VINELAND, NJ — New Jersey has been producing strong volumes of high-quality fruits and vegetables all summer long, which should provide a “good lead” into the fall deal, the third and last phase of the state’s long fresh produce season, according to Vince Consalo, president of Wm. Consalo & Sons Farms Inc., here.

A mild winter and early spring helped jump-start most of the state’s produce crops, with many harvested two weeks earlier than normal. Early harvests of many crops continued into the summer.

California Romaine shippers were seeing demand drop off moderately, while lettuce shippers were experiencing steady and fairly modest demand. West Side melon shippers saw a brisk pull on Labor Day. Northwest onion shippers had fairly good demand on slowly rising production. Russet shippers said that heavy supplies far outpace demand.  

WEATHER

When current Southeast Produce Council President John Shuman of Shuman Produce Inc. in Reidsville, GA, turns over the gavel to new leadership at the SPC Fall show in Asheville, NC, it will be the first time in seven years he has been free of the burden of council leadership.

Just before Labor Day, Kevin Concannon, agriculture under secretary for food, nutrition and consumer services, along with School Nutrition Association National President Sandy Ford and National Parent Teacher Association President Betsy Landers, hosted a media conference call to discuss the changes to school meals being implemented this year.

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Wal-Mart, the National Restaurant Association and U.S. meat associations are the latest to warn that reopening the U.S. tomato agreement with Mexico would lead to unstable tomato supplies, damage other food shipments and hurt consumers, said the Fresh Produce Association of Americas.

The agreement sets a minimum price that Mexican producers/exporters can sell their fresh and chilled tomatoes to eliminate damaging effects of exports on U.S.-grown tomatoes.

With the universal emphasis on healthier eating in all corners of our nation, opportunities are expanding for the fruit and vegetable industry, both in the fresh market and for processing. For the creative marketer, there seems to be no limit to the possibilities.