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Produce a key part of Chinese New Year celebrations

The beginning of the annual Chinese calendar is based on the cycles of the moon, and so the specific day is different each year. In 2005, it falls on Feb. 9. The Chinese named each of the 12 years after an animal, based on a Buddha legend. This year is proclaimed the year of the rooster. The celebration may not be as widespread across North America as Jan. 1, but the Chinese consider it one of the more important days of the year. As the Asian population grows across the United States, produce suppliers are keeping pace with the equally growing demand for food products these groups use during

NWPB names director of industry affairs

William Winsemann III has joined the National Watermelon Promotion Board as director of industry affairs, where he will be responsible for overseeing the operations of the industry affairs department. Mr. Winsemann has 23 years of experience in business administration, logistics accounting and systems and data management, as well as in policy, trade, agriculture and government. He is a 16-year member of the produce industry, focusing primarily on Florida citrus and citrus products, working for companies such as eFruit International Inc. and Louis Dreyfus Citrus Inc. Most recently, he served as

Justice investigation clears mushroom group

A two-year U.S. Department of Justice Antitrust Division investigation into the Eastern Mushroom Marketing Cooperative in Wayne, PA, was completed in mid-December. EMMC Executive Director Charles Matthews said that his group has discontinued its challenged foray into the real estate business, but otherwise received a clean bill of health. Mr. Matthews said that the cooperative was investigated "from stem to stern? on an anti-trust allegation. Cooperative e-mails and records were analyzed; membership agreements and organization policies were scrutinized. ?What we agreed to in the consent

Sun World sees auction as positive step

The long road out of bankruptcy appeared near an end for Sun World International Inc. in Bakersfield, CA, with the announcement that the company was scheduled to go on the auction block Jan. 13 with at least three bidders showing strong interest in acquiring the company. The Chicago Sun-Times reported Wednesday, Jan. 12, that "an auction for the business, which generates $120 million in annual revenue, will be held Thursday [Jan. 13], subject to approval of a bankruptcy judge on Friday." According to the Sun-Times story, a Lake Forest, IL-based investment group, Black Diamond Capital

Rosemont Farms to enter Florida strawberry deal with acquisition of J.W. Hunt Co.

Rosemont Farms, a vegetable grower-shipper located in Boca Raton, FL, acquired the assets of J.W. Hunt in Plant City, FL, in a move that will give Rosemont a much-coveted presence in the Plant City area and will keep active one of the more respected brands in Florida produce " particularly strawberries. Included in the transaction are all assets of J.W. Hunt, including a 65,000-square-foot refrigerated building located in Plant City. The purchase agreement was signed in early December; terms were not disclosed. Andrew Schwartz, president of Rosemont Farms, said that the acquisition gives his

New Dietary Guidelines urge Americans to eat more produce

WASHINGTON " Consumers will need to nearly double their daily consumption of fruits and vegetables to meet the new Dietary Guidelines, which in turn will form the blueprint for a host of federal agriculture policies and the yet-to-be-released revised food pyramid. The federal government released the 2005 Dietary Guidelines at a Jan. 12 press conference, recommending that consumers eat five to 13 servings of fruits and vegetables each day, depending on their calorie level. The latest guidelines, issued jointly by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and Department of Health & Human Services, are
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The best part of the holiday season is the food — at least it used to be. As grocery prices skyrocket, many Americans are concerned about serving a Thanksgiving-worthy dinner in two days. Those worries were assuaged a little when the American Farm Bureau Federation’s annual survey revealed that the cost of cooking a traditional Thanksgiving dinner has gone down about 5 percent compared to last year.

However, while the prices of the turkey, stuffing, dinner rolls and frozen pie crust are down Thanksgiving, produce favorites have increased. Perhaps the biggest produce staple, the cost of sweet potatoes is up 37 percent (for three pounds).

The increase in sweet potato prices is mostly weather-related as in October hurricanes — Humberto and Imelda — negatively affected crops in North Carolina. In Mississippi, growers went more than 70 days without rain, which resulted in lower yields. Along with sweet potatoes, the cost of a one-pound veggie tray comprising carrots and celery increased even more than sweet potatoes (up 61 percent). A 12-ounce bag of fresh cranberries was down 2.8 percent versus last year.

According to a recent report from the USDA, there were significant increases in prices for a three-pound bag of yellow onions, (up 12 percent for a three-pound bag) and pineapples (up 11 percent each). There were decreases for Russet potatoes (down 11 percent for a 10-pound bag), Bartlett pears (22 percent per pound) and red seedless grapes (13 percent per pound).  

In addition to the weather-related issues, the AFBF suggests that the increased produce prices can be traced back to elevated expenses for fertilizer, fuel, machinery, labor and land, which tightens already narrow margins and limits production capacity. Transportation delays in certain areas also play a part, according to AFBF.

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