Page 153 - Roduce Editorials News Today

Blueberries are one of New Jersey’s signature crops, and with the season only weeks away, early estimations are that it’s going to be a strong crop, on par with last year.

AgroFresh Solutions Inc. announced the opening of a new global innovation center in Rancagua, Chile.

Calavo Growers Inc. is anticipating a significant increase in the number of avocados it handles from Peru this summer as its source has seen a jump in production. “All of our Peru supplies come from one ranch in Viru, Peru,” said Rob Wedin, executive vice president of sales for Calavo Grown. “Our 2022 Peru program represents a 75 percent increase over 2021.”

Cox Enterprises announced a significant strategic investment in Mucci Farms. As a long-term operator and investor, Cox is uniquely positioned and committed to partnering with Mucci Farms to scale and meet growing consumer demand. This strategic partnership is the next phase in Cox building a multibillion-dollar controlled environment agriculture business and establishing Cox as one of the leading providers of sustainable produce across North America.

With the San Joaquin Valley grape harvest full steam ahead, Oppy is dialing up a high-volume season featuring preferred varieties and an increased focus on innovation. The company anticipates a 20 percent boost in California grapes over last year, with a wide array of new varieties — alongside tried and true favorites — in the plans.

The Kroger Co. announced Kroger Delivery now serves customers in south Florida with the opening of a new spoke location in Miami. The 60,000-square-foot spoke facility, in collaboration with the fulfillment center in Groveland, FL, will serve as a last-mile cross-dock location that expands Kroger Delivery's ability to serve more customers. The facility will offer job opportunities with roles in logistics, human resources and transportation to support the expansion in south Florida.

Late winter 2021 and early spring 2022 saw a number of typical weather events, including cold temperatures, rains and wind, but as of the third week in May, John Galaida of Pleasantdale Farms was looking forward to a good season for New Jersey blueberries.

Western Growers Center for Innovation & Technology recently assisted Inteligistics, a WGCIT partner, in the evaluation of Inteligistics’ InteliCool system at Fresh Del Monte facilities in Salinas, CA, and Yuma, AZ. The results were significant reductions in cooling cycle time, electric power savings, reduced CO2  emissions and overall efficiency improvement of 30 percent.

Gary Beall and Rusty Phillips have teamed up with key experts in the produce industry to accelerate the growth of Nabaco Inc. Nabaco manufactures a revolutionary safe and edible coating called NatuWrap that extends the shelf life of produce. Beall and Phillips are both experienced entrepreneurs, inventors and researchers in material and biosciences. Both have founded successful startups and hold numerous patents and publications.

The supplies of organic avocados have been dwindling as heavy demand and high prices caused growers in both Mexico and California to pick that fruit at a faster clip as their season progressed. Though conventional fruit has also experienced very high FOB prices, the gap between conventional and organic has steadily increased. Just now, reinforcements are beginning to arrive as avocados from Peru have joined the mix. There is great expectation that Peru will play a very significant and increasing...