Al Harrison Distributors in Nogales, AZ, is cleaning up the last of its Mexican watermelon fields in Hermosilla, Sonora, and preparing to transition to it Arizona deal, Brent Harrison said May 22.

While other growers started their Florida and Georgia deals early, Jackson’s Farming Co. in Autryville, NC, has stayed on track for the most part, said Matt Solana, vice president of operations and supply chain.

Throughout the months of June and July, Colorful Harvest will be running a joint promotion with Kraft on that food giant’s new “Philly Indulgence” cream cheese. The item combines milk chocolate with popular Kraft Philadelphia cream cheese.

During the two-month promotion, Salinas, CA-based Colorful Harvest will place $1 off coupons for the new cream cheese flavor in its one-pound strawberry clamshells. Doug McFarland, director of marketing for Colorful Harvest, said the tie-in promotion “is an excellent opportunity with a well-known national brand.”

DALLAS — Bar codes and loyalty cards have given the retail industry and marketers a mountain of information that can be used to more clearly target consumers and give them what they want while increasing sales.

This was the take-home message for a workshop during the United Fresh Produce Association convention, here, in early May, as well as a follow-up session conducted on the expo floor.

Unlike most growers, Kid’s Choice Fresh Produce Inc. will have watermelons from its Georgia farms for the Independence Day holiday. The Weston, FL-based company is cleaning up its north Florida deal and readying to transition into Georgia, where its crop is coming on later than other growers due to later planting.

While most fruit in the United States is sold at retail by the pound, mangos are one of the few items still being sold by the piece.