CITRUSDAL, SOUTH AFRICA - Summer Citrus from South Africa (SCSA) announces its 2026 season is underway, with the first arrivals expected at U.S. ports this month. Approximately 170 containers, primarily Easy Peelers and some Navel Oranges, are scheduled to arrive during the early part of the season. The MSC Carmen will be the first direct vessel into Philadelphia, followed by weekly arrivals through both containerized shipments and dedicated conventional vessels.

“The port of Philadelphia is a critical point of entry for our fruit, as many of our importers and repacking facilities are located in New York and Pennsylvania,” said Suhanra Conradie, CEO of Summer Citrus from South Africa, in the recent release. “Ensuring reliable shipping partnerships remains a top priority for the program, helping us maintain a steady supply throughout the season.”

Since October 2025, MSC has operated a standalone service between South Africa and the U.S., including a seasonal Philadelphia stop to support distribution throughout the Northeast. New this year, MSC vessels will add weekly stops in Savannah, Georgia, creating an additional entry point for fruit destined for the Southern U.S. market.

“The addition of Savannah expands our ability to serve customers in the south while providing greater flexibility across our supply chain,” said Conradie. “Our focus is on meeting the needs of importers and customers through efficient, reliable logistics solutions.”

Alongside its partnership with MSC, SCSA has renewed its agreement with Seatrade. The first conventional vessel under that program is expected to arrive in Philadelphia shortly after the Fourth of July holiday weekend, further supporting continuity of supply during the summer citrus season.

From a production perspective, the group expects lower volumes this year, especially with Navel Oranges, following the record-volume season in 2025, while continuing to match the available supply with the demand of the market. SCSA continues to follow its long-standing business model of aligning available supply with market demand to help support a balanced and sustainable program.

“It is important to acknowledge the amount of planning and coordination required to execute a program like this. Negotiations and planning workshops with shipping providers begin months before the season starts,” noted Conradie. “By March, retailers are typically ready to discuss imported citrus programs, and from that point forward, we build our shipping plan and align all logistics partners to ensure consistent weekly shipments and arrivals throughout the season.”

Fruit quality also remains a primary focus. Only premium-quality citrus is selected for shipment to the U.S. market to help ensure a positive eating experience for consumers and continued confidence in the category.

While parts of South Africa experienced heavy rainfall during May, the impact on the Western Cape, the primary growing region supplying citrus to the U.S., has been manageable, with lower volumes predicted for the 2026 season. Although weather-related conditions caused some minor supply chain delays, the group has maintained its planned volume projections for the season and made only limited adjustments to vessel schedules to keep shipments on track.

For more information and to stay up-to-date on citrus from South Africa, subscribe to the newsletter by filling out this form, or for more information, please visit www.summercitrus.com.

ZAANDAM, THE NETHERLANDS - Ahold Delhaize announces that its Supervisory Board has nominated Claire Peters for appointment as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Ahold Delhaize USA and member of the Management Board of Ahold Delhaize. Claire will join Ahold Delhaize on September 8 as CEO of Ahold Delhaize USA; the appointment as a member of the Management Board is subject to shareholder approval at an Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM) of shareholders to be held later this year, as well as customary regulatory approval.

Claire is an experienced retail leader with three decades of expertise in grocery, consumer, and retail businesses across international markets. Most recently, she served as Vice President for Worldwide Fresh at Amazon, where she had responsibility for the North American and international business. Prior to that, she held executive positions at Woolworths Group in Australia and held several leadership roles at Tesco, both in the United Kingdom and as Chief Operating Officer for Tesco in Thailand. Throughout her 30-year career in retail, she led large businesses across food, wholesale, and e-commerce.

Frans Muller, President and CEO of Ahold Delhaize, said in the recent release: “Claire brings strong operational leadership and deep experience in omnichannel grocery and business transformation. She has led businesses of significant scale across several markets, with full accountability for performance, customer proposition, and execution. Her combination of strategic insight, customer focus, and people-first leadership makes her very well positioned to lead Ahold Delhaize USA into its next chapter. I look forward to welcoming Claire to the team and working closely with her as we continue to build on the exceptional leadership strength of our brands in the U.S.”

Claire’s experience spans four continents, and she is well known for building high-performing teams, driving technology transformation, and delivering market share growth by growing customer trust. In addition to her executive experience, she has held a series of non-executive board positions in food retail. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Sociology and Economics from the University of Loughborough.

Wiebe Draijer, Chair of the Supervisory Board of Ahold Delhaize, said: “We are pleased to nominate Claire as CEO of Ahold Delhaize USA and member of the Management Board. Claire is a highly accomplished retail leader with deep operational and digital expertise, broad experience across grocery and consumer businesses, and a strong record of delivering results in complex environments. She has led large, customer-focused organizations through transformation while building cultures of clarity, trust, and accountability. We are confident that Claire’s leadership will further strengthen Ahold Delhaize USA and support the continued execution of our Growing Together strategy.”

Claire said: “I am honored by the nomination to serve as CEO of Ahold Delhaize USA. Ahold Delhaize’s family of local brands combines strong heritage, deep community roots and a clear commitment to serving customers with excellence every day. I look forward to working with teams across the U.S. businesses to build on that strength, further enhance the customer experience, accelerate omnichannel growth, grow own-brand assortment, and continue delivering sustainable value for customers, associates, and shareholders.”

YERINGTON, NV - Peri & Sons is returning to the Organic Produce Summit (OPS) this year, ready for what its team notes as one of the best industry events for connection, perfect for diving into rapidly evolving trade topics like packaging, sustainability, and product visibility.

"For us, a strong show starts with the buyer list, and OPS consistently delivers. That is why we come back," Kelsey Weingart, Brand Manager, Marketing, tells me. "We want to hear what buyers are seeing on the shelf, learn what other growers are doing, and stay close to the ideas and innovations moving the organic space forward. Every year, we leave with something we did not have before, whether that is a new conversation, a new perspective, or both."

Packaging is among the topics top of mind heading into the second half of the year.

"Packaging regulations regarding materials and labeling are evolving quickly," Kelsey notes. "As we transition our full organic line to compliant, sustainable packaging, this requires continuous investment in materials, equipment, and processes. It is not a simple switchover, but it is the right direction, and we are committed to seeing it through."

While the company navigates those industry-wide shifts, its core message to buyers centers on the quality built into every onion long before it reaches a shelf.

"Onion flavor is not manufactured. It is grown, managed, and protected from field to shelf, and that is exactly where we put our effort," she shares.

That effort includes a deliberate choice to hand-harvest every variety—a practice many moved away from for cost savings. Machine harvesting bruises onions in ways that compromise both keeping quality and taste, Kelsey explains. Climate-controlled curing and direct-from-farm shipping carry that investment the rest of the way.

"Consistent flavor does not happen by accident. It is deliberately built at every step," she adds.

The commitment to genuine flavor also ties into a broader trend Kelsey is watching closely.

"Consumers are more frustrated than ever with produce that looks good and tastes like nothing. As food costs rise, expectations rise with them," she observes. "The farms and brands that deliver consistent, genuine flavor will earn trust, repeat purchases, and long-term loyalty. The ones that do not will keep losing ground to consumer skepticism."

With onions currently coming in from California harvest and shallots on the way in July, be sure to connect with Kelsey and the Peri & Sons team at booth #800, where the company offers both conventional and certified USDA organic through its One 'n Done® program. See you in Monterey, California, July 14–16.

PORTLAND, OR - Bridges Produce welcomes produce veteran Nathan Johnson to its sales and business development team. Nathan brings more than 24 years of organic produce experience and a deep passion for the industry.

“I was first hired to receive product, build orders and deliver orders to customers,” says Nathan in the recent release. “I quickly moved into sales and have been doing that ever since. Produce is dynamic, meaning something different happens every day. I think that is one of the main reasons I have been in the trade for this long.”

“We are thrilled to welcome Nathan to our sales team,” says Ben Johnson, Bridges’ President. “His deep industry relationships and market expertise will create great value for our suppliers and customers. He will be creating win-win opportunities for all our partners.”

The feeling of excitement is clearly mutual. When speaking with Nathan, he shared, “I think the team dynamics at Bridges are great, and I am excited to complement the talented folks already here.”

Due to the tight-knit organic produce community, numerous members of the Bridges team have known and worked with Nathan for 20+ years. This has brought a level of familiarity to his new role that will be extremely beneficial during his transition. Nathan has already jumped in full force, spending time with multiple Bridges divisions as well as going on field visits with some key grower partners.

One of the things that sets Bridges apart is its close and collaborative relationships with grower partners. Therefore, having experience in program cultivation was one thing that drew Bridges to hire Nathan.

“I enjoy working with growers, as it keeps me connected to the challenges of growing food and getting it to the consumer,” Nathan said.

Nathan has experience in and interest in a wide range of product offerings.

“I love to sell all produce items. It is always rewarding to make the customer happy and find a good home for the grower's products. All commodities have upsides and downsides when you work with them long enough. Understanding all the nuances keeps this work engaging.”

Bridges represents a robust and diverse organic product line that includes Mexican imports, potatoes, onions, pears, squash, and blueberries, and these programs will only continue their growth with Nathan on the team.

“While Nathan will develop sales channels across our entire portfolio, his primary focus will be growth in our potato, onion, and squash categories,” said Ben Johnson.

The entire Bridges team offers a warm welcome to Nathan and looks forward to many of you meeting, or becoming reacquainted with, Nathan in his new role at Bridges during the Organic Produce Summit next month in Monterey.