WASHINGTON, DC - The USDA issued sanctions against 4 produce businesses who have failed to pay reparation awards issued under the Perishable Agricultural Commodities Act (PACA).
These businesses and individual are currently barred from doing business in the produce industry.
McAllen, Texas based Pina Rica USA LLC, which failed to pay a $43,956 award in favor of a Georgia seller. Fernando Arellano Nunez and Karina Bautista Cadena were listed as business members at the time of the reparation order.
Fort Myers, Florida based Deleon Produce Sales Inc., which failed to pay a $17,136 award in favor of a Florida seller. Mary C. Deleon and Arnold A. Deleon were listed as the business's officers, directors, and/or major stockholders at the time of the order's issuance.
Orlando, Florida based H & H Wholesale Produce Inc., which failed to pay a $57,397 award in favor of a Florida seller. Hassan Hamdan was listed as the business's officer, director, and major stockholder at the time of the order's issuance.
Youngstown, Ohio based Boardman Vegetable Co. which failed to pay a $10,005 award in favor of an Idaho seller. John R. Campolito was listed as the business's officer, director, and major stockholder at the time of the order's issuance.
In the past three years, the USDA resolved approximately 4,600 claims under the PACA involving more than $87 million. Individuals, including sole proprietors, partners, members, managers, officers, directors, or major stockholders may not be employed or affiliated with any PACA licensee without the approval of the USDA. The Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS), PACA Division, regulates fair trading practices of produce businesses operating subject to PACA.
EL SEGUNDO, CA - Fresh & Easy is launching a full-scale marketing campaign to reintroduce its brand to consumers. The hope is that 'a new kind of market' will take hold as the intitiative takes off.
“Our goal with this marketing campaign is to welcome shoppers to see the new Fresh & Easy,” said Mike Evans, Fresh & Easy’s Head of Marketing. “We set out to make our stores and our brand fresher, easier and more relevant to modern consumers who are looking for healthy, convenient options.”
Fresh & Easy will be using radio, outdoor, digital and social media to spread the message that they are anytime, anyway, anywhere solution for healthy, fast, budget-friendly food, according to a press release. Check out the video below for the latest video in the campaign.
The campaign is centered on Five Pillars that make Fresh & Easy stand out for modern consumers.
- Affordable Organics
- Handmade in our Kitchen
- Delivered Fresh Daily
- No Hidden Unpronounceables
- Meal Solutions
Fresh & Easy has been under new ownership since last November.
WASHINGTON, DC - The USDA issued sanctions against 5 produce businesses who have failed to pay reparation awards issued under the PACA. These businesses and individuals are currently barred from doing business in the produce industry.
Miami, Florida based Marco Produce Inc which failed to pay a $69,292 award in favor of a Georgia seller. Marco A. Carmenatis was listed as the officer, director, and major stockholder of the business at the time of the reparation order.
McAllen, Texas based Cross Country International LLC which failed to pay a $7,279 award in favor of a California seller. Jaime De La Paz and Gustavo Felix J. Ramirez were listed as members CCI at the time of the order's issuance.
Still Water, Oklahoma based Pioneer Produce LLC which failed to pay a $13,544 award in favor of an Oklahoma seller. Larry D. Stafford Jr. and Larry D. Stafford Sr. were listed as business members at the time of the order's issuance.
Lakewood, Washington based Pal-Do World Inc. which failed to pay a $28,957 award in favor of a California seller. Young S. Park and Byung C. Park were listed as the officers, directors, and/or major stockholders of the business at the time of the order's issuance.
Vero Beach, Florida based Sunny Fresh Citrus which failed to pay a $29,404 award in favor of a Florida seller. Robert K. Robert Marinaro was listed as the sole proprietor of the business at the time of the order's issuance.
PACA provides a forum for settling disputes concerning produce transactions and issues reparation orders for those who are found to not be meeting their contractual obligations. Sanctions or a suspension of their PACA license by the USDA is the consequence for those who fail to pay these reparation orders. Restrictions may also be imposed against those principals determined to be responsibly connected to the business when the order is issued.
In the past three years, the USDA resolved approximately 4,600 claims under the PACA involving more than $87 million.
SunFed is now Fair Trade certified on nearly its entire line of conventional and organic produce offerings. The Fair Trade certified, Perfect Produce® lineup includes squash, bell peppers, cucumbers, hot peppers, cantaloupe, honeydew, and watermelon. The company will also introduce newly designed packaging that highlights the Fair Trade certification in the coming months. Matt Mandel, VP of Sales and Marketing, tells us, “This certification is in line with our commitment to a sustainable and equitable workplace, delivering to consumers SunFed’s triple bottom line. This is another way for us to show our appreciation to all those involved in producing the finest fruits and vegetables.”
Sev-Rend Packaging is providing suppliers with domestically produced tags, labels, netting, and packaging. With warehousing locations in Vidalia, Georgia and Bakersfield, California, this vertically integrated company can rapidly ship any of its product throughout the U.S. Sev-Rend also has an in-house branding department that can freshen and expand a company’s brand from concept to delivery. These capabilities provide suppliers with fast response times and high-end graphic quality that they deserve. Greg Petermeyer, VP of Operations, tells AndNowUKnow, “We have designed our business model to be high service, high quality, and very consumer friendly. If a customer has a special product, we can design specific packaging to fit their needs.”
WENATCHEE, WA - A week ahead of last year's harvest, Stemilt Growers has already begun harvesting and packing this year's apricot crop. Because of excellent weather conditions throughout the growing season, it plans to package 300,000 cartons worth of apricots this summer, a 35% increase from 2013.
“Weather has definitely been on our side this season, which is resulting in large-sized, clean, and very high-quality apricots. We’re harvesting Robada apricots now and will quickly move into our leading two varieties, Rival and Perfection. Stemilt will have promotable volumes to ship by the middle of next week, and encourages strong apricot promotions at retail from June 30th through July 14th,” said Roger Pepperl, Stemilt Marketing Director.
“The natural farming techniques used in organic production brings orchards into balance from a horticultural standpoint. This combines with the ideal climate in central Washington to produce larger apricots with great color and a true dessert eating experience,” said Pepperl.
Roughly 60% of Stemilt's crop is certified organic, according to a press release. The company markets its organic apricots under its Artisan Organics label. For smaller sized apricots, Stemilt plans to again utilize it's random-weight pouch bag “to increase purchase size and build incremental sales. It’s also a way for us to easily message the fact that the apricots inside are organic,” said Pepperl. It's larger fruits will be packaged in panta packs and tray packs.
The Douglas family, 4th generation fruit farmers operating out of central Washington, are responsible for the majority of Stemilt’s apricot crop. Their orchards are located in the Tri Cities, Columbia Basin, and the Wenatchee Valley.
BENTONVILLE, AR - Wal-Mart is testing a brand new concept store; a drive-through. And yes folks, this includes produce. The 15,000 square-foot facility will house 10,000 fresh and dry grocery products from cereal, chips and bread to fresh fruits and vegetables, meat and milk, according to thecitywire.com.
“We know at Wal-Mart our customers’ needs are changing. They want and need more shopping options and we have the means to give them low prices, wide assortments along with value and convenience in a seamless shopping experience,” noted Deisha Barnett, corporate spokeswoman for Wal-Mart Stores Inc.
The concept will allow customers to order their groceries online and schedule a time to pick them up. The building will have drive-up windows so customers will never need to get out of their cars, according to KTHV. In May, the city of Bentonville gave Wal-Mart the approval to begin building its first drive-through only location.
The new concept is one of several tests the retailer is conducting from storage lockers in metro Washington D.C., Walmart to Go pick-up and home delivery in Denver and San Jose, Calif., and the new convenience store located up the road from this new drive-through location. These new concepts are designed to provide convenience and are in no way meant to replace traditional stock-up trips that Wal-Mart’s supercenters provide. Those trips are valued annually at $585 billion and remain about 60% of the total grocery spend, according to Bill Simon, CEO of the company.
As of now, there is no word on when the test store will open or what the service will cost. Personally, I still enjoy my in-store grocery strolls, but with today's fast-paced environment, who doesn't love a little convenience.
In an effort to enhance customers’ benefits and continue to offer new ways to improve an evolving customer service strategy, Crowley and Customized Brokers have contributed to a pilot program with the Florida Perishables Trade Coalition. As a founding member of the Coalition, Customized Brokers hopes to broaden the scope of fresh produce imports into the state of Florida with items that include Peruvian citrus, apples and pears from Uruguay, as well as Argentinian blueberries. The programs would allow for the clearance of these cold-treatment perishables into Florida ports.
Nelly Yunta, VP Customized Brokers, tells AndNowUKnow, “With this program we are looking to give our customers another option and allow them to bring a new portfolio of products through Florida ports. As an organization, we are spearheading this project, which at present, only allows for grapes and blueberries. We are currently waiting for USDA approval to move forward with a future expansion.”
Customized Brokers, a subsidiary of Crowley Maritime Corporation, has been helping growers, importers and exporters around the world build their businesses by providing efficient service and compliance expertise with a careful attention to detail. With South Florida as strategic entry ports (via air and ocean) for agricultural products cultivated in Latin America, Customized Brokers is looking to evolve the future of the Crowley program.
In addition, Crowley and Customized Brokers have added a new state-of-the-art, cold storage warehouse facility to offer customers multiple humidity and temperature-controlled coolers to handle perishables. Located in Miami, CrowleyFresh is an innovative facility that can service cargoes arriving in South Florida from Latin and South America, the Caribbean, Europe, Asia and the Far East with destinations throughout the world.
Highlights of the service include:
-Presence in major ports of entry 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
-Expediting the importation process to make sure time and temperature sensitive cargo arrive to market at its peak of freshness.
- In the event that perishables are detained, a team of experts works quickly to provide unmatched guidance and communications to expedite the release process.
- Connect customers with appropriate laboratory, certification and fumigation services quickly, should they be required.
- In-transit facility for goods requiring temporary storage before heading to their final destination.
Another issue that is top of mind for Crowley is the proposed regulations from the USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) to impose fees on treatments and increase overtime and inspection charges. Changes to the fees it charges are created to recoup the costs of conducting agricultural quarantine inspections (AQI) at U.S. ports of entry.
We also want to make sure that USDA in South Florida maintains its extended hours Monday through Friday from 6:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. and Saturdays from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m representing a significant change from the previous hours of operation, 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Monday through Friday only.
“We are currently trying to address these issues as they will have an effect on rates that are transferred to customers,” Yunta tells us.
It is shaping up to be a fruitful year for customers of the Crowley family of companies.
WASHINGTON, DC - Under regulations of the Perishable Agricultural Commodities Act (PACA), Professional Produce, operating in Vernon, CA, has posted a $75,000 surety bond with the USDA in order to employ Jeffrey Duncan.
Duncan, a former President and Stockholder of Perfectly Fresh Consolidation Inc., Norwalk, CA, was previously named in a PACA action and was found to have repeatedly violated PACA regulations during his time with the company.
The USDA requires that any PACA licensee that wishes to employ persons who have failed to pay a reparation award, or have been subject to a USDA disciplinary action must post an approved surety bond.
The USDA will hold the $75,000 bond for four years, providing assurance to the industry that the company will be able to pay for produce purchased and to conduct its business according to PACA rules and regulations.
In the past three years, the USDA resolved approximately 4,600 claims under the PACA involving more than $87 million. Individuals, including sole proprietors, partners, members, managers, officers, directors, or major stockholders may not be employed or affiliated with any PACA licensee without the approval of the USDA. The Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS), PACA Division, regulates fair trading practices of produce businesses operating subject to PACA.
VARDAMAN, MS – Excessive rain has forced Mississippi farmers to push back sweet potato planting.
Vardaman, the self-proclaimed sweet potato capital of the world, harvests millions of pounds of sweet potatoes each year, according to WTVA.
“The trend for sweet potatoes continue to grow,” said Mississippi Sweet Potato Council Executive Director Benny Graves. “The consumers and market tells us they want more sweet potatoes.”
With recent rain, it may be difficult to reach that demand. “We’ve had a little bit of excessive rain here the last couple of weeks,” Graves said. His estimate was about seven inches. “We’re in a little of a rain delay for about two weeks.”
Mississippi farmers hope to plant 20,000 acres of sweet potatoes this year. So far, they’ve only planted 40%, WTVA reportes.
“Odds are getting against us more and more,” Graves added. “We’d like to get our crop in by the end of June, so we hope the weather will let us do that.”
Weather.com forecasts a 20 to 40 percent chance of rain every day for the next 10 days in Vardaman.
What will this mean for Mississippi sweet potatoes? Stay tuned to AndNowUKnow for more information as this story develops.
LEAMINGTON, ON - In an effort to promote healthy living, Pure Flavor® sponsored the Leamington Triathlon and Kids of Steel Triathlon this past weekend.
This sponsorship is an extension of Pure Flavor®’s ongoing commitment to support healthier living and eating for our children, our youth and our future.
“Within the last couple years, we have focused on the snacking category, starting with The Snacking Series™ and Veggie Snack Pack line. We continue to try new seeds to enhance the whole snacking experience,” said Jamie Moracci, President. “We are extremely appreciative of the recognition we are receiving on our premium products. We are very excited to have received the Kid’s Choice Award, Best Overall Cucumber Award, and Best Mini Seedless Cucumber Award at the Greenhouse Competitions.”
Pure Hothouse Foods® welcomes everyone to contribute to increasing awareness of healthier lifestyle choices amongst children by visiting http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/hl-vs/eat-aliment/index-eng.php , http://www.cnpp.usda.gov/ or by contacting the Pure Flavor® Sales Team.