Several staffing changes have recently taken place in the produce ranks at Montreal-based retailer Metro Inc., one of Canada's larger retail chains, according to a company official. Bernadette Hamel, who formerly served as Metro’s vice president of produce procurement and merchandising in Quebec, told The Produce News Aug. 2 that she was no longer responsible for merchandising and would now be in charge of national procurement. Her new title is vice president of national negotiation and procurement for produce. Jean-Louis Charpentier absorbed Ms. Hamel’s merchandising role into his

The 2010 California avocado crop is much larger than the previous year's crop and will run much later into the season. For that reason, the California Avocado Commission in Irvine, CA, will continue its marketing programs well into the fall this year, according to Jan DeLyser, vice president of marketing. "We are leading the charge right now" in terms of the amount of avocados in the U.S. market, she said July 22. “The great majority of the [current] volume is coming out of California, and I would expect that to be the case well into September. I think we will start seeing others come in, but

Created by the Canadian Produce Marketing Association as a pilot program, the Passion for Produce program provides rising stars within the produce industry the opportunity to expand their knowledge of the supply chain through mentorship and participation in various events. Passion for Produce is meant as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for participants to learn about the produce industry in an interactive setting while receiving an education on key aspects of the produce supply chain from field to fork. As part of their ongoing commitment to the produce industry in Canada, the association

Overall damage associated with a storm cell that tore its way through the western Treasure Valley Aug. 6 is expected to be minimal for the region's onion growers. "Time will tell whether it injured [our] crop," said Tiffany Cruickshank, transportation manager/sales and marketing associate for Snake River Produce Co. in Nyssa, OR. Grant Kitamura, managing member of Murakami Produce Co. in Ontario, OR, who was out inspecting fields on Aug. 9 and Aug. 10, said, “There was very little damage to bulbs.” The fast-traveling storm moved through portions of Malheur and Payette counties in haphazard

Pat Pizzuto Sr., owner of the former Waltham Fruit Co. in Cambridge, MA, died July 4 after a brief illness. He was 90 years old. Mr. Pizzuto, who grew up in Cambridge, lost his father at age 12 and dropped out of school at 15 to work at Waltham Fruit to help support his mother and eight siblings. In 1943, Mr. Pizzuto opened three retail produce stores with his wife, Mary. In 1949, he returned to Waltham Fruit and purchased the company. Mr. Pizzuto and his sons, Pat Jr. and Robert, expanded the wholesale business into one of the leading produce purveyors in the greater Boston area and beyond

Colorful Harvest's new crop of Ruby Jewel sweet red corn is now being harvested near Merced, CA, in the Central Valley, and barbecue enthusiasts are flocking to local stores to get their share. Once a secret of chefs who use the raw or roasted kernels to add color and crunch to their recipes, backyard barbecue chefs have taken to grilling the unusual corn to bring out the naturally sweet flavors. Ruby Jewel sweet red corn is a special variety developed through traditional plant breeding methods and grown only by Colorful Harvest. "The corn was bred to produce a deep red color and high sugar