MISSION VIEJO, CA - The Hass Avocado Board (HAB) has released its first Foodservice Quarterly Insights report, expanding the industry’s visibility into how avocados are performing across U.S. restaurants. Developed in partnership with Datassential, the report tracks avocado menu presence, restaurant segment performance, and menu applications across the foodservice channel.

The new report complements HAB’s existing retail insights and provides growers, importers, and marketers with a broader view of avocado demand across both retail and foodservice. The first edition covers Q4 2025 foodservice performance and will be followed by quarterly updates moving forward.

Key insights from the report include:

• Broad menu penetration of avocados across U.S. restaurants, reinforcing their role as a staple ingredient across many concepts.
• Limited-service restaurants account for a significant share of avocado menu presence, highlighting the importance of quick-service and fast-casual formats in foodservice demand.
• Avocados appear across a wide range of menu applications, including sandwiches, bowls, and other multi-ingredient dishes.
• Menu presence and placement vary across restaurant segments, helping identify where avocados are firmly established and where additional opportunities may exist.

“The foodservice channel continues to play an important role in the avocado category,” said Alejandro Gavito, Director of Business Insights and Data at the Hass Avocado Board, in the recent release. “This report helps the industry better understand how avocados are showing up on menus across restaurant segments and where there may be opportunities to expand their presence.”

For the industry, the report is designed to be more than a quarterly snapshot – it is a practical tool. HAB encourages industry stakeholders to use these insights to benchmark avocado performance, identify opportunities and strengthen operator conversations, and inform supply, marketing and menu strategies in the quarters ahead. The report will be released quarterly and is available at HassAvocadoBoard.com/foodserviceinsights.

BAKERSFIELD, CA - At the beginning of 2026, Sun World International, a global leader in fruit genetics and variety licensing, launched its global mango program. In April, Sun World showcased a key point of differentiation of its portfolio in the category: extended seasonality led by its extremely late-maturing Blyde Late mango variety. Out of South Africa, Blyde Late remains in market into May, while traditional varieties begin to taper off. This milestone follows a series of international field days and a capstone Mango Symposium during Fruit Logistica 2026 in Berlin, bringing together growers, marketers, and industry partners to experience Sun World’s expanding mango portfolio in real-world conditions.

From early-season varieties like Kankun, Lady Jane, and Sumango2 to the program’s standout ultra-late-season performer, Blyde Late, the first year was designed to showcase the portfolio across global markets while establishing partnerships around long-term opportunities.

“Blyde Late is a powerful example of what this program is built to do,” said Bernardo Calvo, President and CEO of Sun World International, in the recent release. “It allows our partners to stay in the market longer, even when others are already out. That’s a meaningful shift — and it reflects our broader goal of creating a more consistent, reliable mango category through innovation.”

Sun World hosted three field days attended by South African growers, as well as international marketers and distributors. These events gave partners firsthand access to commercial mango offerings and the opportunity to engage with the company’s technical, commercial, and quality teams. The Berlin Mango Symposium provided a platform to share insights into Sun World’s breeding focus, commercialization model, and long-term vision to deliver a premium, year-round mango supply. Four new varieties with an exceptional eating experience were showcased.

Sun World’s mango program is designed to address market opportunities in the category, where legacy varieties continue to dominate global supply despite inconsistent eating quality and high retail shrinkage. The company’s breeding strategy prioritizes flavor, appearance, shelf life, and long seasonality paired with high productivity.

Blyde Late exemplifies that approach. As an extremely late-maturing variety with strong yield potential, excellent fruit size, and high sugar content. At full maturity, Blyde Late extends the mango season well beyond traditional windows, offering retailers and marketers new opportunities to maintain momentum in the category.

“It’s not just about having great fruit but having great quality for an extended period of time,” said Gerardo Lugo, Chief Commercial Officer at Sun World. “With Blyde Late, we’re helping our partners capture value in a part of the season that historically has been underserved. That’s where real commercial advantage starts to take shape.”

The mango program also included the announcement of Sun World’s collaboration with Mission Produce, strengthening the company’s ability to scale its mango portfolio through an established global sourcing and distribution platform. The collaboration showcases Sun World’s long-term commitment to transforming the mango category through genetics, licensing, and market-led innovation.

“We’re building a program that connects breeding, commercialization, and global partnerships in a way that hasn’t been done before in mangoes,” said Calvo. “And we’re doing it with a clear focus — delivering better fruit, more consistently, across the entire season.”

Sun World’s mango pipeline includes multiple commercial varieties, advanced selections in global trials, and a growing footprint across key production regions, which positions the company as a leader in the future of the category.

For more information about Sun World and its programs, visit sun-world.com.

SALT LAKE CITY, UT - ReposiTrak, Inc., an AI-powered, integrated supply chain platform, announced that a leading wholesale grocery cooperative in the Southern United States has become the first wholesaler to achieve full supplier-to-store traceability using ReposiTrak’s Touchless Traceability™ solution—marking a significant operational and technological milestone in the industry.

This achievement reflects the wholesaler’s leadership in adopting a fundamentally new approach to traceability—one that replaces traditional, labor-intensive scanning processes with a modern, automated data exchange model. By implementing Touchless Traceability, the organization has achieved end-to-end FSMA 204 compliance without requiring case-level scanning, manual data handling, or changes to distribution center workflows.

Rather than relying on scanning or reconstructing product movement after the fact, ReposiTrak electronically captures FDA-required Key Data Elements (KDEs) directly from suppliers at the time of shipment and from receivers at time of delivery so that no case scanning is required. This not only eliminates scanning, but it also provides a robust error detection and correction process to provide extremely high levels of accuracy without touching any of the product.

“This is a meaningful achievement for this wholesaler,” said Randy Fields, Chairman and CEO of ReposiTrak, in the recent release. “They made the decision to move beyond legacy approaches and adopt a modern, network-based model for traceability. The result is full compliance without adding work to the DC. That’s what Touchless Traceability enables—accurate data flowing automatically, without scanning, without manual intervention, and without operational friction.”

By successfully deploying this model, the wholesaler has demonstrated that large-scale traceability can be both operationally practical and technologically advanced, setting a new standard for the industry.

Additional wholesalers and retailers are already in various stages of deployment and are expected to achieve full supplier-to-store traceability using ReposiTrak’s Touchless Traceability solution in the coming months, further validating the scalability and repeatability of this approach.

RIPON, CA - The Save Mart Companies, one of the West Coast’s largest regional full-service grocery chains, hosted a community celebration at the newly remodeled Save Mart store in Ripon on Wednesday, April 29. Located at 1453 Goodwin Drive, the updated store introduces a range of new amenities and expanded product offerings designed to enhance the shopping experience and meet the evolving needs of the local community.

Customers will now enjoy a full-service butcher block and seafood counter, an expanded service deli with convenient grab-and-go options, a refreshed bakery cake case, and an on-site sushi chef. The store also features expanded selections of fresh produce-- including prepared items such as fruit parfaits, guacamole, and salsa-- along with an expanded wine and spirits assortment. The store has also added self-checkout stations.

“Our customers in Ripon have made this store an important part of the community, and we’re proud to introduce these new upgrades and expanded services for them,” said Bobby McDowell, vice president of store operations at Save Mart, in the recent release. “We’re excited to celebrate with our neighbors and to continue serving this community for years to come.”

To celebrate the remodel, Save Mart’s community celebration featured remarks from Save Mart team members and contributions to local schools and community partners.

The festivities included a friendly “Heroes Bagging Showdown” competition between Second Harvest of the Greater Valley, San Joaquin County Family Justice Center Foundation, and The Healthy Room Project. Each organization will keep items bagged to support their mission and communities served and earn gift cards to add resources to support their missions.

The celebration continued Friday, May 1 – Sunday, May 3 when customers were invited to return for a special vendor sampling event and gift card giveaway. The event will also feature appearances from The Save Mart Companies’ iconic oversized shopping cart, “Big Red.”

FESNO, CA - The California table grape industry is deeply appreciative of the recent announcement from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) regarding its intent to purchase $25 million of fresh table grapes in the U.S. through the Section 32 program as part of a broader $118 million investment supporting American farmers and strengthening the nation’s food supply.

The commitment of USDA to purchasing fresh foods reflects the important role domestic agriculture plays in supporting rural communities, maintaining a stable food system, and ensuring nutritious foods reach families in need across the country.

Over 99 percent of commercially grown table grapes in the United States come from California, so for California table grape growers and shippers, and the tens of thousands of workers who support this industry, this investment is both meaningful and timely.

“On behalf of the California table grape industry, I want to express sincere gratitude to Secretary Brooke Rollins, Under Secretary Dudley Hoskins, and the dedicated career staff at USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service for their attention to this request and their continued partnership with the California table grape industry. Their responsiveness helps ensure programs like Section 32 deliver real value to producers and communities alike,” said Ian LeMay, president of the California Table Grape Commission, in the recent release.

“We look forward to continuing our work alongside USDA to successfully deliver high-quality, nutritious Grapes from California to food assistance programs nationwide,” said LeMay.

SALINAS, CA - Fresh Express, Chiquita, and Planet Harvest are bringing the Fresh Communities Tour: From the Fields to America’s Cities to Salinas this May, delivering thousands of fresh food boxes to families across Monterey County.

Following a successful launch in South Florida earlier this year, the Salinas activation marks the second stop in a growing national initiative aimed at expanding access to fresh, nutritious food and supporting communities with practical, everyday meal options.

Each food box includes a mix of fresh fruits and vegetables, Fresh Express® salad kits, Chiquita® bananas, and pantry staples such as rice, beans, and protein, along with recipe inspiration to help families easily prepare balanced meals at home.

Located in the heart of the “Salad Bowl of the World,” Salinas represents a meaningful moment for the initiative connecting one of the country’s most important agricultural regions with the local families and communities it serves.

“Salinas is central to who we are at Fresh Express. It’s where our roots run deep and where so much of America’s fresh produce begins,” said John Olivo in a press release. “Through the Fresh Communities Tour, we’re proud to support this community by helping expand access to fresh food and making it easier for families to enjoy simple, nutritious meals.”

Fresh Express contributes to the initiative by making fresh eating more accessible through convenient, ready-to-enjoy salads that help simplify meal preparation. Chiquita supports the effort by providing fresh fruit that complements balanced, everyday nutrition, while Planet Harvest enables the initiative by coordinating sourcing, logistics, and partnerships to ensure food reaches communities efficiently.

“At Chiquita, we believe fresh, nutritious food should be within reach for every family,” said Peter Stedman. “Through our collaboration with Fresh Express and Planet Harvest, we’re proud to support communities like Salinas by providing high-quality fruit and reinforcing the importance of simple, everyday nutrition.”

“We’re proud to bring together partners across agriculture and community organizations to deliver meaningful impact,” said Melissa Ackerman. “This initiative is about supporting communities and making fresh food more accessible in a way that’s practical and meaningful for families.”

Food distribution in Salinas will take place across multiple community locations from May 6–8, in collaboration with local partners including food banks, schools, and community organizations dedicated to supporting families across the region.

The Fresh Communities Tour reflects a shared commitment among partners to:

• Expanding access to fresh food
• Supporting local communities
• Championing American growers
• Promoting practical, everyday nutrition

In addition to food distribution, the events include family-friendly recipe inspiration and nutrition resources to help families turn fresh ingredients into quick, enjoyable meals.

The initiative will continue to expand to additional markets throughout 2026, including upcoming activations in Chicago and additional programs later in the year, building a scalable national platform that connects farms to communities across the country.

FRESNO, CA - Strategic mergers and acquisitions continue to shake up the fresh produce industry as companies make tactical moves to position themselves for future stability and growth. While such a deal often presents a wide variety of strengths for two merging enterprises, fresh produce businesses also need to be prepared for the challenges that may arise during the process. Heather Hammack, President, took a moment to explain how Famous Software provides its partners with an advantage in this arena.

Peggy Packer: Heather, can you start by breaking down what unique challenges can arise as produce companies undergo strategic acquisitions and mergers?

Heather Hammack: “Bringing together two enterprises carries inherent challenges, whether that is wading through tough negotiations, integrating two unique cultures, or navigating volatile market conditions. In fresh produce, the challenges can feel more pronounced given the fast pace of our industry. 

Some common challenges we have seen as our customers work through mergers and acquisitions include: integration challenges, cultural misalignment, overestimating synergies—especially when working with different or new commodities, communication breakdowns, talent retention, and technology or IT integration.”

PP: How does Famous Software help its partners overcome or mitigate these challenges?

HH: “Famous Software has been serving the technology needs of the fresh produce industry for over 50 years, and our team of seasoned, fresh produce experts has seen the industry change dramatically since 1975. That level of experience and expertise is rare in a technology company, and as such, Famous Software can provide invaluable insight and guidance to customers navigating through major changes such as a merger or acquisition.

One of the challenges can be merging different processes, especially when bringing on new commodities that may have different production or growing needs. Famous Software serves customers across the fresh produce industry with various business models. That allows us to evaluate different processes and provide guidance on best practices that we’ve observed and, in some instances, helped build across the myriad of customer profiles we serve.

Another piece of the M&A puzzle that can ensure a smooth transition is ensuring technology and IT integration is as seamless as possible. This is where an ERP provider who operates as a true partner and not just a service provider can make a real difference. Mergers and acquisitions can be anxiety-inducing for staff, and retention is always a risk during times of change. The Famous Software team of fresh can be a pivotal resource in providing training, consulting, and recommendations for process improvement so that current and new team members can feel confident that everyone is aligned and works competently within the system.

Church Brothers Farms has been a customer of ours for over 20 years, and during that time, we have helped them through a couple of acquisitions, most recently with Mann Packing. We have developed expertise in assisting our customers through mergers and acquisitions. We have helped some of our larger customers develop unique acquisition playbooks that they can use as they continue to bring in new operations. Whether that’s keeping companies separate or consolidating financial reporting across the organization as a whole. Our BI tool can facilitate dashboards that combine data across different operations so that leadership has one clear view."

PP: What unique advantages did Famous Software provide through Church Brothers Farms' recent acquisition of Mann Packing?

Steve Church, Co-Founder and Chairman, Church Brothers Farms: “Famous has seen us through multiple acquisitions, including Mann Packing. The biggest advantage is that we don’t have to start from scratch; they already know what needs to happen. That level of familiarity and trust is hard to replicate. On top of that, we can call Heather anytime, and she’ll jump in to help us work through whatever challenge is in front of us. From a practical standpoint, Famous is intuitive and easy to use, which is critical when you’re bringing in a new team, as getting people up to speed quickly is often the hardest part of any acquisition.”

PP: How does Famous Software’s industry experience help the company support its partners in this way?

HH: “With our focused experience in the fresh produce industry, Famous Software is familiar not only with our own customers, but we also have a depth and breadth of industry knowledge that can help customers who are evaluating a potential merger or acquisition. Our leadership team has over 100 years of combined experience working with customers and potential customers across commodities, business sizes, and company profiles. We can provide our customers with unique guidance and insight into the cultural and strategic synergies that two organizations may or may not have.

While integrating two companies poses a unique set of challenges, it’s not unlike onboarding a new ERP system. With unsurpassed expertise in onboarding new customers, Famous Software has a tried and tested implementation process that has been honed for over 50 years. That expertise can be directly applied to onboarding a new company and can help unpack potential efficiencies that a non-industry-specific provider or a less seasoned partner simply can’t provide.”

More exclusive insights from the Famous Software team are on the way, so keep reading AndNowUKnow!

FRESNO, CA - The California Fresh Fruit Association (CFFA) commended the House of Representatives yesterday on the passage of the new Farm Bill, H.R. 7567, emphasizing its importance to California’s fresh fruit industry and specialty crop producers nationwide. The Association also recognized the collaborative efforts of lawmakers, industry leaders, and agricultural stakeholders who worked to advance policies that reflect the needs of specialty crop agriculture.

“California’s fresh fruit growers and shippers rely on strong federal support to remain competitive and sustainable,” said Casey Creamer, President of CFFA. “The passage of the Farm Bill ensures continued investment in programs that protect our commodities, expand market opportunities, and strengthen the future of American agriculture. CFFA is proud to be a member of the Specialty Crop Farm Bill Alliance, which has played a vital role in advancing key priorities for our industry. We look forward to continuing our work with Senate leadership and remain hopeful that a final Farm Bill will be signed into law this year.”

The Farm Bill delivers critical investments in research, trade promotion, pest and disease prevention, and conservation programs that directly benefit California’s fresh fruit industry. These provisions are especially vital as growers navigate rising production costs, increasing global competition, and ongoing supply chain challenges.

The legislation also supports expanded access to healthy, nutritious food for Americans as the Trump Administration moves forward with implementing MAHA initiatives. Specialty crops, which includes fruits, vegetables, tree nuts, nursery products, and greenhouse commodities, play a significant role in supporting public health while contributing substantially to the U.S. economy each year.

CFFA remains committed to working with industry partners on behalf of its membership to ensure timely consideration and passage of the House’s Farm Bill in the Senate.

International Fresh Produce Association (IFPA) President and CEO Cathy Burns also released the following statement on the House of Representatives’ passage of the Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2026:

“The passage of the Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2026 by the U.S. House of Representatives is an important step toward delivering the certainty and stability America’s specialty crop growers urgently need. Specialty crop growers supply the fresh fruits and vegetables that are foundational to America’s health. A strong, five-year farm bill is essential to help these producers weather the unique pressures they face and keep fresh produce on the plate for families across the country. Alongside the Specialty Crop Farm Bill Alliance, we urge the Senate to build on this momentum and advance a farm bill that provides strong support for specialty crop growers and strengthens the nation’s food system.”