Latest News From Tom Burfield

The world of table grapes has expanded exponentially from traditional red and green varieties to today’s plethora of cultivars with appearance, flavor and size characteristics.

Grower-shippers of organic produce appear to be surviving, if not thriving, despite such challenges as inflationary pressures, supply shortages and skyrocketing labor costs.

Good-quality spring table grapes now are arriving from Mexico’s Jalisco growing area, and U.S. grape shipments from California’s Coachella Valley should get started in May.

With the arrival of spring comes the onset of a plethora of nutritious fruits and vegetables from California’s bountiful Santa Maria Valley.

Continued inflation industrywide, coupled with an unfavorable exchange for growers, is making life difficult for growers and distributors of fresh fruits and vegetables from West Mexico.

West Mexico growers faced a tough fall/winter season, but distributors believe things are looking up for spring with increased supplies and more reasonable prices.

The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services has come up with a plethora of ways to promote the state’s fruits and vegetables through the Fresh From Florida retail promotion this spring.

Barring unforeseen weather events, Texas spring onion season is expected to feature plenty of good-quality product, growers say.

An unusually wet fall/winter deal hasn't dampended the outlook for grower-shippers in the Sunshine State.

Here's why they expect to see ample volume of good-quality strawberries, blueberries and blackberries during the late winter and early spring period.

Business at Toronto’s Ontario Food Terminal got off to a rather slow start this year, say some of the produce distributors there, but there’s plenty of time for sales to pick up.

Major ports continue to build their import and export volume while launching projects to improve their infrastructure and enhance their operations.

It can be difficult to forecast with certainty what the Southern California strawberry crop will look like in winter, but as of early this year, grower-shippers were predicting ample supplies of good-quality berries.

Foodservice business in the area has been making gains over the past couple of years, but it’s not yet back to pre-pandemic levels.

Strawberries and Valentine’s Day go together, and Southern California strawberry grower-shippers say there should be plenty of the heart-shaped fruit on hand for the most romantic day of the year.

The Philadelphia Wholesale Produce Market opened in 2011 but traces its roots back to colonial times when some of its tenants got their start at the city’s Dock Street marketplace.

Picking for most growers in the Sunshine State got underway in early to mid-November, and supplies were slowly but surely picking up throughout December.

When John Gates started delivering fruits, vegetables and fresh-cut products with his brother Dave, he never dreamed the weekend venture would evolve into a major wholesale distributor and fresh-cut processing company.

Print, digital and retail promotions such as grocery cart ads, weekly circulars, social media campaigns, shoppable ads and more will be used to spread the word about the Sunshine State’s juicy red strawberries.

If you’re buying Florida strawberries, chances are they’re one of three varieties developed by the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences’ Gulf Coast Research and Education Center.

Produce distributors on the Philadelphia Wholesale Produce Market say they’re finishing 2023 with generally strong sales and are looking forward to another successful year ahead.

The national produce distribution and supply company has focused on providing a range of customers with whole fruits and vegetables, with an emphasis on potatoes and onions, said Josh Wolff, partner.

Retailers can add to the excitement of the Super Bowl by enhancing their avocado categories with some innovative product tie-ins.

Chicago-area produce distributors were thankful for a strong Thanksgiving holiday period and anticipate more of the same for Christmas and New Year’s.

The trade organization says it recognizes the dominance of Mexican avocados during this time of year and goes all out to help retailers score big returns by promoting the fruit.

It’s still December, but suppliers of avocados and avocado-related products say it’s not too early to start making plans for 2024 Super Bowl promotions.

When Emerald Packaging Inc. was established 60 years ago, the firm occupied 25,000 square feet and employed about 70 workers; the flexible packaging provider now has a 200,000-square-foot facility and 250 employees.

IFCO Systems has been providing the produce industry with reusable packaging containers since 1992, but it's still keeping up with the times, says Rick Overholt, vice president of grower sales.

An effort to ensure that Mexican-grown papayas meet rigid food safety and quality standards continues to expand.

A long, hot summer followed by an early fall freeze threw grower-shippers a curveball at the start of the fall season in southern Texas, but they’re hopeful things will straighten out by mid-December.

If you’re in the produce industry and looking to enhance your bottom line — and who isn’t — your packaging supplier may be able to lend a hand.

The grower of potatoes and onions discusses its volume and quality as consumers prepare to celebrate over meals with family and friends.

A massive pallet fire beneath a raised section of the busy 10 Freeway near downtown Los Angeles has caused headaches for tenants on the Los Angeles Wholesale Produce Market and surrounding produce businesses.

The University of Florida has come up with a tomato variety that some say could be a game-changer for the state’s tomato industry.

Plenty of potatoes should be available for holiday repasts this year, and ample volume should mean favorable prices for consumers.

Grower-shippers say onion volume has inched upward this season, and plenty of good-quality onions should be available for the holidays and beyond.

It’s not easy being a tomato farmer in Florida, but even as their numbers dwindle, enough die-hard farmers remain to earn Florida the No. 1 ranking for the value of fresh-market tomatoes in the U.S.

Efforts are underway to ensure that Chilean-grown blueberries meet the same quality standards as U.S. blueberries, industry sources say.

It’s almost summer in the Southern Hemisphere, which means it’s time for Chilean fruit. Here's what to expect for commodities, quality and volume.

Bananas, plantains, yuca and a variety of tropical produce could be in short supply this fall because of excessive rain in South and Central America, said Billy Mascari, of Cedro Banana Distributors.

Florida locations of Lakeland, Fla.-based Publix Super Markets Inc. will participate in the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services’ Fresh From Florida program during the coming year.

Excessive rainfall hurt some of the fall corn, squash and cucumber crops in Connecticut but doesn’t seem to have had much of an impact on apples.

The state's 2023-24 tomato acreage should be similar to last season’s, but volume should be up because Hurricane Ian put a damper on production last year, said Michael Schadler of the Florida Tomato Exchange.

Florida’s 2023-24 citrus crop should be significantly more robust than last season’s, according to the latest USDA forecast.

Storage sheds may not be bursting at the seams with organic produce in the St. Louis area, but it’s available if you look hard enough.

Maine potato growers say shoppers perceive consumer bags — especially one size in particular — as a convenient, value-priced way to purchase potatoes.

Business remains brisk in the St. Louis market as produce distributors tweak their product lines to add traditional fall items.

Some rainy weather disrupted the start of Maine’s fall potato harvest, but digging seemed to be progressing satisfactorily by late September.

St. Paul, Minn.-based Co-op Partners Warehouse may specialize in selling fresh fruits and vegetables, but customers will soon find out that ordering from them is a piece of cake.

An annual Research Field Day is among the activities the Benson-based North Carolina Sweetpotato Commission has scheduled for sweetpotato growers during the fall/winter season.