Page 6 - Roduce Marketers News Today

Keystone Fruit Marketing, a division of Progressive Produce LLC, has supported the Southeast Produce Council’s Southern Exposure show every year since its inception.

Should the banana retail be $1.99 a pound in 2023? Inflation has forced prices up in all categories throughout the grocery store. We cannot escape the persistent reminding from the media. The egg crisis has been primarily used as the dominant representation of extreme runaway food prices. However, hardly any item on the grocery shelf, meat case, dairy, frozen food or the fresh produce department have escaped inflationary price increases — except one. The banana.

CMI Orchards announced that Brett Reasor will be joining New Columbia Fruit Packers LLC as its new CEO on March 1.

Colombia’s Sugar Mango Association is preparing for the first entry into the U.S. market, with arrivals beginning the second week of March. Preparations for entry to the U.S. market have been under way for several years, and consumers will finally get their first taste of this sweet, pocket-sized mango with a full marketing and social media campaign titled, “We’re Small, Sweet, and Easy to Eat.”

Capitalizing on the bad weather Mother Nature has unleashed on the upper Midwest this winter, indoor grower Square Roots is launching its first ever consumer advertising campaign today with the tagline “Thrive Inside.”

Jan DeLyser is quick to credit those women who came before her and blazed the trail that she then followed to an elevated 47-year career in the fresh produce industry. She retired from the California Avocado Commission on Feb. 15 after 25 years with CAC. DeLyser has had a stellar professional career and has been a very visible member of the industry as a volunteer leader in numerous organizations.

For 40 years Jim Malanca has been at the helm of melon sales as an owner and integral leader of Westside Produce Co. This month he will step down from daily sales activities.

Jake Kamysz has joined Capespan North America as a sales executive. Kamysz joins the company with seven years of fresh produce experience in sales and category management. As a sales representative, he will strengthen Capespan’s sales team and will take primary responsibility for the management of a number of retail and wholesale accounts. A native of Buffalo, NY, and a graduate of Western Carolina University, Kamysz now lives in south Florida.

The ShopRite of Canton recently welcomed Registered Dietitian Hannah Waxler to its team to head up the store’s health and wellness outreach to customers. "We are excited to have Hannah join our team. Her addition continues more than 12 years of serving the community through our wellness program, which includes in-store nutritional counseling, events and recipe demonstrations,” said Chuck Joseph, president of Joseph Family Markets, which operates the ShopRite of Canton.

Ron Carkoski, who died in early January at the age of 69, made his mark professionally by guiding the Four Seasons Family of Produce Companies through an aggressive period of growth during his close to a quarter of century with the organization, including as its CEO. But perhaps his biggest contribution was as a mentor, collaborator and advisor to many colleagues as he served the industry in numerous volunteer roles during his 45-year career.