Latest News From Markets

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.

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

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.

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

The Hass Avocado Board has released a study tracking a trend that’s driving avocado sales year over year.

Leaves may be falling, but autumn sales for Twin Cities distributors certainly aren’t.

One company has a new CEO who will guide it through its future strategy and expansion plans, another is promoting attractively priced easy-peel soft citrus, and a banana distributor is expanding its U.S. reach.

Business seems to be going strong for most produce distributors in the Boston area this summer. See what they say is likely to happen as a new season approaches.

Goldenberry Farms launched the “Ramboos Big Adventure” game on the Apple Store and Google Play as a value-add to the product line of Ramboos rambutans.

The hass avocado producer says that it is leaning into a thoughtful ripening strategy and its owned Peruvian supply to deliver optimally sized fruit in the summer months.

The Global Coalition of Fresh Produce has recently released its preliminary report on costs of global fresh produce production, highlighting unprecedented cost increases affecting global markets.

Stemilt's Artisan Organics brand is kicking off its summer season with Washington-grown organic apricots, nectarines and peaches.

California Giant Berry Farms is anticipating promotable yields of blueberries out of Oregon, British Columbia and Washington state in July and August.

Growers are managing delayed and irregular cantaloupe production out of Yuma, the Imperial Valley and into the Westside, but anticipate the production will normalize as the deal shifts in July, August and September.

A proposed merger between Cincinnati-based The Kroger Co. and Boise, Idaho-based Albertsons Cos. Inc. could have a significant effect on the Southern California retail scene, a consultant says.

The summer season should be a productive one for Los Angeles-area produce distributors despite delayed harvests for most California-grown commodities.

“We are closer than we have ever been to funding a project that means so much to our nation’s food infrastructure,” said Phillip Grant, CEO of the Hunts Point Produce Market.

The Packer met with Dayka & Hackett Vice President of Avocados Stephen Fink to learn about how Frutura is breaking into avocados, marketing a vertically integrated, year-round supply.

The Citrus Committee of ASOEX has predicted 345,000 tons of citrus exports for the 2023 season, with U.S. markets remaining the top destination for shipments.

How are retailers and suppliers inserting fruit-and-vegetable ideas, tips and solutions to shoppers with young families in May and June?

Short-form video is still king on social media.

After a slow start, the grower-shipper anticipates a strong, promotable Mexican melon program headed into the summer months.

The South Texas Onion Committee is focusing on retail and consumer promotions for Texas 1015 sweet onions this season, with the support of a USDA specialty crop block grant.

“The star ruby variety is especially sweet in the late winter and early spring,” said Bee Sweet’s Keith Watson, adding that consumers can distinguish them by their blushed rind and dark red internal color.

Sun World and Divine Flavor have confirmed a strategic collaboration agreement that they say could alter table grape imports to North American markets.

With its 2023 export marketing campaign, the California Table Grape Commission plans to expand international demand for the state's table grapes in key markets.

The New York-based specialty mushroom company continues to grow westward, adding 192 Sprouts locations to its growing retailer presence.

Israel-based BDA/Dorot Farm recently began exporting fresh and sweet carrots and is reporting a strong crop.

Vidalia onions are available for a limited time each year, between April through early September. The pack date is determined by soil and weather conditions during the growing season.

The Oxnard, Calif.-based company achieved avocado volume growth of 14% in the first quarter ended Jan. 31, outpacing the industry as a whole, says Founder and CEO Steve Barnard.

A TikTok campaign is inviting viewers and influencers alike to post creative ways to crack Wonderful Pistachios to claim a chance to win cash and a year supply of pistachios.

The Irvine, Calif-based avocado commission has forecast 257 million pounds of avocados for the 2022-23 harvest season, a slight decrease from last year’s volume.

Despite California’s weather challenges, the brand doesn't plan on slowing down and is forecasting a historic 2023 season.

Yuma, Ariz.-based medjool date producer Natural Delights is primed for category growth, citing 2023 trends reports and consumer market research that favor dates.

The average price per count carton for all U.S. conventional apples was up 16% from the same time last year and up 22% from the same time two years ago.

After a breakout year of accelerated growth and commercial milestones, co-founders Borquez Schwarzbeck and Ben Dusastre transitioned to executive director and member of the board, respectively.

The medium-sized winter pear variety launches its first season in February and likely selling into April 2023.

Mushrooms remain a Top 10 seller in fresh vegetables and are an important contributor to the success of the produce department, says Anne-Marie Roerink, principal and founder of 210 Analytics.

Chile's challenges with shipping, plus labor — sound familiar? — have put a dent in export volumes of fresh fruit, but key players are collaborating to resolve the issue using all sorts of strategies.

Food and alcohol are leading New Year’s Eve spending anticipated in 2022, with most consumers celebrating at home or at modest parties, according to market research company Numerator.

From the docks of Southern California and Europe to the parcel hubs in the Midwest and the store shelves in New York, signs are growing that the global supply chain crisis is over.

While the Philadelphia Wholesale Produce Market can trace its roots back hundreds of years, it has operated from its current location, which it says is the largest refrigerated building in the world, since 2011.

Multiple growing regions in North America have strengthened the availability of the crunchy, flavorful apple variety this winter, despite crop shortages in Washington.

The table grape grower and marketer predicts significant growth in its Peruvian and Chilean imports in 2023.

The company is growing green bell peppers, corn and colored bell peppers in the Mexican state of Sinaloa, with green bell peppers having the biggest increase, says sales representative Marco Serrano.

This will be the 10th winter season of lemon plums brought to market by The Oppenheimer Group.

The average price per pound of potatoes has hit a five-year high of $2.35, but volume sales remain above pre-pandemic levels.

The California-based avocado producer and value-added fresh purveyor has secured exclusive manufacturing rights for Old El Paso brand fresh guacamole and salsas in the U.S. market.

Just before Thanksgiving, Hunts Point Produce Market in the Bronx, N.Y., distributed almost 30 million pounds of produce — on a single day.

The Santa Cruz, Calif.-based organic fruit importer launches the 10th season of its organic Peruvian winter table grape program.