Page 78 - Roduce Editorials News Today

The Organic Grower Summit presented by Western Growers and OPN will honor long-time organic grower Jeff Huckaby as the recipient of the fifth annual Grower of the Year Award. Huckaby, president and CEO of Grimmway Farms, was selected based on his ongoing commitment and dedication to excellence in organic production, organic industry leadership, and innovation.

Avocado squeezers, lime sniffers and apple lovers searching displays for perfectly ripe fruit may not be long for the produce aisles. Consumers seeking produce at the peak of its freshness now have a simpler, more reliable option: go to a retailer selling Apeel produce.

SpartanNash announced the promotion of Masiar Tayebi to executive vice president, chief strategy and information officer. Tayebi was hired in April 2021 as executive vice president, chief strategy officer.

Monterey Mushrooms is celebrating its 50th anniversary in business. Company owner Shah Kazemi, who started as an employee himself, purchased the business in 1971 when it was a single mushroom farm in California. Today the company grows packs and ships mushrooms from nine farms in seven states and Mexico. Its 4,000 employees grow, pack and ship more than 200 million pounds of fresh mushrooms annually.

Church Brothers has hired Gurjit Shergill as its vice president of food safety, quality and regulatory compliance. Shergill has more than 20 years of experience in food safety and technical services, most recently for Earthbound Farms as vice president of food safety and quality.

Ivonne Alanis will join the Potandon Produce sales team as regional sales manager, working remotely where she lives in Houston, TX. "We are so pleased to have Ivonne join our team," said Glen Reynolds, Potandon's vice president of variety sales and business development. "She brings a very creative attitude and fresh marketing ideas to our team, along with a complete CPG marketing understanding. While we are still aligning key customer accounts, she will hit the ground running...

The California Avocado Commission team is in final preparation mode for the much-anticipated International Fresh Produce Association’s Global Produce & Floral Show that will be held at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, FL. The show will take place Oct. 26-29, and commission representatives will be available throughout the event and in booth No. 2343 on the expo days.

While food and beverage prices remain elevated, — about 13.3 percent higher year-over-year through the five weeks ended Oct. 2, — overall year-over-year inflation was relatively flat from August to September, showing a moderating trend after months of steady increases, according to the September 2022 Price Check: Tracking Retail Food and Beverage Inflation report, released by Information Resources.

The Chilean Blueberry Committee, together with the consulting firm iQonsulting, estimated a volume of 98,228 tons of fresh blueberries from Chile for the 2022-23 season. Small shipments to the U.S. market have already begun and will continue through February.

Summer Citrus from South Africa wrapped up a successful and record-breaking 2022 season. To date, all of the fruit has been shipped and will arrive to the ports before the end of the month of October. Due to strategic planning and preparation, SCSA reports an increase in volume by approximately 17 percent when compared to 2021. This season, the brand shipped record volumes of oranges along with larger arrivals of easy peelers, which have quickly become more popular with consumers.