Topics such as food safety, immigration reform and the overhaul of the national healthcare system rightfully took center stage when the Texas Produce Association held its annual convention Aug. 19-21 in Austin. Last year, Hurricane Dolly raked the Texas Gulf Coast in late July forcing the 2008 convention to be postponed and ultimately relocated to McAllen, in the Rio Grande Valley, where most of the convention attendees live. This year, the association was able to once again put on its planned event in the shadow of the state capitol building and focus on the important issues of the day. John

Scenario No. 1: Customers were moving along quickly in a local supermarket, eager to get home. Hostile weather was beginning to threaten the area with a massive thunderstorm and high winds predicted. Meanwhile, the produce department was loaded with product on all displays and ready for a big sales weekend. Later that evening, several inches of rain caused flooding and crippled the town. In the ensuing week, the produce department lost a substantial amount of sales and experienced a huge shrink in product. Scenario No. 2: : A major supermarket chain decided to cut back on a portion of its

The Produce News has learned that Rick Eastes, who was named vice president of sales and marketing for Fruit Patch Sales LLC in Dinuba, CA, Dec. 8, 2008, the exclusive sales agent for Fruit Patch Inc., is no longer with the company. It is the third change in management at the Fruit Patch sales organization in two years. The change comes just six weeks after the naming of Scott Wallace as president and chief executive officer of Fruit Patch, replacing Glen McClaren who had been named president in August 2007 and who had shortly thereafter brought in John Forry and Dewey Forry Jr. to head the

The pear harvest is officially underway in Washington state, and Stemilt Growers is enthusiastic about the high-quality pears that will fill store shelves this season. In addition to consumer favorites, like Bartlett and d'Anjou, Stemilt expects specialty varieties, like Asian pears, to provide retailers with a boost in sales this fall. According to Roger Pepperl, marketing director for Stemilt, Asian pears comprise a large group of pear varieties that have the same crunch, shape and juicy qualities as apples with the rich, floral-like taste of pears. Like European varieties, Asian pears are

QUEBEC CITY, QC -- Although the slogan for the Quebec Produce Marketing Association's 62nd annual convention was "Embracing a Culture of Change," many things about the Quebec produce industry have not changed, especially its hospitality, warmth and camaraderie. Over 500 members of the trade turned out to network with old friends and make new ones at the event, held here Aug. 20-22 at the Fairmont Le Chateau Frontenac. While there were many highlights at the convention, one special moment occurred Aug. 22 when the industry took time out to honor two of its longtime members. At the industry

Loblaw Cos. Ltd., Canada's largest food distributor, announced that its subsidiary, Loblaws Inc., had purchased all of the common shares of Richmond, BC-based T&T Supermarket Inc., one of Canada's larger Asian food retailers, for $225 million (Canadian). According to a press release issued July 24 by T&T Supermarket Inc., "T&T Supermarket began operations in 1993 and now operates 17 stores in the provinces of British Columbia, Alberta and Ontario and four distribution centers, three in Vancouver and the other in Toronto. T&T Supermarket offers a robust Asian food offering with emphasis on