Page 33 - Roduce Editorials News Today

With global events during the past few years upending longtime consumer shopping behavior, are potato sales trends anywhere close to a stable new normal?

The Table Grape Committee of ASOEX (Chilean Fruit Exporters Association) anticipates exporting 555,483 tons, equivalent to 67.742 million (8.2-kilogram) boxes, for the 2022-23 season. This is a 1.2 percent increase from the previous forecast — though still down nearly 9 percent from the 2021-22 season, largely the result of varietal replacement within the table grape industry in Chile.

With tremendous year-over-year growth fueling significant plans for expansion, greenhouse fruit and vegetable company Pure Flavor acquired DeTemporada Farms, a 25-acre greenhouse Bell pepper farm located in Merlin, ON.

Salix Fruit is a global import-export company of fresh fruit, with offices in Atlanta, Philadelphia, Chicago, South Africa and Argentina. Founded in 2013 by Juan González Pita and Luis Elortondo, the company has a combined experience of more than 100 years in the fresh fruit industry.

Plum Market, a grocer promoting organic and locally sourced food and essentials, opened its first Florida store, though its official ribbon-cutting ceremony celebration will be Jan. 13.

The Center for Produce Safety has developed a reputation for bringing together today’s diverse stakeholders to work toward the goal of enhancing fresh produce food safety. At the same time, the center is also working to cultivate the next generation of science talent for tomorrow’s produce safety community. 

Using secondary displays to shine a spotlight on potatoes is more important than ever in today’s economic climate, advised Kent Beesley, Idaho Potato Commission retail promotion director-West/Canada.

Green Life Farms products can now be purchased at more than 550 Publix locations in Florida. The controlled environment agriculture company recently added 280 Publix stores in the Tampa and Fort Myers vicinity to its list of retail locations; Green Life Farms already serves 270 Publix locations in south Florida. With a total of 13 farms planned in the Southeast, Green Life Farms will continue to expand its sales territory with a variety of retailers as the company grows.

The typical post-holiday decline in demand has resulted in an almost-across-the-board drop in FOB prices on western vegetables, but cold weather and a seemingly unending string of storms has kept some prices at a relatively high level this month. “Celery is still in the mid-$50s,” said Adam Sides of Boskovich Farms in Oxnard, CA, noting that demand dropped off as expected right after the holiday, but cooler temperatures and heavy rains have limited supply and kept the market strong.

DENVER — The National Potato Council’s annual Potato Expo was a rousing success, drawing more than 1,800 attendees to Denver for the two-day event Jan. 4-5. In addition to a sold-out show floor, where 176 exhibitors featured everything from packaging solutions to fertilizers and equipment, the expo included a heavy dose of fun, with culinary competitions that included industry members and high-profile Food Network personalities.