FRESNO, CA – The California Grape & Tree Fruit League has announced that it will be changing its name to the California Fresh Fruit Association, a name with a nice ring if you ask me. According to a press release, the California Fresh Fruit Association believes that this new name will better reflect the diverse community of growers it represents.
“While undergoing a name change is no easy task, little has changed as we’ve made sure to continue with our responsibilities as usual,” said Barry Bedwell, President of the California Fresh Fruit Association. “As we began the process, we wanted to proceed with a name that accurately represents our members and the commodities they provide. We couldn’t be happier with our selection – California Fresh Fruit Association is exactly who we are and what we represent.”
According to a press release, the Strategic Planning Committee of 2013 was the first time the question of a name change was presented. With the completion of the Association's 5-year strategic plan, members were asked by the Board of Directors to consider a transition to a name which would better represent its multitude of members who grow an incredible variety of fruits such as grapes, blueberries, peaches, plums, apricots, nectarines, pears, apples, cherries, figs, kiwis, pomegranates and persimmons.
The new name will be formally presented to executive and legislative officials in Sacramento, CA during the Annual Fruit Delivery on Tuesday, August 12th from 10:30am to 12:00pm. Afterward the Association will be celebrating this big move with an evening reception for government officials and Association members at the Esquire Grill.
According to a press release, with the exception of the name change the Association plans on continuing to conduct business as usual. It will continue advocating for the interests of its associated growers, shippers and marketers in Sacramento and Washington D.C. Its headquarters will remain in Fresno, CA.
SHERMAN OAKS, CA - Sunkist Growers recently brought together a group of influential registered dietitians for an immersing Sunkist educational experience in Southern California. The event, hosted July 17th, included a grove tour, nutritional information seminar, as well as chef and mixologist demonstrations. The day helped educate the guests about how both organic and conventional citrus is grown, the fruits’ nutritional benefits, and how lemons can be integrated into food and beverages.
To illustrate how to enhance everyday drinks using citrus, award-winning cocktail chef, Matthew Biancaniello, showed the group how to liven up water with fresh Sunkist citrus and other seasonal ingredients to make hydration healthier and delicious.
“Nutrition programming is so important for Sunkist and the produce industry as a whole,” said Sunkist Advertising and Public Relations Manager Joan Wickham. “We were pleased to invite this influential group of dietitians to a Sunkist family farm to share the care and dedication that goes into each piece of Sunkist citrus, and educate the attendees about the many nutritional benefits of citrus as part of a healthy diet. As we head into citrus season this fall, we hope to continue engaging with these dietitians to help us spread the word about citrus and healthy eating.”
The registered dietitians represented many different aspects of the food industry, with award-winning registered dietitian, nutritionist, Cordon Bleu-certified chef and author, Michelle Dudash, demonstrating how it is possible to cook like a chef while eating like a nutritionist. Over the past year, Michele has become a spokesperson for Sunkist S’alternative®—an initiative that promotes choosing an all-natural way to flavor food, boost potassium intake, and cut down on sodium using Sunkist® lemons as an alternative to salt.
Dudash introduced recipes on how to enhance meals with the versatile lemon, and also joined the group for the grove tour with the Sunkist growers, the Donlon Family. The Donlons have farmed in Ventura County, California, for six generations and produce both certified organic and conventionally-grown lemons.
HOUSTON, TX - Sysco Corporation's announced that its merger with US Foods has been delayed and could now close either late during Q3 or during Q4, pending approval by the Federal Trade Commission, according to The Wall Street Journal. The holdup is a product of the ongoing review process by the FTC, but Sysco is not concerned about the delay, saying that it still considers everything to be moving along smoothly.
"Transactions of this nature and complexity historically take on average nine to 12 months to close from the date of announcement...[but] the process is fluid, and it is not uncommon that timing expectations are adjusted," a Sysco spokesman told the Wall Street Journal.
The proposed $3.5 billion merger agreement, which would give the company 25% of the foodservice market share, is the first of its kind, and the need for the FTC to develop protocols to review a merger of this magnitude is the main source of the delay, according to Sysco.
The Wall Street Journal speculates that the delay could also indicate the need for Sysco and US Foods to divest themselves of some of their assets.
Sysco, however, demonstrated its confidence in the seamless approval of the merger by already announcing the senior executives who will be in charge of the company's operations in the wake of the deal. According to a press release, these executives are:
- Tom Bené: Lead of Domestic and International Operations.
- Scott Charlton: Lead of End-To-End Supply Chain Operations
- Chris Kreidler: Lead of the Finance Function
- Russell Libby: Lead of Corporate Affair
- Paul Moskowitz: Lead of Human Resources
- Pietro Satriano: Lead of Merchandising and Marketing
- Stuart Schuette: Lead of Sales and Sales Development & Strategy
- Wayne Shurts: Lead of Business Technology
Speaking about his newly announced team, Sysco President and Chief Executive Officer Bill DeLaney said, "Each of these individuals brings to the job a wealth of customer focus, personal commitment, industry knowledge and professional expertise. I look forward to working with this senior team upon completion of the merger as we continue to pursue being our customers' most valued and trusted business partner."
Stay tuned to AndNowUKnow for any future updates on the impending merger of Sysco and US Foods.
DENVER, CO - WhiteWave Foods reported strong second quarter results thanks to its acquisition of Earthbound Farm late last year.
“Our second quarter 2014 results reflected strong operating performance all around,” said Kelly Haecker, WhiteWave Foods’ Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer. “We delivered another quarter of robust topline growth, driven by strong organic growth in North America and Europe, as well as the addition of Earthbound Farm."
WhiteWave’s net sales for Q2 were $838 million. That number is a 36% increase from net sales of $616 million in the second quarter of 2013. Earthbound alone accounted for nearly 20% of WhiteWave’s increase.
WhiteWave's shares were up $3.16 to $32.84, a 10.65% increase, according to Yahoo Finance.
Earthbound Farm’s second quarter net sales totaled out at $153 million. These sales were driven by its packaged salad category, which grew by 2% reaching a total of 24%. Earthbound Farm is the leading share in the branded organic packaged salad category.
“We continued to experience strong growth across our businesses in the second quarter, with several of our platforms reporting record revenue,” said Gregg Engles, WhiteWave Farms’ Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. “The increasing cost leverage as a result of our growth, along with the benefits we are starting to realize from the investments in our supply chain, led to strong operating margin expansion in the quarter. We are pleased with our performance and believe our innovative, on-trend and market leading brands will continue to fuel our growth, leading us to again increase our EPS guidance for the full year.”
Accounting for typical seasonality in Earthbound Farm’s business, WhiteWave expects to see net sales growth of approximately 30 percent, adjusted total operating income percentage growth rate in the low to mid-forties and diluted earnings per share between $0.98 and $1.00 in the third quarter of 2014.
For more information on WhiteWave Foods’ acquisition of Earthbound Farm, check out our previous article by clicking here.
IMMOKALEE, FL – Lipman recently took a break from tomatoes to distribute more than 1,200 backpacks filled with school supplies to Immokalee elementary and middle school students at a community event.
“We look forward to our backpack distribution event every year because it’s such a meaningful way to give back to the families and children in the Immokalee community,” said Jaime Weisinger, Community Relations Director for Lipman. “Encouraging education is very important to us, and we hope to serve even more children in the coming years.”
The funds for the backpacks and school supplies were collected during Lipman’s “Homerun Harvest” softball tournament in April, according to a press release. Everglades Farm Equipmant, Bronco Packaging, Aljoma Lumber, Bruno Air Conditioning, Immokalee Produce Shippers and Produce Connection were all sponsors of the event.
In addition to the backpack distribution, more than 30 local organizations provided information and services to families during the event, including Habitat for Humanity; Immokalee Friendship House; Naples Shelter for Abused Women and Children; University of Florida/IFAS Extension; Health Care Network of Southwest Florida/Marion Fether Medical Center; Susan G. Komen Network; Imaginarium Science Center; Boys & Girls Club of Collier County, and PACE Center for Girls. Representatives from the Immokalee Fire Control District displayed emergency vehicles, and the Sheriff’s Department’s Crime Prevention Unit provided educational materials.
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Bernie Thiel, who operates his family’s Sunburst Farms near Lubbock, Texas, has released an ad targeting Immigration Reform.
The ad, which is sponsored by the Partnership for a New American Economy and the American Farm Bureau Federation, showcases 10 acres of squash that Bernie had to destroy because of a shortage of workers. 
According to USA Today, the ad will appear in D.C. taxicabs, the Reagan National and Dulles International airports in the Washington area and movie theatres in 16 congressional districts. It will also run at state fairs and rodeos in Idaho and Louisiana. View the ad below:
“Our farmers are struggling to do their jobs because they don’t have the workers they need. So while Congress does nothing to address agriculture labor shortages, farms fail, food rots, and we import more produce from overseas,” said John Feinblatt, Chairman of the Partnership for a New American Economy.
Bob Stallman, President of the American Farm Bureau Federation, shares the same sentiment. “Ultimately, as a nation, we will decide whether we import our labor or import our food. While our nation’s current political climate makes comprehensive reform a challenge, we are determined that ensuring an adequate farm workforce and securing our borders are compatible goals that are worthy of continued pursuit.”
USA Today reports that a bipartisan comprehensive immigration bill passed in the Senate last year but not in the House. Congress will be leaving at the end of the week for a month-long recess, and there is not much time before lawmakers end the session for November elections.
For more information on how to contact your representatives in Congress click here.
As this complex issue continues to develop, stay tuned to AndNowUKnow for the latests updates.
MEXICO - It’s looking to be a tight mango market ahead as we move through the season in Mexico. Currently, growing regions are reporting quite a bit less out of Mexico to-date. Freska Produce International tells AndNowUKnow that the industry estimates suggest that volumes are down 6 million boxes compared to the same time last year, but the real decline in volume has been over the last month or so as the season has progressed to Northern Mexico.
“The Southern Mexico deal was fairly normal, but as of late, the Northern deal has declined pretty significantly. Some of this is related to weather conditions and off bearing trees but the forecast going forward looks like less fruit than last year overall by a significant amount,” Gary Clevenger, Freska's Co-Founder and Managing Member, tells us.
“When volume declines, its normal to see some increase in price, but this year has been unusual because promotions have been lacking on the retail side leading to inventories sitting on shelves and not moving as fast. We'll have to get more creative with our sales,” he notes.
Larry Nienkerk, Founder of Splendid Products, agreed with this assessment, telling ANUK, “There has been a real lack of clear information from the growers this season, which has lead to very few specials being put out on the market. Given that these specials are a major market driver, their absence has a profound effect on sales numbers.”
As the industry continues moving forward, the forecast is for less fruit out of the Los Mochis region of Mexico, which winds down the season from Mexico.
“In previous years, volume was much higher out of the Nayarit and Sinaloa regions. But, quality has been pretty decent. With less fruit in the tress, there are more good looking size 10’s and larger and not many smaller sizes like 12’s,” Gary tells us.
For Freska, the Mexican mango season began in February and will most likely taper off in September this year. Currently, Mexico is the major growing region for mangos, and there are not enough supplies in other growing regions to rock the market or make a really significant contribution to the market.
“Promotions will be slim until the Ecuador/Brazil seasons go head-to-head in November. There will still be good availability on most sizes, but pricing will not be as low as it has been when there was significant volume,” Gary notes.
Stay tuned to AndNowUKnow for the latest updates on the mango market.
UNITED STATES - These 3 supermarket technologies could change the way the retail business is done in the near future:
ShoppingScout
ShoppingScout, a free web and mobile application organizes and simplifies the shopping process with advanced analytics. ShoppingScout captures a consumer's Intent-to-Buy for retailers, helping to unlock the 'why' behind purchasing and store-selection decisions.
The app is as powerful as it is simple to use. Users log on through their smartphones to create shopping lists which ShoppingScout's sophisticated algorithms use to learn about the consumer's preferences. It turns this data into an optimized, personalized shopping list based on the stores the user is willing to consider, their indicated product preferences, and other factors including price and health attributes such as organic and gluten free.
In the future, Engage3, the makers of ShoppingScout, plan to use this data in a revolutionary way: to make personalized offers a viable retail tool. Take a ShoppingScout user who regularly buys blueberries for example. Current attempts at personalized offers such as Safeway's 'Just for You' program, would target the blueberries with a coupon deal. ShoppingScout however would recognize this behavior will likely continue without the need for intervention, and instead would look to incentivize the purchase of a similar produce item that would fall in line with the preferences of a blueberry lover. Maybe a two-for-one deal on raspberries for example. Manufacturers could even use this data to study the price point at which a particular group of consumers would be likely to switch brands, giving produce marketers a powerful new tool in their arsenal.
“The average family makes 3,000 purchasing decisions per year, with over 100 options for each. That’s a total of at least 300,000 options - no one has that much time,” Ken Ouimet, Engage3 Co-founder told ANUK. “So we offer a computerized agent with artificial intelligence. This takes all the stress off the shopper, by evaluating all the options for them. The agent determines what products should be purchased, and at what stores. We can save that family roughly 30% on their shopping. That’s a very powerful thing, especially given that the application is free.”
Aisle411
This app is the Google Maps of the retail aisle. Its design is as powerful as it is simple. A customer merely punches in the name of the item they're looking for, whether it be oranges or Oreos, and the app shows them a map of the store, guiding them to the product in a quick and seamless manner. With participating retailers such as Hy-Vee, Shop'n Save, Schnucks, and WinCo Foods, Aisle411 promises to be a big time saver for consumers working their way around crowded retail aisles, as well as for store managers wondering how to best display their products in an easy-to-find manner.
Kroger's QueVision
Mashable, a tech news website, notes how the retail giant Kroger has introduced a new management aid system, QueVision which alerts store managers when more registers are needed to prevent long lines at checkout. The technology works by tracking the number of people both entering and leaving Kroger stores with heat-sensitive infrared sensors. When the number of customers in a store passes certain thresholds, managers are alerted that registers either need to be open or closed to accommodate the change in store population.
If you'd like to learn more about Kroger's QueVision system check out ANUK's past article on it here.
Stay tuned to ANUK for more exciting supermarket technologies!
WASHINGTON, D.C. – United Fresh is gearing up for The Washington Conference on September 8-10, 2014 with a fun video featuring United Fresh Board members lip-syncing to "Ain’t No Stopping Us Now." You gotta see this! Make sure to check it out below.
Here are some of the activities taking place at this year’s conference:
- Opening Party on Rooftop Terrace Overlooking the Capitol: This year’s opening party is bigger and better than ever before! You’ll enjoy one of the best vantage points in the city on the Rooftop Terrace of Charlie Palmer Steak, all while networking with produce industry friends and partners.
- United FreshPAC Reception & Dinner at the Capitol Hill Club: The United FreshPAC reception and dinner will be held at the famous National Republican Club of Capitol Hill. This prestigious reception brings together members who have made a personal commitment to the United FreshPAC to strengthen the produce industry. For more information, contact Angela Tiwari at 202-303-3416.
- Fresh Festival on Capitol Hill: At this unique event that’s become one of the most talked-about receptions in DC, you’ll network with members of Congress, their staff and key administration officials as they sample the colorful and flavorful items of our industry.
- New Member & First-Time Attendee Welcome: This special reception welcomes United’s newest members and first-time conference attendees. Make new contacts and learn about how you can get more involved with United! (Invitation Only)
- Leadership Alumni Organization Dinner: Following the Opening Party, United Fresh Produce Industry Leadership Program alumni will gather at Charlie Palmer Steak Alcove. The program, which was first started in 1995, has graduated nineteen classes of produce industry leaders. For more information, contact Victoria Backer at 202-303-3408. (Invitation Only)
The conference will also feature sessions and activities like business education sessions, congressional meetings and forums with regulatory officials. To register, click here.
CHARLOTTE, NC - Chiquita shares climbed this morning as the company reported its second quarter financial results.
As of 12:40 PM ET, shares are up $0.54 to $10.20, a 5.59% increase revealing positive relative strength as the company nears the closing of its announced merger with Fyffes. Check out this five day snapshot of Chiquita's stock:
The company earned profits of $18 million in the second quarter of this year. This is a 42% decrease from the same quarter last year.
"Our second quarter results reflect sequential improvement versus the weather-impacted first quarter and versus year ago overall. We remain on path toward the long-term goals established with our 'return to the core' strategy despite substantial headwinds in the quarter and year to date," said Chiquita CEO Ed Lonergan in a statement. “We realized value and volume sales increases in our banana operations, but reduced productivity, principally due to dry weather, on both owned and third-party farms in Central America resulted in higher sourcing costs and less fruit to sell in our weekly pricing markets.”
The company’s revenue actually climbed just under 2% in Q2 to $826 million, but its costs of sales grew at 3% and affected profit margins. Bananas are still the largest seller for Chiquita, accounting for $537 million in sales during the quarter, ror a 3% increase.
Lonergan added, "We continue to make progress toward our proposed combination with Fyffes. We are confident this merger of equals unites highly complementary businesses and teams, and will enable us to improve service and reliability to customers while improving the efficiency of our operations. Our shareholder meeting to approve the transaction will take place on September 17, 2014, and we expect to close the transaction by the end of the year, subject to satisfaction of previously announced closing conditions."
Chiquita expects to achieve run-rate EBIT margins of 4% for bananas and 7-8% for salads by the end of 2015.
Stay tuned to AndNowUKnow as we continue to follow Chiquita and its merger with Fyffes.