WASHINGTON, DC - According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), South Side Fresh Produce has satisfied a reparation order in the amount of $6,800 issued under the Perishable Agricultural Commodities Act (PACA) involving unpaid produce transactions.

The Forest Park, Georgia, company has met its obligations and is now free to operate in the produce industry. Pedro Consuelo Salinas and Pascual Avitia Sr. were listed as members of the business and may now be employed by or affiliated with any PACA licensee.

Direct From the USDA Agricultural Market Service:

PACA provides an administrative forum to handle disputes involving produce transactions. This may result in USDA’s issuance of a reparation order that requires damages to be paid by those not meeting their contractual obligations in buying and selling fresh and frozen fruits and vegetables. USDA is required to suspend the license or impose sanctions on an unlicensed business that fails to pay PACA reparations awarded against it as well as impose restrictions against those principals determined to be responsibly connected to the business when the order is issued. Those individuals, including sole proprietors, partners, members, managers, officers, directors, or major stockholders, may not be employed by or affiliated with any PACA licensee without USDA approval.

Once a reparation order is fully satisfied and it is confirmed that there are not any outstanding unpaid awards, USDA lifts the employment restrictions of the previously named, responsibly connected individuals. USDA also requires any unlicensed company that fully satisfies all unpaid reparation awards to obtain a license if it continues to operate in the industry.

For contact information and to read the release in its entirety, click here.

GRAND RAPIDS, MI - With work taking up much of our time, it’s important to find an employer who treats you right. Team members at Meijer are in luck, as the retailer has been named a Great Place to Work® for the sixth consecutive year.

"From the beginning, Hendrik and Gezina Meijer established a special culture that makes our company a great place to work," President and Chief Executive Officer Rick Keyes said. "This team member feedback is a testament we're living the legacy our founders envisioned."

The Great Place to Work certification recognizes employers for creating outstanding employee experiences based on responses to The Trust Index Survey™. This survey measures employee feedback across organizational culture, credibility, fairness, respect, camaraderie, and pride.

According to a press release, Meijer achieved its highest survey score this year, particularly excelling in three areas: strong commitment to diversity, equality, inclusion, and belonging; providing a physically safe place to work; and making team members feel welcome upon joining the Meijer team.

Meijer is celebrating its 90^th anniversary this year and continues to care for team members by treating them like family. An example of this is how Meijer team members are eligible to receive a variety of benefits, including weekly pay, team member discounts, and flexible scheduling.

"These are our highest scores to date on this survey, which is really meaningful," said Michelle Hall, Senior Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer. "Our leaders are not only creating a positive environment for team members across the company to learn and grow, but they're doing it in a way that makes Meijer a Great Place to Work and also a great environment for our customers to shop."

The retailer also invests in the success of its team members, offering career advancement opportunities, free college education, paid parental leave, child care discounts, access to multiple health insurance plan options, and the option for 401(k) retirement contributions.

We applaud Meijer on this amazing achievement!

LAKE MARY, FL - There are many ways to achieve enhanced quality and efficiency on the supply-side and harnessing artificial intelligence (AI) is certainly one of them. Companies like Village Farms Fresh and Blue Radix are seeking to revolutionize greenhouse ag, utilizing AI-driven solutions to usher in a new era of efficiency and quality.

“I like to say that ‘AI is our friend’ because it is doing what we are training it to do and it keeps improving. Blue Radix makes life easier so we can focus on the many other important aspects of greenhouse growing,” Arie van de Giessen, Vice President and Facility Manager in Texas.

Viewing technology not merely as a tool for growth but as a cornerstone of sustainable practices, Village Farms Fresh has invested in AI-driven solutions that enhance the quality of its offerings while also underscoring its commitment to supporting the growers who drive its success. As the company explained in a release, the benefits of AI in agriculture extend beyond individual operations, influencing everything from market competitiveness to environmental stewardship. By optimizing resource use and minimizing waste, AI empowers growers to cultivate crops with optimal quality and sustainable production.

Armed with AI-enabled insights and capabilities, the supplier is able to devote more time to nurturing crops to their fullest potential and delivering exceptional quality produce to its customers.

At a recent panel discussion featuring Blue Radix, Ron Hoek shared that these advancements not only elevate the quality of produce but also markedly improve the well-being of growers.

“Autonomous growing with Crop Controller really is a win-win for the team and company. Besides the financial and sustainable benefits for the companies, our customers tell us they have more peace of mind,” the CEO of Blue Radix said. “They can improve their work-life balance as no check in the evenings or weekends are necessary. “

To dive further into the ways Village Farms Fresh and Blue Radix are blending human expertise and technological prowess to advance the greenhouse ag industry, click here.

ANUK will be sure to bring more updates your way, so stay tuned!

UNITED STATES - The Produce Traceability Initiative (PTI) is calling on experts across the industry to join a working group to support Terminal Market Operators with compliance with Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) 204 Traceability Rule. In its call to action, PTI explained that the working group will create a guidance document to support Terminal Market Operators in their FSMA 204 compliance efforts.

PTI Master Data and Technology working groups have published an updated guidance document—Why and How to Use EDI 856 Advance Ship Notice/Manifest Transaction Set (ASN)—to prepare industry members for the implementation of FSMA 204.

According to a press release, the objectives for this guidance document are to:

• Explain what an Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) Advance Ship Notice (ASN) is and why companies may choose to implement
• Outline business benefits derived from the use of an ASN
• Detail how the ASN can be used to facilitate capturing the Global Trade Item Number or GTIN and corresponding Batch/Lot Numbers with only one pallet barcode
• Provide specifications for how to implement an EDI 856 Advance Ship Notice for produce shipments

In addition, the PTI Technology working group has published an updated Best Practices for Formatting Case Labels, which includes the updated version of the PTI harmonized case label. As the release stated, the only change to the PTI Harmonized case label is the addition of a horizontal line across the middle of the label to visually verify print quality.

The best practices included in the document aim to:

• Utilize barcodes currently being used in the food industry
• Utilize existing GS1 Standard data elements inside the barcode
• Minimize the amount of information shown on the label to meet the needs to attain whole chain traceability
• Accommodate multiple case sizes
• Determine what information is necessary to include on the label
• Determine what information should appear on the label versus what should be shown on the case in a human-readable format (e.g. supplier/responsible party’s address, etc.)
• Provide receivers with standards from which they can build their case label record-keeping systems

Those interested in participating in a working group should contact IFPA’s Ed Treacy.

The PTI is sponsored by the Canadian Produce Marketing Association (CPMA), GS1 US, GS1 Canada, and the International Fresh Produce Association (IFPA). More information on the organization can be found here.

Keep reading ANUK as we relay the latest updates in fresh produce.

NEW ZEALAND - Zespri is forecasting the industry’s largest-ever crop due to improved yields this season. With an estimated 197 million packed trays, the company is on track to reach its goal of $4.5 billion in global sales revenue.

“It’s really pleasing that today’s forecast indicates we’re on track to deliver strong value to growers and to meet our target of $4.5 billion in global sales revenue by 2025,” Chief Executive Officer Dan Mathieson says. “After a tough growing season last year, it’s great to see per hectare returns rebound on the back of much better on-orchard yields which is positive news for our growers.”

Forecast per hectare OGRs have increased from last season, with the mid-point of current ranges above last season’s final per hectare returns for all pools, a press release stated. Green and organic green forecast per hectare returns is expected to be at record levels.

“Feedback from customers on this season’s fruit quality has been positive and has supported the strong start we’ve made in key markets, including achieving record sales weeks in our core markets,” Mathieson continues. “Maintaining our focus on quality in a season where we have significantly more fruit to deliver will remain critical to maximizing value for growers.”

While forecast per-hectare returns have strengthened, per-tray returns have dipped from last season’s record highs. However, the bottom end of the latest forecast per tray range has lifted from Zespri’s March indicative forecast for all categories other than SunGold and Green14 Kiwifruit.

“It’s an encouraging forecast, however, there are still some challenges in this season’s smaller fruit profile and unfavorable foreign exchange movements from the Japanese Yen,” Mathieson adds. “Our teams in New Zealand and in market are working hard to manage these, as we look to deliver value through careful monitoring of our fruit inventory levels, strong marketing campaigns, and pricing that supports strong run rates throughout the season.”

As these volumes hit grocery stores, keep Zespri kiwifruit front and center.