The Fresh Produce & Floral Council, in conjunction with Brighter Bites, held an FPFC Volunteer Day in Salinas, CA, on Tuesday, May 10, during which 350 boxes of fresh fruits and vegetables were boxed and delivered to children and their parents at a local elementary school. The following day, the FPFC held a luncheon in Northern California for the first time in two years.

Even in a week when almost 63 million pounds of avocados were available for sale in the U.S. market, demand continued to outstrip supply and the FOB price remained extremely high.

Sunrise Logistics, which is under the umbrella of the Four Seasons Family of Cos., is poised to open a major warehouse expansion at its headquarters in Ephrata, PA, in June.

Parker Farms has been in the vegetable business for nearly 50 years, and has experienced rising input prices before, but Sales Manager/Partner Jimmy Carter said the current inflationary pressure is unprecedented and will definitely impact East Coast vegetable production this spring and summer.

“No one has seen this level of price increases before,” he said. “Every input is seeing significant increases. We are in unchartered territory.”

COVID-19 has inspired change in consumer attitudes and actions at a very fast pace, and successful businesses need to acknowledge, embrace and adapt to those changes.

It appears likely that debate over the 2023 Farm Bill will be conducted during a budget-constrained cycle, which means new initiatives and increased funding could be difficult to sell.