FULLERTON, CA - The California Avocado Commission announced its annual early-season crop forecast, projecting 330 million pounds of California avocados. This estimate includes 310 million pounds of Hass and 20 million pounds of GEM, Lamb Hass and other avocado varieties. With continual investment in new plantings and nearly 51,000 acres now producing California avocados, 2026 is expected to be the third consecutive year with volume in excess of 300 million pounds. While some harvesting already has occurred, the peak of promotable volume is expected from April into August.

“Recent rain in California generally was welcomed by growers due to its help with soil and tree health,” said Terry Splane, Commission vice president of marketing, in the recent release. “Now there is hope for these sunny days to continue into spring to ensure fruit sizing.”

CAC also announced that Terry Splane will retire on February 28.

“Leading the Commission’s award-winning marketing program for the past several years has been one of the highlights of my 40-year career,” said Splane. “I'm especially grateful to the dedicated CAC marketing staff, agency partners, and an inspirational group of avocado growers and industry leaders who made the work so impactful. My wife retired last year and now it is time for us to pursue our post career journey together.”

The California avocado consumer marketing program, including its advertising and social media campaign, already has been developed and is ready to launch when the harvest reaches promotable volume levels. This year’s campaign evolution incorporates actual California avocado growers who share what makes their fruit so special.

Customized retail and foodservice support programs are being built out for the upcoming season. These programs can include traditional trade marketing activities such as retail displays, demos, signage, and foodservice limited-time offers, as well as media support targeted to specific customers’ patrons.

“Terry’s leadership and vision played a critical role in strengthening the California avocados brand and advancing the Commission’s goals, said Ken Melban, CAC president. We are deeply grateful for his many contributions and wish Terry a well-earned and rewarding retirement.”

BAKERSFIELD, CA - Bako Sweet® is driving incremental demand at retail by delivering meaningful, sales-driven moments with American Hearth Health Month and National Sweet Potato Month during the month of February. Additionally, retailers can stop by the Bako Sweet Booth #324 to learn more about packaging options and customized programs during the Southeast Produce Council’s Southern Exposure (SEPC) trade show in Orlando, Florida, February 26 – March 1, 2026.

“From heart-health messaging to new packaging options and proven category growth, February offers retailers an exciting opportunity to engage shoppers with a product that delivers on both nutrition and flavor,” explains Susan Noritake, vice president of sales and marketing at Bako Sweet, in the recent release. “Sweet potatoes are having their moment right now. They’re trusted, versatile, affordable, and backed by real health benefits, and during February’s sales-driven focus, that story has never been more relevant.”

Sweet potatoes continue to outperform across the produce department. Sweet potato sales are up 8.2% in volume nationwide compared to 2024, which is significantly outpacing the growth of the potato category and product category as a whole. “Bako Sweet is leading the category as the number one brand in sweet potatoes," said Noritake.

During Heart Health Month and throughout the season, Bako Sweet sweet potatoes proudly carry the American Heart Association’s (AHA) Heart-Check mark, a trusted symbol that resonates strongly at shelf. According to AHA research, 67% of consumers, including 79% of Millennials, recognize the Heart-Check mark, helping shoppers identify a heart-healthy choice.3 Bako Sweet will continue its successful pink, heart-health packaging on all 3lb and 5lb mesh bags and new to the lineup this year, packaging has expanded to include four-count trays and microwavable singles. The products can be merchandised in matching display bins and display-ready cases. The eye-catching packaging and displays help drive engagement and incremental sales.

With heart health continuing to rank as a top priority for consumers, sweet potatoes support heart-conscious eating without feeling restrictive, making them an easy choice for today’s wellness-focused shopper. “Naturally nutrient-dense, familiar and comforting, sweet potatoes are a reminder, especially during Heart Health Month, that supporting your heart can be as simple and nutritious as adding sweet potatoes to your plate,” says Noritake.

Throughout February, Bako Sweet is driving consumers to stores with a multi-channel campaign featuring new recipes along with digital and social media activations. “Shoppers can scan the QR code printed on our merchandising display bins when shopping,” explains Noritake. “It takes them to our recipe page helping them ‘sweeten their everyday’ with new creative culinary ideas including Sweet Potato Taco Cups and Football Brownies. Retailers can utilize our unique recipes for their Best Food Day ads and social channels.”

In addition to the pink, heart-health packaging, Bako Sweet offers a range of products including recyclable trays, microwaveable steam bags, and individually wrapped single options. All the products are triple-washed and available in a range of options from single servings to family size bags. “To help with meal-time convenience, Bako Sweet is adding a new 3lb white mesh bag for white sweet potatoes and a 3lb purple mesh bag for purple varieties delivering another packaging option for sweet potatoes historically only sold in bulk,” explains Noritake.

Retailers are encouraged to stop by Bako Sweet’s booth #324 during SEPC to learn more about their new packaging options, merchandising and marketing support, and customized programs to kick off another successful season with the number one sweet potato brand.

VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA - Village Fresh Greenhouse Grown announced the appointment of Helen L. Aquino as Vice President of Innovation, reinforcing the company’s focus on consumer relevance and customer-driven innovation.

Helen has been with Village Farms, now Village Fresh, since 2008, bringing more than 20 years of experience across agricultural research, brand strategy, product development, and controlled environment agriculture. During her tenure, she has contributed to varietal introductions, packaging innovation, category management, sustainability communications, and retail-focused go-to-market strategies.

In her new role, Helen will lead innovation strategy across varietal development, packaging, and positioning, working closely with seed partners, R&D, operations, and commercial teams to ensure greenhouse advancements translate into products that perform at retail.

“Innovation is critical to how we serve our customers and support their growth,” said Michael A. DeGiglio, CEO of Village Fresh Greenhouse Grown, in the recent release. “It allows us to stay ahead of consumer expectations and deliver products that are consistent, relevant, and easy to sell.”

“Understanding how consumer lifestyles continue to change helps guide our innovation,” said Aquino. “That insight drives better varieties, improved packaging, and clearer choices that reflect how people shop, cook, and eat.”

Prior to joining Village Farms, Aquino served as a Research Analyst with the Rutgers University Food Policy Institute.

SAN FRANCISCO, CA - GrubMarket, the AI-powered technology enabler and digital transformer of the American food supply chain industry, as well as one of the largest private food technology and eCommerce companies globally, announced that it has raised around $50 million in Series H financing from Future Food Fund, Portfolia Funds, Liberty Street Funds, RD Heritage Group, Flume Ventures, MY Securities, and other unnamed participants. This significantly up round values GrubMarket at a pre-money valuation of $4.5 billion.

This investment round follows a series of major milestones for the company. In June 2025, GrubMarket made its largest acquisition in history, acquiring Coast Citrus, a major provider of tropical produce in the U.S. In July 2025, GrubMarket launched the first-ever Inventory Management AI Agent for the food supply chain industry, which streamlines and automates critical inventory workflows. In September 2025, GrubMarket released the Reporting AI Agent, which automates AI-powered business analysis on custom schedules. In April 2025, the company acquired Delta Fresh Produce, a major produce distributor in Arizona. Furthermore, GrubMarket acquired Procurant, a leading Software-as-a-Service eCommerce and trading platform for the fresh produce industry, which facilitates $5.5 billion in Gross Merchandise Volume (GMV) annually for over 850 customers across 14 countries.

"GrubMarket has experienced an incredible acceleration in growth over the last 12 months and continues to stand out as the largest private food technology company in the United States. Since we have a self-sustaining business model, this funding round was not a necessity; rather, we saw it as an opportunity to align our company's valuation with the new level of scale and strength that we have achieved with our eCommerce business growth, our AI-powered tech innovations, and the significant ongoing value we generate for the industry," said Mike Xu, CEO of GrubMarket, in the recent release. "This Series H funding will turbocharge our AI software and business growth, and extend our eCommerce reach globally. We will increase our investment in people, financial infrastructure, technology, and acquisitions. Above all, we will continue to operate a self-sustaining business as the foundation of this company."

As the only Enterprise AI solutions provider for the American food supply chain, a first mover in the tech-enabled B2B food eCommerce space, and a pioneer offering cutting-edge, AI-powered software-as-a-service solutions, GrubMarket uses technology to fundamentally transform the American and global food supply chain. GrubMarket was named to the prestigious CNBC Disruptor 50 list for three consecutive years, in 2023, 2024 and 2025 (No. 20). In April 2025, GrubMarket was named "Inventory Management Solution Provider of the Year" by RetailTech Breakthrough Awards. In November 2025, GrubMarket was selected the winner of the 2025 "Sustainability in the Food Industry Award" by The Shelby Report. Today, GrubMarket operates in all 50 U.S. States and has a global presence in Argentina, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Egypt, India, Mexico, South Africa, and Spain, with plans to expand further across the U.S., Canada, South America, Europe, Africa, and other parts of the world. The company does business in over 70 countries globally.

GrubMarket's Sustainable California initiative has been actively running since 2023, serving as a multi-faceted, company-wide initiative with a mission to preserve California's farming environment, empower farmers, and reinvigorate the state's fragile agricultural ecosystem. Since its inception, this initiative has promoted organic farming practices, supported reforestation, and distributed innovative technologies to support a more resilient and sustainable food system. Sustainable California has sponsored the successful planting of over hundreds of thousands of trees in diverse regions throughout the state; supported California farmers seeking organic certification; and contributed efforts towards protecting the State's natural habitats, watersheds, and farmlands to ensure future agricultural prosperity. GrubMarket's Sustainable California initiative for 2025 included partnering with One Tree Planted to plant over 100,000 trees in the Sierra Nevada region, which was severely damaged by the 2013 Rim Fire; providing California farmers with free access to GrubMarket's AI-powered software for the duration of the year; and partnering with CCOF to continue its sponsorship of 10 socially disadvantaged farmers in California to complete the organic transition program and certification process.

"Portfolia is proud to be a long-time investor in Mike Xu and the GrubMarket team, through multiple funds. Mike is a brilliant, strategic and persistent executive. The team's continued execution success validates our conviction in Mike's leadership and in GrubMarket's ability to redefine how food moves to our tables. We are thrilled to continue backing their vision to modernize food supply chains," said Trish Costello, CEO & Founder of Portfolia Funds.

"As the venture arm of a company that operates a major online platform for fresh produce in Japan, we understand how hard it is to build a long-lasting business at scale, and we are impressed by GrubMarket's strong execution and profitable growth trajectory. We are excited to support the company's expansion and help accelerate its next phase of global growth," said Hiro Hasegawa, Venture Partner of Future Food Fund.

PLANT CITY, FL - With the arrival of Valentine’s Day comes an expected boost to the strawberry category and an exciting increase in traffic to the produce department. As strawberries gear up to be a seasonal star for the whole month of February, Wish Farms is ramping up opportunities for its retail partners.

“Valentine’s Day is one of the strongest seasonal moments for strawberries, and retailers should lead with premium and visually distinctive offerings,” Amber Maloney, Wish Farms’ Director of Marketing, advises. “Long-stem strawberries perform especially well for the holiday, as they align with gifting and special-occasion purchases. Pink-A-Boo Pineberries™ add a unique visual element with their white fruit and red seeds, fitting perfectly into Valentine’s pink-and-red color palette while delivering a memorable eating experience. Newer varieties like Ember and Encore also stand out for their size, color, and flavor, making them ideal for holiday displays.”

As shoppers seek options that feel festive, versatile, and family-friendly, retailers can boost the category by positioning strawberries as both a gift and an indulgence.

“Cross digital trends show strong engagement around kid-inspired berry treats, including chocolate-dipped strawberries, decorative toppings, heart-shaped cuts, and shareable snack-style creations,” Amber shares. “Retailers can meet this demand by pairing strawberries with chocolate, dessert toppings, and DIY elements that encourage creativity while still appealing to adult shoppers.”

Strawberries are also a star in Valentine’s Day-themed treats and snacks, allowing retailers to lean into bold, high-visibility displays featuring both fresh berries and complementary items such as chocolate dips, charcuterie components, and dessert kits. Secondary displays near store entrances also help capture shoppers’ attention early and drive impulse purchases.

“Valentine’s Day continues to shift toward experiences and at-home celebrations, and strawberries fit naturally into that evolution,” Amber adds. “From elevated gifts to kid-inspired treats and festive snacks, strawberries allow retailers to serve multiple shopper needs with one versatile category. With the right merchandising and variety mix, berries can be a focal point of Valentine’s promotions.”

With a focus on varietal innovation and premium seasonal programs, Wish Farms continues to stand out in the berry patch, giving retailers the flexibility to serve both gifting occasions and emerging usage trends. Offerings like organics, Pink-A-Boo Pineberries™, and long-stem strawberries—along with newer varieties such as Ember and Encore—are selected for consistent quality, visual appeal, and eating experience.

For more tips on maximizing category demand, keep a tab open to AndNowUKnow.

BENTONVILLE, AR - Walmart has crossed a $1 trillion market capitalization threshold, reflecting accelerating momentum in its e-commerce, marketplace, and advertising businesses as the retailer continues to shift its profit mix toward higher-margin digital operations, according to CNBC.

The milestone follows a sustained stock rally driven by growth in Walmart’s third-party marketplace and advertising platforms, both of which deliver stronger margins than its traditional brick-and-mortar retail business. The company’s shares have climbed more than 24% over the past year and more than 11% year to date in 2026, outpacing broader market benchmarks.

Walmart’s digital expansion has mirrored strategies used by major technology companies, underscored by its recent inclusion in the Nasdaq 100. 

For its fiscal 2026 third quarter, Walmart reported revenue growth of 5.8%, supported by a 27% increase in e-commerce sales and 53% growth in its advertising business. The company has projected full-year sales growth of between 4.8% and 5.1% and is expected to report fiscal fourth-quarter earnings later this month.

The $1 trillion valuation milestone arrives days after John Furner assumed the role of CEO, succeeding Doug McMillon. Furner previously led Walmart’s U.S. business, where many of the digital and operational initiatives driving recent performance were developed and scaled.

Check ANUK for continued coverage on retail strategy.