Produce News Facebook  Produce News Twitter  Produce News LinkedIn  Produce News Instagram

President Bush approves specialty crops bill

WASHINGTON - Right before the holidays, the produce industry got some good news from Washington. President Bush signed the Specialty Crops Competitiveness Act Dec. 21, funneling precious new money into programs that promote fruits and vegetables. Three years in the making, the new law authorizes $54 million annually for five years in grants that are designed to enhance the competitiveness of each state?s fresh produce crops. 'As a model for federal agricultural funding, none of the millions of dollars earmarked for the produce industry will come in the form of direct subsidies," said Western

Frank Basile, long-time employee at Monterey Mushrooms, was 55

Frank Basile, a well-known and well-respected produce industry veteran, died of liver cancer on Dec. 15 at his home in Gilroy, CA. He was 55. Mr. Basile was senior sales manager for the Western region at Monterey Mushrooms in Watsonville, CA, for more than 22 years. As a sales manager in the produce industry, customer relationships are paramount, and Mr. Basile enjoyed the utmost respect of his many customers, according to Monterey Mushrooms. He made a significant contribution at Monterey; he played a major role in building Monterey?s Western region sales portfolio as well as performing a key

L&M taps experienced veteran for position in Northeast

L&M Cos., headquartered in Raleigh, NC, announced that it has hired Arthur O?Leary as marketing manager for its Northeast operations. Mr. O'Leary will use his 25 years of experience with various industry associations to help build and enhance all the company?s produce segments in the New England and New York regions. In addition, he will be involved in advertisement planning, business programs and product development. For nearly 20 years, Mr. O'Leary served as regional manager for the Northwest Pear Bureau. Covering Canada, metro New York, New Jersey and New England, he worked with retailers

United and restaurant industry to hold supply chain meeting

WASHINGTON -- For the first time, top executives with produce companies and restaurants are planning to meet in early October to open a dialogue about supply-chain issues as part of a new partnership between the National Restaurant Association and the United Fresh Fruit & Vegetable Association. United said that the partnership, which was announced Jan. 5, is part of a new focus on supply-chain issues, and the group is exploring a similar initiative to formalize the lines of communication with the retail segment. Reaching out to the restaurant industry first was an easy fit since Jennifer Tong

Food-safety certification helps to build interest in sales for New Limeco LLC

By Tad Thompson A new PrimusLabs Global Certification is proving very beneficial for sales at New Limeco LLC, according to Eddie Caram, the general manager of the Princeton, FL, firm. "This has opened doors to what consumers and the chainstore buyers want," Mr. Caram told The Produce News Jan. 11. In December, the firm's distribution facility and Florida avocado fields were certified with a 97 percent approval rating He added, “People we are partnering with in Guatemala and Belize are also into food safety traceability since it became a big concern for us.” Mr. Caram indicated that New Limeco

USApple's Allison Parker to lead NAM

VIENNA, VA -- The U.S. Apple Association announced Jan. 14 that the National Apple Month program is now being overseen by Allison Parker, USApple's director of consumer health and education. Currently the NAM Retail & Commissary Display contest is sponsored by J.M. Smuckers and Marzetti. The program appreciates its sponsors for their commitment to partnering with the U.S. apple industry on this promotion in an effort to encourage consumption of healthy and delicious apples and apple products along with products that combine well with them like peanut butter and caramel dips. Ms. Parker, a
Body

After weeks of talking transition, we’ve officially made it to Yuma. And while the weather seems to have followed us south, there’s finally a sense of relief in the lettuce patch. Early desert Romaine and leaf are coming in stronger and cleaner than the final Salinas lots. Yields are still light, and weights will take some time to normalize, but this product has legs.

That’s good news, because the Central Coast got absolutely soaked last week. Some areas picked up over six inches of rain, essentially ending Salinas and leaving Santa Maria and Oxnard berry growers digging out from waterlogged fields. Strawberry yields will remain low for the next three weeks. Oxnard is holding steady for now, but it’s not enough to offset the sharp decline elsewhere. Fruit is soft with elevated bruising and mildew pressure. Supplies out of Central Mexico are picking up slowly but still running behind historical trends. Baja is still behind on production and Florida is starting to scratch the surface of their crop. Open market availability remains limited heading into Thanksgiving.

Oxnard is also the primary celery region this time of year, with transfers headed to Yuma. While celery tends to thrive with moisture, soaked fields are slowing harvest. Crews are doing what they can, but product is heavy and hard to move in the thick mud.

Brussels sprout supplies remain limited as the crop transitions south. Rain, rising demand and the coastal-desert gap are keeping markets snug, especially on value-added packs. Quality has been fair.

Central Mexico supplies have helped stabilize multiple categories. Harvests and crossings remain seasonally light but are providing some relief in berries and wet veg.

And what would Thanksgiving be without Idaho potatoes? Quality is excellent and supplies are strong, but outbound transportation is a growing concern. Carrier capacity out of the Northwest remains tight, and high freight costs on low FOBs continue to slow movement.

The desert is up and running. Product is improving. And while we’re still navigating a few bumps — weather, freight and tight availability — we’re headed in the right direction into the holidays.

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.

Copyright © 2025 The Produce News • Covering Fresh Produce Around the Globe Since 1897