Marketer’s Master Calendar featuring important and helpful dates that produce marketers need to know as they plan their event and communications strategies for the new year. The calendar is currently available for free download on dma-solutions.com.

There are mixed opinions as to how much acreage has been planted this year in vegetables and tomatoes for export to the United States, but there does seem to be a fairly wide-spread consensus that volume will be slower coming on than normal because of weather-related planting delays and the necessity for some re-planting of fields that were damaged by heavy rains shortly after planting.

Indianapolis Fruit Co. Inc., a leading provider of fresh produce and related products and services, announced the appointment of Greg Corsaro as president, effective Jan. 1, 2014.

This fall, O.C. Schulz & Sons, Inc., the potato grower-packer-shipper located in Crystal, ND, installed an ozone generator for its grader’s wash line. The new system cleanses the company’s grading water system with ozone, as a contribution toward food safety.

“Different markets have different demands during the holidays,” said Bill Litvin, vice president of sales and national account manager for Giorgio Fresh, headquartered in Temple, PA, a leading producer, packer, shipper and marketer of fresh mushrooms and mushroom products. “We find that the metro New York market focuses on stuffer-size mushrooms.”

Alternatively, Litvin noted that other markets look for sliced product to assist in holiday cooking.