WASHINGTON, DC - The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has imposed sanctions on three produce businesses for failing to meet contractual obligations to the sellers of produce they purchased and failing to pay reparation awards issued under the Perishable Agricultural Commodities Act (PACA). These sanctions include suspending the businesses’ PACA licenses and barring the principal operators from engaging in PACA-licensed business or other activities without USDA approval.

The following businesses and individuals are currently restricted from operating in the produce industry:

• Del Rancho Produce LLC, operating out of Rio Rico, Ariz., for failing to pay a $17,398 award in favor of a California seller. As of the issuance date of the reparation order, Maria Arellano was listed as the sole member of the business.
• ARG Global Trade LLC, operating out of Kerman, Calif., for failing to pay a $131,419 award in favor of a Washington seller. As of the issuance date of the reparation order, Jose Ramirez Carmona was listed as a manager/member of the business. Another principal of the business at the time of the order was Jamie Verduzco.
• Guercio & Sons, operating out of Buffalo, N.Y., for failing to pay a $27,547 award in favor of a New York seller. As of the issuance date of the reparation order, John Guercio, Salvatore Guercio and Gaetano Guercio were listed as the officers, directors, and major shareholders of the business.

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.

By issuing these penalties, USDA continues to enforce the prompt and full payment for produce while protecting the rights of sellers and buyers in the marketplace.

For more information, contact Penny Robinson-Landrigan, Chief, Dispute Resolution Branch, at (202) 720-2890, or [email protected].

LEAMINGTON, ON - We always look forward to the Canadian Produce Marketing Association (CPMA) Convention and Trade Show and the abundance of industry innovations it brings into the spotlight, and this year is no different! As attendees prepare for another exciting showcase, Highline Mushrooms’ Janis Deschenes, Sales Manager, Retail, Wholesale and Foodservice, gave us a glimpse of what to expect from the mushroom maven.

Emerging as a star of this year’s showcase is Highline’s bilingual-labeled Stuffed Mushrooms, part of its Fresh Gourmet Series.

“These products were developed with today’s shopper in mind,” Janis explains. “Consumers are increasingly looking for fresh items that offer both convenience and elevated meal experiences, and stuffed mushrooms fit perfectly into that space. They’re easy to prepare, versatile for entertaining or weeknight meals, and they give retailers an opportunity to introduce value-added innovation within the mushroom category. From a retail perspective, these products are Built to Sell, Built to Supply, and Built for Margin, which is exactly what buyers are looking for as they continue to evolve the produce department.”

CPMA provides a valuable platform for growth by bringing together the entire Canadian produce industry in one place and creating a naturally collaborative environment.

“Many of the conversations we have at CPMA go beyond just products—they’re about category growth, innovation, and long-term partnerships. It’s an opportunity to sit down with retailers and talk about where the category is going, what shoppers are looking for, and how we can work together to grow mushrooms,” Janis explains.

“For us at Highline, CPMA is a great opportunity to reconnect with long-standing retail partners, meet new buyers, and share what we’re investing in as a company—both from a product innovation standpoint and from a production standpoint,” Janis continues. “It’s also an important moment to showcase the strength of the Canadian produce industry, while continuing to build relationships that extend across North America. Many of our retail partners operate in both markets, so it’s a great environment to discuss category growth from a broader perspective.”

The CPMA show comes at an exciting period of growth for Highline Mushrooms, as the company is bringing its Farm of the Future in Leamington, Ontario, fully online this year, representing the next chapter of mushroom growing in Canada.

“By integrating advanced growing technology, automation, and data-driven systems, the Farm of the Future will allow us to deliver greater consistency, improved forecasting, and scalable supply for our retail partners,” Janis tells me. “At the same time, we’re continuing to drive category growth through our rebrand and through solutions that help retailers grow the mushroom category. From packaging and merchandising strategies to value-added innovation like our Fresh Gourmet Series, our focus is on creating programs that attract shoppers, introduce new meal occasions, and increase basket size.”

Don’t miss the Highline Mushrooms booth at this year’s CPMA show, and keep reading ANUK for more exclusive insights in the lead-up to the event!

FORT LAUDERDALE, FL - Practice makes perfect, especially in an art form. And to call Chiquita’s Pop By Nature anything less would do the move a disservice.

Now taking on its third iteration, Pop By Nature is finding its stride. Marco Volpi, Chief Marketing Officer, took some time to share how the company has implemented insights from its first two years to shape this retail-ready activation and in-store execution.

“Pop by Nature is a multi-year creative journey, and each new artist brings a distinct interpretation of the brand,” Marco begins. “One of our biggest learnings from the previous two years of the campaign is that the platform works best when it evolves artistically each year while staying anchored in a consistent emotional idea: that Chiquita bananas are a pop icon ingrained in consumers' everyday lives.”

This year, artist Jiaqi Wang places even greater focus on Miss Chiquita as the emotional heart of the campaign, transforming her from a traditional brand ambassador into a true contemporary icon.

“In the campaign’s key visual, Miss Chiquita is portrayed in her true essence. Despite the modern aesthetic and vibrant colors, she remains proudly connected to her roots and to the values of her land. This is symbolized by the Chiquita banana she holds close to her chest with pride,” Marco explains. Moreover, with the second campaign artwork, he shares that the creative went a step further. “For the first time, she is portrayed in specific, relatable everyday moments that are dynamic, confident, and fully immersed in modern life. In some scenes, her signature fruit hat gives way to a chic foulard, signaling a refined reinvention that reflects the style, strength, and individuality of a modern woman, while honoring her heritage. This evolution translates clearly across international markets as both culturally relevant and unmistakably Chiquita at shelf.”

Working across three pillars, Marco shares that Pop by Nature translates into incremental value for retailers, from increased foot traffic to stronger banana category visibility in stores.

• Distinctiveness: Leveraging Chiquita’s history as something more than just a fruit, with an unmistakable pop personality
• Relevance: Giving voice to meaningful, authentic messages for current and potential Chiquita consumers
• Memorability: Leaving lasting impressions thanks to collaborations with several international artists who have enriched and celebrated the brand’s image

“Pop by Nature strengthens the brand equity of a banana brand that has always positioned itself as a true cultural icon. This is why we found our natural space within the world of pop art, which also allows us to further differentiate and innovate within a category that still has significant room for improvement in this respect,” Marco says.

As we reported initially, the campaign includes limited-edition Jiaqi Wang Blue Stickers and related merchandising elements. When asked how this will further drive shopper engagement and conversion, Marco shares that it is the most tangible expression of the campaign at shelf.

“Because the Blue Sticker is already one of the most globally recognized brand assets in produce, reimagining it through seasonal artwork immediately signals that something new and culturally relevant is happening,” he says. “This year’s design transforms the sticker from a quality mark into a storytelling device. The result is stronger visual disruption in the banana set, increased product interaction, and a more emotionally driven purchase decision rather than a purely transactional one.”

Pop by Nature is a fully integrated global campaign across digital, social, and PR channels so that this is a familiar, even sought-after, image by the time the consumer steps into the store. Leveraging social storytelling, influencer engagement, and digital retail touchpoints, Chiquita is showcasing a fresh crossover between life and art that brings even more color to the produce department by the time it is seen in-store.

MOUNT WAVERLEY, VICTORIA, AUSTRALIA - GP Graders has introduced its purpose-built sanitary blueberry grading system - a high-precision machine designed to deliver minimal maintenance downtime, industry-leading softness detection, advanced defect analysis, and operator-friendly control for modern packhouses.

Multiple units are now operating in blueberry facilities across several global markets, reflecting growing demand for higher hygiene standards and more intelligent fruit segmentation.

Sanitary Design Engineered for Real Packhouses

According to the recent release, this model has been designed specifically for wash-down environments in line with 3-A SSI sanitary principles. The machine eliminates flat surfaces to prevent water and residue accumulation, instead using rounded tubular stainless construction and sealed fittings throughout - including enclosed vision systems and protected electrical connections.

Blueberries create unique sanitation challenges due to natural juice build-up and residue accumulation. To address this, critical components such as belts and ejection assemblies can be quickly removed using simple locking pins, providing full access for pressure washing and end-of-shift cleaning.

The result is reduced downtime during cleaning, simplified maintenance access, and greater confidence for packhouses operating under strict food safety protocols.

World-Leading Softness Detection and Vision Precision

At the core of the system is a sealed stainless canopy housing advanced spectral vision technology. Each blueberry is analysed using:

• Three camera types per lane - colour, monochrome, and NIR
• Seven rotational images per fruit
• A total of 21 images processed per blueberry
• Speeds of approximately 45 berries per second

This level of data capture enables detection of bruising, soft spots, splitting, cracking, stem presence, shrivel, dehydration, size variation and colour defects.

Where the system truly differentiates itself is in its relative softness detection capability.

By combining NIR data with advanced image analysis across the berry’s full rotation, the grader identifies subtle firmness variations that are typically invisible to conventional systems. This allows packers to separate fruit not only by size and appearance, but by texture performance and storage potential.

The ability to accurately grade for firmness unlocks significant commercial advantage:

• Improved export segmentation
• Better alignment to shelf-life requirements
• Reduced spoilage risk
• More consistent premium pack quality

According to GP Graders, the system’s softness detection performance currently exceeds other available market solutions, positioning it at the forefront of blueberry grading technology.

The machine is available in multiple configurations - including 4, 8, 12 and 16-lane systems - allowing packhouses to scale capacity according to operational requirements. A 16-lane configuration, for example, is capable of processing approximately 2 – 3 tonnes per hour and integrates directly with automatic punnet and clamshell fillers, maintaining throughput without compromising grading accuracy.

See the full release here.

YAKIMA, WA - Superfresh Growers® announced a major expansion of its Equitable Food Initiative (EFI) certification, building on its already significant certified apple and pear acreage and now covering the majority of the company’s cherry acreage as it enters the 2026 season. Additional apple, pear, blueberry and cherry acreage is scheduled for certification over the next two years, extending EFI standards across the company’s full range of operations. The expansion reflects a multi-year commitment to making EFI the operating standard across Superfresh Growers’ farms and production facilities, with a particular emphasis on apples and blueberries in the next phase.

“We’ve always tried to support the well-being of teams across the company and run strong operations, but EFI gives us a structure to keep improving and a way to measure if we’re actually getting better,” said Derek Tweedy, Vice President of Operations, in the recent release. “It helps us listen to our teams, identify issues earlier, and make practical changes that improve safety, culture, and day-to-day work. When our teams are engaged and feel heard, the whole operation runs better.”

Superfresh Growers was among the early adopters of EFI when the program first launched and has continued expanding its participation as the program has grown. Through EFI training, the company has implemented a number of employee-led improvements across both orchard and warehouse operations.

Recent additional improvements were concentrated in Superfresh production facilities, including enhanced lighting in work areas and reflective safety vests for forklift operators. While some improvements are large in scope, others are simple solutions that come directly from employees doing the work every day. The EFI process encourages communication and problem-solving across all levels of the organization, creating a culture where employees feel ownership and responsibility in improving their workplace.

“EFI has changed the ‘that’s how we do it’ mentality to an ‘I have the power to make change’ mentality,” said Melissa Gomez, HR Generalist and EFI Coordinator. “The biggest change we’ve seen is the level of ownership from our teams. Employees are speaking up, identifying issues and helping solve problems. That level of engagement is what makes this program successful.” For Superfresh Growers, EFI has become more than a certification program. It has helped the company build leadership teams across its orchards and production facilities, create more opportunities for employee involvement in decision-making, and support continued growth across the operation. As the company continues to expand its EFI acreage, the program will remain a key part of how Superfresh Growers develops leaders, improves operations and plans for the future.

An early example of this mindset in action came when field employees requested more shade and seating during harvest. In response, the company developed mobile break stations placed at orchard edges, allowing crews to take breaks in a clean, shaded area near their work while maintaining food safety requirements. This program was implemented ahead of new state heat regulations and has since served as a practical model for how farms can support worker safety while maintaining operational and food safety standards.

“One of the biggest changes for us before and after EFI has been the leadership teams,” added Tweedy. “We already had a lot of good practices in place, but building leadership teams across our orchards and warehouses has helped us make faster, smarter decisions, involve employees more in improving our operations and support our growth as a company. It’s made a real difference in how we operate and how we plan for the future.”

Superfresh Growers will continue expanding EFI certification across its operations as part of its long-term commitment to ethical labor, safe working environments, and continuous improvement across its farms and warehouses.

MILLEN, GA - Last week, the Southeast Produce Council (SEPC) successfully hosted its STEP-UPP Foodservice Class for an immersive spring tour, offering participants a deep dive into the produce supply chain and fostering vital grower-retailer partnerships.

STEP-UPP (Southeast Training Education Program for Upcoming Produce Professionals) serves as SEPC’s flagship educational initiative. The program is specifically designed to provide rising leaders in the retail and foodservice sectors with a 360-degree view of the industry through a blend of strategic leadership development and hands-on, field-based training.

The educational journey kicked off on Tuesday, March 17th, when participants engaged in a series of facility, farm, and field tours hosted by SEPC level sponsors Fresh Del Monte Produce, Sunripe Certified Brands, Wish Farms, and Florida Classic Growers. The momentum continued into Wednesday with additional on-site experiences courtesy of SEPC level sponsors Pioneer Growers and Duda Farm Fresh Foods, providing the class with a comprehensive look at modern agricultural operations and logistics.

The tour concluded on Thursday with a final visit to SEPC Future of Industry sponsor Southern Specialties. This closing leg allowed participants to reflect on the complexities of the supply chain before heading home with newfound expertise.

SEPC extends its sincere gratitude to the Future of Industry sponsors whose generosity makes these educational milestones possible: Divine Flavor, Fresh Alliance, Mid-State Produce, Nature Fresh Farms, Nickey Gregory Company, NPC Foodbuy, RPE, Shuman Farms, Southern Specialties, Southern Valley Fruit and Vegetable, and Vick Family Farms.

“Our Florida trip was a great success, despite a few travel complications. We saw excellent engagement from our students and a real desire to immerse themselves in learning about growing and supply chain processes. The students really came together as a group, and they supported each other through every step of the trip," said Heather Hart, STEP-UPP Foodservice Committee Co-Chair, Baldor.

“Despite a very hectic travel day due to weather delays, our students used the time to push through challenges, which helped them better appreciate each other and the anomalies that define our industry. Because of those hardships, the group quickly came together and immersed themselves in the learning process. After three full days visiting a wide range of SEPC partner growers, packers, and shippers, their attentiveness and thoughtful questions were clear signs of genuine engagement," said David Verdrager, STEP-UPP Foodservice Committee Co-Chair, RPE.

The journey for the STEP-UPP Foodservice Class of 2026 is far from over. These professionals will officially celebrate their graduation during Southern Innovations this September in Nashville, Tennessee. For more information about the STEP-UPP program or to explore other educational initiatives, please visit the SEPC Education page on the SEPC Website.