BENTONVILLE, AR - It’s the start of a new year, and change is afoot! Not only is 2020 the year of a new decade, but also a new roster for the retail behemoth Walmart. According to the Wall Street Journal, the company started the year off with a new executive lineup, just after the holiday season came to an end.
Walmart’s Chief Merchandising Officer, Steve Bratspies, will be departing. He has been in his position for more than four years, rounding out a solid 14 years spent with the company. Bratspies declined further details on his departure, only stating that “it’s time for a new challenge,” reported the WSJ.
Scott McCall, another company veteran, is stepping up to the plate to oversee product selection and pricing in Walmart’s U.S. stores. McCall recently was in charge of the company’s U.S. entertainment and toys sector.
Dacona Smith, a 30-year veteran with the company, most recently headed Sam’s Club chain as the Chief Operating Officer. Now, he will now be known as the COO for Walmart U.S. According to the memo, the position had been vacant since former COO Judith McKenna started heading Walmart’s international division in 2018.
Also of note, Walmart’s current President and CEO of Walmart U.S., Greg Foran, will be leaving his position on January 31.
As we reported, Sam’s Club John Furner has been under his wing since November 1, 2019, to learn the ropes before officially stepping into his new role at the end of the month.
The news site added that the company’s Chief Merchant for its U.S. e-commerce operations, Ashley Buchanan, left Walmart last month to become Michaels’ newest Chief Executive.
As more news comes to light, ANUK will report on the latest.
WASHINGTON, DC - The USDA has filed an administrative complaint against Mibo Fresh Foods as part of its efforts to enforce the PACA and ensure fair trading practices within the U.S. produce industry. The company, operating from Texas, allegedly failed to make payment to 14 produce sellers in the amount of $1,861,502 from May 2018 through June 2019.
Direct from the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service:
Mibo Fresh Foods will have an opportunity to request a hearing. Should USDA find that the company committed repeated and flagrant violations, it would be barred from the produce industry as a licensee for three years, or two years with the posting of a USDA-approved surety bond. Furthermore, its principals could not be employed by or affiliated with any PACA licensee for two years, or one year with the posting of a USDA-approved surety bond.
The PACA Division, which is a part of AMS’ Fair Trade Practices Program, regulates fair trading practices of produce businesses that are operating subject to the PACA, including buyers, sellers, commission merchants, dealers and brokers within the fruit and vegetable industry.
In the past three years, USDA resolved approximately 3,500 PACA claims involving more than $58 million. PACA staff also assisted more than 7,800 callers with issues valued at approximately $148 million. These are just two examples of how USDA continues to support the fruit and vegetable industry.
For further information, contacts, and to read the press release in its entirety, please click the link here.
SACRAMENTO, CA - We at ANUK love to test our industry friends’ knowledge, hence why we’ve always got exclusive quizzes to keep you on your toes. Most recently, we asked you to take a stab at the Sumo® citrus category, tapping Suntreat’s expertise. From citrus champions to Sumo students, the industry came, saw, and conquered this ten-part quiz. Two outstanding players blew us away, though, earning a prize of one hundred dollars each.
Our buy-side winner was Gene Harris, Senior Purchasing Manager and Travel Administrator at Denny's Corporation. Congratulations, Gene! You are officially a Sumo pro.
"I am really interested in Sumo citrus now,” said Gene. “I love peeling and eating the small seedless tangerines—Sumo's are more of a good thing! I love being challenged by these quizzes, it helps me keep my reading comprehension skills sharp. Thanks to ANUK!"
The supply-side winner was a bit of a novice when it came to Sumo citrus, but he still managed to come out on top. Congratulations to Dustin White, Procurement Manager at Fresh Concepts!
“The quiz prep material sure does help to have an idea of what questions will be asked and what the answers will be,” Dustin commented. “I've never heard of Sumo Citrus before, but after watching that video and reading up on it, I certainly can't wait to get my hands on one and try it out!”
Take a peek at our leaderboard below to see how tight the competition was for this citrus quiz:
Make sure you’re subscribed to AndNowUKnow’s newsletter to be in-the-know for The Snack Magazine contests, industry news, and the chance to win our next quiz!
Sign in through your email or one of several social media accounts to join in the next Quiz Quix, and you might just become a winner.
Quiz Quix is our way of encouraging a little healthy competition within the industry, and of course, to have fun. Signing in will give us a token to verify you and enables us to put your name in the ranking. It does not give us access to more than your name and email address—we value your security. Participants must have a valid email address registered in their individual name in order to play.
Congratulations once again to Gene and Dustin!
IRVINE, CA - Good morning, AndNowUKnow readers!
Today, I am bringing you some of the category and weather news from around the industry. Check back twice weekly to see the latest around all growing regions.
SERIOUS AMOUNT OF RAIN COMING TO LIME COUNTRY THIS WEEKEND
Get ready for a possible reduction of volume in limes next week, and at the same time a possible increase in quality issues.
Starting tomorrow, a large storm front is forecast to hit the Martinez de la Torre, Veracruz region, dumping over 4” of rain between Saturday to Monday. The heaviest rain will come Sunday. Along with the rain will come cooler temperatures for Monday and Tuesday.
Look for a possible pause in harvests on Monday and Tuesday of next week. Also keep you eye open for rain damage on the fruit that hits McAllen, Texas, next week. Harvesting too soon after a rain or while the fruit is damp can lead to black spots on the fruit.
COLD WEATHER TO PAUSE FLORIDA PRODUCTION
After 10 consecutive days of above average temperatures in the major Florida growing regions, colder temperatures and possible rain to come through the state. Temperatures will begin to drop starting Sunday with minimum temperatures dipping into the 40°s.
On Monday, the minimum temperature in Plant City (strawberries) will be in the 30°s and will reach the lowest point Tuesday night getting down to 36°. By Wednesday, the nightly minimum will be 47° and then into the 50°s by Thursday. Maximum temperatures will remain in the low 60°s. Look for a dip in production.
In Belle Glade (row crops) temperatures will also drop, but not as much as Plant City. Look for minimum temperatures in the mid 40°s on Monday and Tuesday of next week while maximum temperatures will remain in the mid 60°s. Expect production to dip a bit next week.
By Saturday, January 25, look for temperatures to return to normal throughout the state.
WARMER TEMPERATURES COMING TO THE WEST
A warming trend is forecast for the inland western growing regions starting this weekend. In the deserts of California and Arizona, look for maximum temperatures to climb into the mid to upper 70°s Sunday through Tuesday of next week. Coachella could see a high of 80° next Tuesday. These above average temperatures may help production coming from these regions on everything from lettuces to strawberries to broccoli.
Temperatures should drop by 5° on Wednesday and remain cooler throughout the rest of the week.
Thank you as always! We will be back next week with another report.
PERU - The infamous ogre Shrek once said, “Onions have layers.” Like onions (and ogres), growing operations also have layers, and they are dependent on each other to achieve a successful harvest. To get a better sense of the company’s operational layers, I linked up with Jeff Brechler, Sales, at Little Bear Produce, who detailed the market’s promotional volumes and a first for the company in organics.
“Currently, we are about two-thirds of the way through our Peruvian onion season,” Jeff told me. “We are harvesting our HoneySweet® onions—the only variety that we produce. We'll continue with the Peruvian crop through the middle to the latter part of February, then we will transition into our HoneySweets out of Mexico.”
Further peeling back the layers, I then asked Jeff how the quality of Little Bear’s onions are shaping up. Noting that multiple growers have outperformed expectations and produced higher yields, Jeff explained that the quality of product is also better than anticipated.
“Overall, the Peruvian season seems to be going well for us. We currently have Peruvian organic sweet onions, which is a first for us,” he continued. “In Mexico, the weather seems to be cooperating. We haven't seen issues with disease or insect pressure and, at this point, quality looks very good out of Mexico.”
Buyers and consumers are in the midst of their ideal onion market, looking at promotable volumes and maximum value. However, Little Bear has seen an abundance of product that’s causing a slight dip in prices. From a grower perspective, this can sometimes mean a challenging market.
"It started off really strong, and then it steadily declined," Jeff said, explaining that this could be the result of higher-than-anticipated yield or perhaps over-planting onion volume. "It's a shame that when the grower does well production-wise, he ends up getting penalized by lower markets or cheaper prices."
Despite this, onion growers across the industry should expect to see a leveled supply and demand change within the coming months.
Follow along with us at ANUK as we assess the market for all fresh fruits and vegetables.
YUMA, AZ - For Duda Farm Fresh Foods, quality is imperative for advancing its mission of providing the vegetable varieties necessary for consumers to build healthy, flavorful meals. This, of course, includes long-time classic broccoli. With this specific veg in mind, I tapped David Garcia, Commodity Procurement Manager, to check in on the state of the crop this season.
“We are currently in the middle of our winter season,” David began. “Quality has been great all season—even though the cold weather has put the crop behind schedule.”
Rainy days and cool temperatures have been clogging up major growing regions’ forecasts of late, leading many growers to do what they can to keep schedules on track. Fortunately, as David said, the only effect the weather has had on this season’s winter broccoli crop is putting it behind schedule. Other than that, David noted all the positives we at ANUK love to hear.
“Our volume is up about 25 percent over last year as business has grown,” David continued. “The market is very good right now, and there has been a spike in demand. As we make our way into February, the weather starts to get warmer and days get longer so supplies should be a little more consistent.”
There you have it: Nothing is getting in the way of Duda Farm Fresh Foods’ mission of bringing high-quality vegetables to consumers.
For more crop updates coming to you live from growers around the industry, stick with us at AndNowUKnow.
WASHINGTON, DC - The USDA has filed an administrative complaint against Cruisin’ On Inc. as part of its efforts to enforce the PACA and ensure fair trading practices within the U.S. produce industry. The Florida-based company allegedly failed to pay $1,194,886 to five produce sellers from May 2016 through September 2017.
Direct from the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service:
Cruisin’ On Inc., doing business as The Produce Network and Diamond Produce Wholesalers & Packers Inc., will have an opportunity to request a hearing. Should the USDA find that the companies committed repeated and flagrant violations, they would be barred from the produce industry as licensees for three years, or two years with the posting of a USDA-approved surety bond. Furthermore, their principals could not be employed by or affiliated with any PACA licensee for two years, or one year with the posting of a USDA-approved surety bond.
The PACA Division, which is a part of AMS’ Fair Trade Practices Program, regulates fair trading practices of produce businesses that are operating subject to the PACA, including buyers, sellers, commission merchants, dealers, and brokers within the fruit and vegetable industry.
In the past three years, USDA resolved approximately 3,500 PACA claims involving more than $58 million. PACA staff also assisted more than 7,800 callers with issues valued at approximately $148 million. These are just two examples of how USDA continues to support the fruit and vegetable industry.
For further information, contacts, and to read the press release in its entirety, please click the link here.
TORONTO, CANADA - Everyone in the industry knows that having tools of the trade in one’s back pocket is essential to tackling crop planning and harvest. Lucky for us, Execulytics Consulting recently announced the launch of its 2020 edition of the Produce Alamanac. Touted as the most comprehensive, objective review of the produce markets available, the second edition of the popular guide includes new features that have become popular in recent Execulytics seminars and articles.
“So far, the response has been overwhelmingly positive to this second edition,” stated Mike Mauti, Managing Partner of Execultyics. “We brought an advance copy to a trade show and heard comments like ‘incredible,’ ‘complete,’ and ‘a must have.’ Personally, I am excited to see the response to the new holiday cost predictions feature.”
A press release noted that this Produce Almanac encompasses the entire produce marketplace from both the perspective of the produce buyer and the perspective of the produce seller. Combining graphics with data, it’s a visual treasure trove of market knowledge.
“The 2020 Produce Almanac is great! It has all the FOB costing and retail pricing you need right at your fingertips. It is awesome to have it all in one document,” remarked Sean McCauley, Director of Sales at Ippolito Fruit and Produce. “The Almanac is a joy to read. I have already used it more than I ever thought I would.”
High praise indeed! Stick with AndNowUKnow as we look to the latest in produce innovation.
THE NETHERLANDS - Lidl is taking significant steps in its sustainability efforts and is quickly establishing itself as a pioneer in the industry. The retailer recently opened its very first net zero emissions store, known as Lidl Zero, in The Netherlands. The solar-powered store went through an extensive development phase to ensure its zero emissions status.
“A key objective of ‘Lidl Zero’ is that this pilot store benefits from a solar system, producing 100 percent of the store’s energy demand,” Arnold Baas, Manager Energiezaken at Lidl Nederland GmbH, commented.
BayWa RE, a construction engineering company, teamed up with a Dutch construction partner to work on developing the new store, installing the car ports—overhead canopies covering parking areas—and Photovoltaic (PV) panels, utilizing BayWa RE’s roof mounting system, according to Renewable Energy News.
“To guarantee enough solar power to cover the store’s energy needs throughout the year, we carried out an extensive feasibility study including shade analysis, as the premises of the store borders on a wooded area,” BayWa RE Power Solutions Managing Director Christof Thannbichler said.
pv magazine reports that this first Lidl Zero store uses innovative climate technology, solar photovoltaic electricity generation, product cooling, and a fast charger for electric cars. The new store has reportedly been in operation for a few weeks.
“Taking in all the data and criteria for this specific location, our expert team then designed a 290kW system on the store roof, and a separate car port structure to house an additional 257kW system," Christof Thannbichler continued. "Furthermore, a DC fast charging point for electric cars has been set up on site as well.”
With the successful unveiling of its first Lidl Zero store, will the retailer consider rolling out the eco-friendly format to more regions? Keep reading AndNowUKnow to find out.
SALINAS, CA - It might be rainy and gloomy outside of the ANUK office right now, but industry news is shining bright. Markon Cooperative recently announced that it is refreshing its Ready-Set-Serve® foodservice line with a new logo and packaging. By doing so, the company believes this will better highlight the brand’s band of bold, inspired, and outside-the-menu products that chefs and foodservice operators are looking for.
“When we created Ready-Set-Serve more than 20 years ago, it was revolutionary in that it was the first pre-prepped, table-ready brand created specifically for the foodservice industry—but the product line was fairly simple, lightly prepped items,” said Tim York, President. “As Markon continues to be at the forefront of delivering fresh ideas and culinary innovation, our new Ready-Set-Serve branding better reflects the creativity and consistency our time-saving products offer chefs to elevate their craft and create dishes that appeal to savvy, health-conscious consumers.”
According to a press release, the new, modern logo and packaging will highlight the ready-to-serve line of fresh fruits, vegetables, and juices that takes prep work out of the kitchen and allows chefs to focus on flavor and creativity. The new green color treatment also strengthens the connection between Ready-Set-Serve with Markon’s other signature brands, Markon First Crop and Markon Essentials.
The new logo and packaging are starting to appear on products this month and will continue to roll out over the course of 2020. In the next few months, be on the lookout for several new Ready-Set-Serve products that will continue to give operators more bold and inspired produce choices.
Keep reading AndNowUKnow as we continue to cover the latest in produce.