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FPFC introduces new officers during annual dinner-dance

Nearly 600 members of the Fresh Produce & Floral Council and friends met at the Hyatt Regency Huntington Beach Resort & Spa Jan. 15 for the group?s annual dinner-dance. The event was the forum used to introduce Pat McDowell of Perimeter Sales & Merchandising as chairman of the board for 2005. Joining Mr. McDowell as officers for this year are Chairman-elect Jack Gyben of Progressive Produce, Treasurer Raul Gallegos of Bristol Farms and immediate past Chairman Roger Schroeder of Stater Bros. Markets. Linda Stine continues to serve as chief staff officer and president. Also on the board for 2005

Keynote speakers are announced for IFPA exposition

The International Fresh-cut Produce Association has announced the addition of two nationally recognized business motivators " a best-selling author and a comedic entertainer " to headline the ExecTrends sessions at its upcoming Fresh-Cut Expo 2005, set for April 14-16 in Phoenix. The addition of Larry Winget, author of The Wall Street Journal?s number one best-seller Shut Up, Stop Whining & Get a Life: A Kick-Butt Approach to a Better Life, and comedian and motivational speaker Frank Miles should inspire attendees with straight-talk business advice at the organization?s annual conference and

Tsunami victims to receive shelf-stable tofu donation

Feed the Children, a nonprofit humanitarian relief organization, recently received a large donation of shelf-stable "Mori-Nu? tofu from Morinaga Nutritional Foods in Torrance, CA, for tsunami relief in Southeast Asia. Susan Bucher, director of marketing for Morinaga Nutritional Foods, said that the pallets of aseptically packaged, protein-rich silken tofu will be distributed to victims of the Dec. 26 earthquake and tsunami that struck Indonesia. ?We feel fortunate that our long-life aseptic packaging allows us to send protein-rich food to the victims of this tragedy," she said. ?With 25 years

NewStar promotes value-added broccoli

SALINAS, CA " NewStar Fresh Foods LLC, based here, began shipping two-crown broccoli the week of Jan. 10. The company introduced the two-crown broccoli at the Produce Marketing Association Fresh Summit 2004 in Anaheim, CA, in October. The rollout follows the company?s introduction of a three-crown broccoli in August. John Killeen, NewStar?s vice president of sales and marketing, said that the broccoli packs tie in nicely with the company?s push toward iceless products. If the company can be retailer- and consumer-friendly, NewStar will be at the forefront of supply, he said. ?This ties in with

Fair Trade bananas from Colombia enter U.S. market

OAKLAND, CA " Bananas, the most popular produce item in the United States, have a new player on the scene: Fair Trade-certified bananas from Uniban, a Colombia-based grower association. The bananas are coming in through Turbana Corp., Uniban?s U.S. marketing arm based in Coral Gables, FL. The first shipments came in to the United States the week of Jan. 10. Uniban attained Fair Trade certification through TransFair USA, a non-profit organization based here. TransFair is the only independent third-party certifier of Fair Trade products in the United States. Fair Trade certification is a

D.J. Forry sales manager leaves to start new marketing company

Cary Crum, sales manager at D.J. Forry Co. in Reedley, CA, has announced that he is leaving Forry to start his own marketing company, Green Tree International Inc., in partnership with John Rast, owner of Rast Produce Co. Inc. in Visalia, CA. The new company will be located in Visalia and will focus initially on developing marketing contracts with table grape growers in California and on building a year-round table grape program that includes imported product from Mexico, Chile and possibly Peru, Mr. Crum said. ?I am proud of the role that the Forry family has allowed me to play in building D
Body

We're not off to the smooth start we were hopeful for post-Thanksgiving. Load times in Yuma remain long as growers work through muddy fields and backed-up harvest schedules. Crews are doing everything they can to catch up, but customers should still expect delays at the cooler and a slower turn on trucks through early next week. The good news: product quality is improving every day, and weights are trending upward as the fields dry out and temperatures stabilize.

On the lettuce front, desert Iceberg, Romaine and green leaf are all showing stronger quality than in recent weeks. There are still some fringe burn and scattered mildew pockets being trimmed out in the field, but overall quality is above average for early December. As production ramps up, we're seeing some markets are easing, and we should see more consistent availability through the remainder of the month. Brussels sprouts and green onions remain the tightest commodities, with supplies expected to improve late December.

The rains across the Central Valley pushed California Navel sizing heavier, with the crop now peaking on 88 count. Small fruit is available, but expect larger sizes to dominate as we move deeper into winter and continue into Valencia season next summer. Early Navels are eating well and color will continue to improve as nighttime temperatures drop.

District 3, the desert region, Coachella and Imperial Valleys, are rolling with strong lemon volume, and will remain the primary region through February. District 1, the Central Valley region, has started in a small way and will pick up momentum heading into January. Meyer lemons and seedless varieties are also available with solid supply. Grapefruit is trickling in from the desert, and California mandarins are beginning their season with peak sizes in the 32/36 range. Cara Caras early blood orange are starting their first full week of production. Supplies are light but improving.

The berry situation is improving, but not as quickly as we would like. California is still struggling to recover and harvest has been minimal in Oxnard. Growers are holding off until fruit colors up and field conditions become workable. Mexico is increasing volume into south Texas, though white shoulders and bruising remain common.  Baja has just begun crossing after delays last week. Florida production is climbing steadily, but cooler weather is slowing maturity there as well. Overall, supplies will improve through mid-December, but markets will stay elevated until more volume fills the pipeline from Mexico and Florida.

Joey Piedimonte, sourcing manager at PRO*ACT LLC, leverages over a decade of produce industry experience to lead teams, manage key vendor relationships and simplify complex challenges. He is dedicated to growth, strong partnerships and supporting the agricultural community.

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