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LOS ANGELES, CA - Chiquita North America has announced a new dedicated banana shipping service and supply chain improvements to provide better service to its West Coast customers.
According to the company, the shipping service will reduce fruit transit time in half, resulting in 4-5 days from production to the Port of Hueneme-Los Angeles, CA. Thanks to the new service, Chiquita’s Western customers can look forward to fresher, higher quality bananas than ever before.
"All of us on the North America team are excited to deliver the freshest and highest quality Chiquita Bananas available to our customers," said Executive Vice President of Chiquita Fresh North America, Chris Dugan, in a press release. "In addition to recent investment in our farms, this is another example of how we continue look for new ways to improve our freshness, our everyday quality and the satisfaction of our customers."
Chiquita has also been engaged in a major refrigerated container renewal program. Beginning in 2014, it has now replaced 65 percent of its fleet to create more sustainable shipping practices. The company operates upwards of 15,000 refrigerated containers, which play a key role in the logistics of today’s banana supply chain. Improvements in the design and operating efficiency of containers has led to important environmental benefits including reduced electric power consumption, greenhouse friendly refrigerants, and use of insulation materials with reduced emissions footprint.
The impact of this fleet renewal is substantial, giving Chiquita the opportunity to save up to 35 percent on energy compared to old units, and electricity savings of 34 million kilowatt hours and an annual emissions reductions of 17,000 tons of CO2 per year is possible–equivalent to taking over 3,000 cars off the road every year. For additional information, please visit www.chiquita.com.
Check back with AndNowUKnow for all the latest in fresh produce transportation innovations and efficiencies!
- Read more about Thursday Afternoon, January 26th, 2017
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OCEANSIDE, CA - Another year of partnership between the Singh family’s Oceanside Pole and exclusive marketer Oppy is bringing a slew of exciting new developments for 2017. Beyond a refreshed product branding and the addition of significant new tomato acreage, the Oppy-Oceanside Pole partnership will also use the new year to introduce an entirely new offering—Brussels sprouts.
“Brussels sprouts complement tomato production quite well,” explained Priya Singh, Oceanside Pole’s General Manager. “They enhance soil health and are counter-seasonal, which enables us to extend our operation virtually year-round. We’re also capitalizing on the suitability of our climate to feed into a popular culinary trend.”
Consumption of Brussels sprouts per capita has risen by 13 percent year-on-year since 2011, according to data from USDA ERS. And according to a press release, imported Brussels sprout volume has also quadrupled within that same time period. The company predicted that the addition of these Oceanside-grown Brussels sprouts will give retailers a domestically-produced alternative to simultaneously available imported Brussels sprouts March through May.
The sprouts will be available in 25-lb bulk boxes, shipping from Yuma, Arizona, between March and mid-April, and from Salinas, California, between mid-April through May.
“We expect the program to appeal particularly to area retailers as a refreshing new component to their ‘California Grown’ programs,” added Mark Smith, Senior Sales Manager at Oppy. “It’s an excellent warm-up to the Oceanside vine-ripe and roma tomato program which begins in July.”
Smith expects the company’s tomato harvest will grow by about 500,000 cases of rounds and romas combined due to the company’s addition of about 100 new production acres. The Singh family is still planting their signature Sweet-10 seed, but will also propagate some new varieties that Smith said have exceeded expectations during trials.
As Oceanside Pole ramps up its growth for 2017, the company said it is also looking towards a renewed branding approach to match.
“The Singh family has been farming in Oceanside for over 75 years,” said Smith. “Their attention to detail is second to none. They’re the exceptional growers they are because they walk the fields every day, monitoring water and fertilizer, pruning, and staking the plants, and so much more. They are absolutely on top of every detail. “
The new brand is a way to help elevate Oceanside Pole to a contemporary realm that resonates with consumers, explained Oppy Vice President of Marketing James Milne, blending the story of growing excellence with the spirit of the Southern California region. “The new brand will endeavor to playfully capture what it means to have grown so long and so well in coastal Oceanside, while conveying the results of this labor of love: beautiful, richly flavored produce that honors every table where it is served,” he summarized.
The produce industry is clearly in for some exciting developments from Oceanside Pole, so stay tuned in to AndNowUKnow as we bring you the latest.
LOS ALAMITOS, CA – Industry executives will be bringing their professional prowess and innovations to one place, as they convene for the upcoming THRIVE AgTech Innovation Forum. With a focus on how tech is changing the way the industry grows food, both now and in the future, the event will take place on Wednesday, February 1.
Amongst the executive guidance present at the event, THRIVE has just added the familiar and renowned names of Taylor Farms CEO Bruce Taylor, Driscoll’s Berries CEO Kevin Murphy, and Frieda’s Specialty Produce President and CEO Karen Caplan.
"Our goal by inviting these three produce leaders is to join together the great minds and innovators in the Silicon Valley with the great minds and innovators in the fresh produce industry,” commented John Hartnett, CEO of SVG Partners and Founder of THRIVE, according to a press release. “We are thrilled that all three of them will be joining us for the day."
Taylor and Murphy will be on the event’s “Catalyzing Industry Transformation” panel, while Caplan will be present on the panel “Driving Innovation for the 21st Century Consumer.
In addition to these leaders, other industry and forward-thinking executives that will participate in the event are as follows:
- Michael Teel, CEO of Raley’s
- Eric Jallas, CEO of ITK
- Hank Giclas, SVP at Western Growers Association
- Mike Macrie, CIO at Land O’Lakes
- Geoff Eisenberg, Principal at Ecosystem Integrity Fund
- Sean O’Sullivan, Founder and CEO at SOSV, Food-X
- Andy Mitchell, Director of Viticulture at Hahn Family Wines
- Matt Bohnert, President at Suterra
- John Hartnett, Founder and CEO at SVG Partners, THRIVE
- Bob Christopher, Director of Innovation, Panasonic
- Saida Ruscitto, Product & New Business Innovation IoT at Verizon
- George Kellerman, Partner at Yamaha Motor Ventures & Labs
Throughout the duration of the event, attendees will experience a full day of keynote addresses, panel discussions, and tech presentations for all levels of the industry, including executives, investors, farmers, and startups. The event aims to discover the technologies that are changing the way food is grown, and those that will continue to do so in the future.
The THRIVE AgTech Innovation Forum will be held in Menlo Park, California. For more information on the event, and to register, click here.
THRIVE AgTech Taylor Farms Driscoll's Frieda's Specialty Produce
YUCATAN, MEXICO - Transnational retail giant Walmart has set its sights on Mexico’s west coast. The company has decided to invest $1.2 billion USD in the Yucatan Peninsula in order to construct distribution centers to improve the supply of five of the company’s brands operating in the area.
According to local news source The Yucatan Times, the company’s investment is expected to generate roughly 10,000 jobs in the region.
Walmart Mexico and Central America’s Director of Corporate Communication Antonio Ocaranza Fernandez told The Yucatan Times that the group’s assets in the region include a line of six businesses and 39 commercial spaces in the state of Yucatan—with a 40th on the way, involving a 3.4 billion peso investment and 3,500 direct jobs. The company operates three Sam’s Club stores, one Superama, six Walmarts, ten Bodegas Aurreras, eleven My Bodega Aurrerá, five Bodega Aurrerá Express, and a Suburbia store.
The company’s plan involves “probing” local and municipal authorities throughout the peninsula in order to locate spaces and install infrastructure, and ultimately, Walmart aims to expend $1.2 billion in these logistics spaces to reduce supply times and costs involved in supplying the six brands.
Walmart first entered Yucatán 1995, and expanded significantly between 2012 and 2015. The company’s variously-branded stores are spread throughout 14 municipalities in the area.
Does this investment in logistics signify plans to grow its retail presence in the region and throughout Latin America? Stay tuned to AndNowUKnow for updates.
GREENSBORO, NC - It is exciting times around the fresh produce industry. Already this year, 2017 has brought us a month of change and promise with new products, promotions, initiatives, and expansions, across the fresh produce industry. Adding to the new year’s excitement is Mark Carroll, former Senior Director of Purchasing and Merchandising for Produce and Floral for Gelson's Markets, who recently joined The Fresh Market as the new Vice President of Merchandising for Produce and Floral.
Mark took a moment to speak with me about this recent move and what drew him into The Fresh Market fold.
“The Fresh Market has a reputation of offering delicious, fresh food and an inspiring shopping experience to its guests,” Mark shared with me. “The company has a great program that offers the best quality produce as well as supporting local farmers, so I’m excited to maintain the commitment of curating the best selection of fresh produce from varying regions—including local and organic farms.”
Mark officially assumed the position with The Fresh Market just shy of two weeks ago on Jan 16, 2017.
“At The Fresh Market, I am lucky to be working with a great Produce and Floral team, and we’ll be looking to add and expand on new and unique items for our customers to experience while they shop with us,” Mark added.
The industry veteran brings a range of insights and experiences to his new role, learning from some of the very best retailers in the business including Randalls/Tom Thumb, Safeway, and Whole Foods Market in Texas, and Gelson’s Markets in California.
Please take a moment to congratulate Mark with me, on his new role with The Fresh Market, and the exciting road ahead!
WASHINGTON, DC - The long-talked about Mexican border wall looks to be officially in the works, as today President Donald Trump signed two executive orders directing the construction of a wall on the U.S.-Mexico border.
As reported by The Wall Street Journal, the first order directs federal officials to begin work to plan, design, and construct a physical border wall immediately. The second order aims to restore a program formerly ended by the Obama administration called, “Secure Communities,” which directs cooperation between local and federal authorities enforcing immigration laws.
According to CNN, the orders will also seek to increase Border Patrol forces by an additional 5,000 agents and increase the number of Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers that carry out deportations to 10,000. The orders also call for the removal of federal grant funding in cities that maintain sanctuary status for immigrants and/or refugees.
Both orders stipulate that the increases are subject to Congress' appropriation of sufficient funds. As of now, the orders will not cover the cost it will take to construct the wall.
"Beginning today, the United States of America gets back control of its borders," Trump reportedly told employees of the Department of Homeland Security during a speech in Washington. "This will also help Mexico by deterring illegal immigration from Central America and by disrupting violent cartel networks."
Wednesday also saw President Trump outline new criteria for determining which undocumented immigrants should be prioritized for deportation, CNN reported. The news source reports that under the Trump administration's new policy, any undocumented immigrant convicted or charged with a crime that hasn't been adjudicated could be deported under the Trump administration's new policy.
The administration has also prioritized deporting undocumented immigrants who abuse public benefits or could be considered "a risk to public safety or national security... in the judgment of an immigration officer.”
While the effects these orders may have to the agricultural sector have yet to be made clear, these policies are definitely on the produce industry’s radar. Keep watching AndNowUKnow for continued updates.
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BOISE, ID – The buy-side sector has been aswirl with rumors for the past couple of months over a possible Price Chopper acquisition by Albertsons. However, it looks as though that possibility has now come to an end, according to financial sources close the matter.
Albertsons has ended pursuing a Price Chopper buy, according to the Times Union, in favor of focusing on its upcoming IPO rather than a store-focused expansion as indicated by the sources. Previously, Albertsons was rumored to be eyeing the chain with a price tag of upwards of $1 billion.
Albertsons IPO focus could potentially raise $1.7 billion towards a future expansion, to further bolster the chain’s current 2,200 store status. The Times-Union also stated that Albertsons could have stopped pursuing its offer for Price Chopper as soon as last month.
Price Chopper, according to the Times Union, declined to comment on Albertsons speculative involvement or respective pull-out and stated, "We don't comment on rumors," as said by Price Chopper spokeswoman Mona Golub.
If Albertsons had acquired the chain, Price Choppers’ stores would have added 135 northeastern locations to it footprint. Price Chopper also boasts an annual revenue of $3.6 billion.
Will Price Chopper be scooped up by another chain? As the story progresses further, AndNowUKnow will keep our finger to the pulse of the buy-side scene.