Five Crowns Marketing, based in Brawley, CA, has entered into a strategic partnership with Prima Bella Produce. Under terms of the agreement, Five Crowns will acquire stock in Prima Bella, and will take over all sales and marketing functions for the packaged corn shipper, effective April 1. "We are very excited about the new partnership," Mark Bacchetti, owner of Prima Bella Produce, said in a Feb. 8 press release. "Five Crowns has been a key supplier of ours for the past six years. We built a new plant at their Crown Cooling facility in Brawley a year-and-a-half ago." The two companies have

With consumer interest in the genetic modification of fruits and vegetables continuing to mount, Mastronardi Produce has received a certificate of compliance from the Non-GMO Project Verification Program, a standardized program that is based on third-party verification of products following best practices for GMO avoidance. The program was initiated by the North American organic and natural products industry for companies that want to offer their customers a verified non-GMO choice. "We strictly rely upon natural plant breeding and Mother Nature to develop our many product varieties. We are

APTOS, CA -- The Chilean Avocado Importers Association made the perfect pass to more than 25,000 Boise State University and Texas Christian University fans along with several of the association's VIP invited guests. Through a partnering sponsorship with the Fiesta Bowl, college football enthusiasts learned more about Hass avocados from Chile and tasted them first hand at both the Fiesta Bowl's college football's biggest party and Stadium Club tailgate pre-game extravaganzas. Additionally, the association reached more than 73,000 fans before and during the game through game-time recognition via

Supervalu Inc., which is one of the larger supermarket companies in the country, has made it known that it plans to nearly double the number of Save-A-Lot stores that it operates over the next five years. Currently, it operates about 1,200 stores from coast to coast in urban, rural and suburban environments. Save-A-Lot is a smaller-format, discount chain that claims to offer savings of as much as 40 percent compared to a conventional grocery store. It offers limited SKUs throughout the store, including in the produce department. Retail consultant Ed Odron of Ed Odron Produce Marketing &

Diesel fuel prices are not expected to climb to the dizzying heights reached in 2008, but after declining in 2009, the U.S. Energy Information Administration has predicted increases over the next two years. In fact, the Washington, DC-based agency sees a significant increase for 2010 with a much smaller one the following year. In 2009, diesel prices averaged $2.46 per gallon, but the EIA has predicted a $2.98 average price per gallon for 2010, which would represent a 21 percent increase. Obviously, if that is the average, rates above $3 per gallon will be common. In 2011, the EIA has projected

The National Watermelon Association will "kick off" the domestic watermelon season when its 96th annual convention returns to the state of Texas for the first time in 17 years. The convention, which will have a National Football League theme, will take place Feb. 17-21 at The Fairmont Dallas and will offer several unusual and even once-in-a-lifetime opportunities for football fans, Bob Morrissey, executive director of the association, told The Produce News. "It's been far too long that we have been in Texas," Mr. Morrissey said. "With Dallas being such a big NFL city, and the home of 'America