Latest News From Tom Karst

Continental Fresh LLC, a grower, shipper and importer of fresh fruits and vegetables from Latin America is celebrating its Water For All program.

New packaging rules adopted by the European Parliament raise serious trade and food safety concerns, says the Alliance for Sustainable Packaging for Foods.

Mexican mango supplies for Rio Rico, Ariz.-based Ciruli Bros. will continue to increase through April, peaking for the Cinco de Mayo holiday, says Chris Ciruli, chief operating officer.

Sens. Laphonza Butler, D-Calif., and Susan Collins, R-Maine, have introduced the Specialty Crops Security Act, which would give industry stakeholders more opportunity for input on specialty crop block grants.

Concerns about inflation have shifted Rabobank’s forecast of the first Federal Reserve rate cut this year from June to September, with the number of cuts projected to decrease.

A research report from Skyquest released this year forecasts the U.S. cold storage market will grow from $43.2 billion in 2023 to $118.8 billion by 2031.

Mango demand is strong and Mission Produce says it's looking forward to the ramp-up of the Mexican mango season to supply customer ripe programs all spring and summer.

Despite supply challenges, the mango market continues to grow, says Dan Spellman, director of marketing for the National Mango Board.

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency updated its labeling requirements for the use of sulfur dioxide gas on fresh grapes during storage and transport, according to a USDA report.

Participants in the Finnish study reported their habitual sleep duration and dietary consumption through a validated self-administered questionnaire.

The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative is accepting applications for a new trade advisory committee called the Seasonal and Perishable Agricultural Products Advisory Committee.

Mexico’s 2024 avocado production is forecast at 5% up over 2023, according to a new USDA annual report.

Peak volume of California cherries is expected on May 18 for the Dinuba, Calif.-based marketer.

Longtime produce industry journalist Tad Thompson, who wrote for The Packer and other publications, died April 8.

Stemilt Growers expects its California cherry season to start toward the end of April, translating to promotable volumes leading into Memorial Day and through early June.

As one of the largest lemon suppliers in California, Sunkist is expanding its program offerings, adding multiple organic lemon growers this season to meet consumer and customer demand for year-round supply.

Distributors in Florida and North Carolina have recently been awarded Department of Defense contracts to supply fresh produce.

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack says the agency has finalized updates, including expanded fruit and vegetable benefits, to foods prescribed to participants in the Women, Infants and Children program.

The marketer doesn’t anticipate any gaps in its California cherry supply this season, says Chris Kurylo, vice president of strategic business development.

More normal harvest timing for California cherries is setting the stage for a successful season, California cherry shippers say.

Expanding per capita consumption, increasing imports and moderate retail growth in sales point to a strong category, data and industry leaders indicate.

Signaling that approval is on the horizon, the USDA says it has developed a pest-risk analysis for imports of hass avocados from Guatemala.

The USDA says a Los Angeles-based company has satisfied a $31,200 reparation order issued under the Perishable Agricultural Commodities Act involving unpaid produce transactions.

With sweet onion sales accounting for 35% of the onion category, retail promotional efforts involving endcap displays, bins and cross-merchandising can increase market share, says the marketer's vice president of sales.

Wynne, Ark.-based Matthews Ridgeview Farms is optimistic for a strong spring sweetpotato season, says Autumn Campbell, sales manager.

Glennville, Ga.-based Bland Farms is expecting a strong crop of Vidalia onions this year to go along with its Gold Rush promotional campaign.

Los Angeles-based Giumarra was stressing the value of the Lemonade apple as a 52-week-per-year option for retailers at the Associated Wholesale Grocers' seventh annual Innovation Showcase.

North Kansas City, Mo.-based Cool Creations LLC had two new products to show off at the Associated Wholesale Grocers' seventh annual Innovation Showcase, March 25-26.

Taylor Farms Retail is adjusting its packaged salad options to better serve single consumers, company executives said at the  Associated Wholesale Grocers' seventh annual Innovation Showcase.

Specialty stone fruit offerings were a focus of attention for Pacific Trellis Fruit executives at the Associated Wholesale Grocers' seventh annual Innovation Showcase, March 25-26.

Sage Fruit Co. had good news for retail attendees at the Associated Wholesale Grocers' seventh annual Innovation Showcase, March 25-26.

With more than 1,500 options among its offerings, World Variety Produce had plenty of options to highlight at the Associated Wholesale Grocers' seventh annual Innovation Showcase, March 25-26.

Wonderful also promoted its No Shells pistachios, including its new Jalapeño Lime flavor, at the Associated Wholesale Grocers' seventh annual Innovation Showcase.

With Vidalia onions soon heading to supermarket shelves, retailers have options to enhance their marketing, and the Vidalia Onion Committee and Certified Angus Beef will feature a summer grilling series on social media.

Following Shuman Farms’ acquisition, the company now has 2,800 acres of Vidalia onions in the ground and has solidified itself as one of the largest grower-shippers in the industry, says John Shuman, president and CEO.

With about 20 produce exhibitors alone and dozens of other food exhibitors besides, the March 25-26 Associated Wholesale Grocers' seventh annual Innovation Showcase and Annual Meeting was bigger than ever.

A new agri-food employer survey ranked the most necessary skills for all employees and identified areas with the most significant gap for both current employees and new graduate hires.

EmpowerFresh executives featured its cloud-based software for managing fresh produce department operations at the March 25-26 Associated Wholesale Grocers' seventh annual Innovation Showcase.

San Juan, Texas-based distributor Grande Produce spotlighted the variety during the Associated Wholesale Grocers' seventh annual Innovation Showcase, held March 25-26.

San Antonio-based NatureSweet highlighted its Constellation three-color pack of mini sweet peppers at the Associated Wholesale Grocers' seventh annual Innovation Showcase.

Sweetpotato retail per capita availability rose from 3.78 pounds in 2000 to 6.02 pounds in 2020, USDA statistics show. The momentum continued in 2023, according to retail scan data.

The bio-engineered purple tomato from Norfolk Healthy Produce will soon reach retail shelves, says Harold Paivarinta, senior director of sales for Red Sun Farms.

Since it began in 2001, the advisory committee has met up to two times per year to develop recommendations for submission to the agriculture secretary on issues affecting the U.S. produce industry.

Programs that provided free, weekly home delivery of fresh fruits and vegetables from local farms helped improve health outcomes, according to a study presented at a recent American Heart Association event.

Food prices are expected to continue to decelerate in 2024 and are projected 2.5% up compared with 2023, according to a new USDA report.

Fueled by Easter shopping lists, sweetpotatoes are expected to be in high demand in late March and into the spring. But the demand won’t stop there, industry leaders say.

Topics addressed by the proposed rule for mushrooms include sourcing of substrate and spawn in organic mushroom production and composting requirements for organic mushroom production.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection said its officers discovered 574 suspected packages of methamphetamine with an estimated street value in the millions of dollars.

Hurricanes last fall, recent drought and other factors have held back some fresh produce output in Mexico in recent months, but the value of U.S. imports from the country continues to climb. 

"By targeting this expanding market segment, we aim to attract consumers who prioritize health and are environmentally conscious ..." said Ahiby Rodriguez, trade marketing manager for Fyffes North America.