COSTA RICA - During Fresh Del Monte Produce’s recent Q2 2025 Earnings Call, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Mohammad Abu-Ghazaleh explained that the company is actively managing major shipping disruptions at Costa Rica’s Port of Caldera, where unusually strong ocean swells have created a chokepoint for vessel access by tropical fruit exporters.

“Produce is a highly perishable product. With delays at the port due to high swells, severe port congestion, schedule disruptions, and in some cases labor strikes, the shelf-life of the produce is diminished,” Raul Saca, Fresh Del Monte’s Senior Vice President of Global Logistics, told me. “Additionally, delivery to our customers gets interrupted, creating additional challenges.”

According to Fresh Del Monte, these shipping disruptions are causing severe congestion as well as delays for vessels for up to five days, which is driving up costs across the produce supply chain.

“We are cooperating with other shipping lines to minimize the effect of the delays and adjusting wherever possible. This includes things like swapping slots with other shipping lines. If both lines are going to the same destination, we load the cargo in Caldera for our customers and theirs, and they load our cargo and theirs in Quetzal. This type of slot exchange and cooperation allows for one less vessel in each port, easing congestion once the ports become operational,” Raul explained.

With minimal structural protection at the port, the impact is industry-wide. Fresh Del Monte teams are responding with urgency—adjusting schedules, reallocating shipments, and working to maintain service continuity for its customers.

“To mitigate the consequences, we are looking at alternative ports; however, there is no short-term solution,” Raul continued. “Caldera is very important for Fresh Del Monte because of the pineapples. The Port Authority has issued a tender for a port concession that includes the expansion and modernization of the port. This expansion will involve building new berths protected from swells and increasing the port's capacity. That will solve the problems, but in my estimation, it will take 2–3 years at least.”

Raul added that Fresh Del Monte also looked at shipping the cargo through the East Coast from Costa Rica and Guatemala to Freeport, Texas, and trucking the cargo from there to the West Coast. He said this is a very costly solution, but the company is evaluating it.

“In the meantime, we are managing week by week by cooperating with other shipping lines and skipping ports to catch up on the schedules when the vessels get delayed,” Raul concluded.

The AndNowUKnow team will continue to monitor these shipping disruptions and report back as we learn more.

UNITED STATES - An active weather pattern is set to continue from the central Plains to the East Coast over the coming days. According to AccuWeather, scattered thunderstorms will bring periods of gusty winds, small hail, and brief downpours in parts of the Dakotas, Great Lakes, and Southeast, while tropical moisture moving into Texas may lead to pockets of heavy rain.

Forecasters note that while overall storm coverage tends to ease later in the summer, current conditions may still support episodes of unsettled weather in different regions at different times. Saturday’s forecast highlights the potential for storms stretching from the Dakotas through the Great Lakes.

Sunday could bring another round of showers and possible severe weather from the northern Plains into the Midwest and parts of the Northeast. Communities are encouraged to monitor local forecasts and plan accordingly.

Check ANUK for continued updates as this system shifts through the weekend.

OVIEDO, FL - The Southeast Produce Council’s (SEPC) Southern Innovations event is less than a month away, which means suppliers have already mapped out their upcoming showcases and the standout products expected to wow attendees. Taking to this year’s show with multiple items in tow, Duda Farm Fresh Foods aims to help its partners maximize success across three central categories.

“Convenience is a prominent theme for both foodservice customers and consumers. The fresh-cut advantages include cutting labor, saving time, and reducing waste to make everyone’s life a little easier,” shared Nichole Towell, Senior Director of Marketing, Duda Farm Fresh Foods.

With convenience and quality leading the way, Duda Farm Fresh Foods is placing three categories in the spotlight during this year’s show:

• Fresh-Cut Celery: Recognized for its prowess in the celery sector, the brand recently launched unique 2-inch celery dippers™, which are pre-washed and ready-to-eat for convenience and are the perfect bite-sized scoops for all dips and spreads
• Sweet Corn: Duda’s tray-pack sweet corn is carefully grown and harvested from farms in Florida, Georgia, Michigan and Indiana, offering consumers this sweet veg pre-shucked for optimal convenience
• Radishes: Duda’s radishes are available in three ready-to-eat options, including whole radishes, coins, and Ministicks®, giving shoppers the perfect options to satisfy all of their radish needs

“We are about to enter one of the busiest and most food-filled seasons with sports watch parties, the holidays, and a wide range of hosting opportunities. This means easy finger foods to use with dips—cue our products,” Nichole adds. “Charcuterie boards—both large and individual—have been increasing in popularity as well, which can be made whole with some fresh-cut celery and/or radishes to replace or accompany chips and crackers.”

Visit the Duda Farm Fresh Foods team at booth #324 during the Southern Innovations event to learn more about each of these advantageous offerings!

PLANFIELD, WI - Syngenta Vegetable Seeds wrapped up its Future of Veg event in Plainfield yesterday, an all-new event series, with visitors from around the world. The event, held Aug. 12–14, gave customers a closer look at standout varieties in fresh and processing sweet corn and garden beans.

“This event brought together industry leaders, commercial partners breeders, and growers to collaborate and discover more opportunities in sweet corn and garden bean,” said Juan Pablo Lopez, Syngenta Vegetable Seeds Regional Commercial Head, North America, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan. “By seeing how varieties work in real-world conditions, our customers can succeed more.”

Growers, distributors, and other visitors interfaced with the experts behind the varieties on the market today and provided feedback for the upcoming pipeline, a press release stated. They also learned more from trialists and other experts who help with product placement to find the best fit based on geography, local challenges, consumer demands, and grower goals.

“We take pride in putting our customers at the forefront of everything we do – and this event accentuates that commitment,” said Ana Grau, Syngenta Vegetable Seeds Brand and Customer Head, Americas. “In Plainfield, we’re excited to bring solutions to the unique processors market and the customer-facing fresh market in garden bean and sweet corn.”

The event showcased leading crop varieties in:

• Fresh sweet corn – bred for better eating quality while maintaining good agronomics to support higher yield potential – including traits such as the herbicide tolerance in Attribute® II sweet corn.
• Processing sweet corn – created with processor priorities in mind, not only yield in the field but recovery in the plant and attention to how the kernels perform when canned and frozen.
• Fresh and processing garden beans – crafted to maintain quality, yield potential, and taste. Visitors learned more about Syngenta’s attention to breeding a better bean that serves not only growers, but the end consumer as well.

From lab to field to fork, every step of the journey matters in vegetable production. At Syngenta Vegetable Seeds, our commitment to serving growers with quality products is without compromise.

“For us, it’s all about our customers and helping them succeed,” said Andre Cariou, Syngenta Vegetable Seeds Regional Commercial Head, LATAM and AGH. “Thank you to everyone who joined us and see you next year!”

For more information on Syngenta Vegetable Seeds, please visit www.syngentavegetables.com.

LEAMINGTON, ONTARIO, CANADA - Highline Mushrooms is turning National Mushroom Month into a full-scale celebration with its biggest, boldest campaign yet. A coast-to-coast omni-channel takeover built to excite the next generation of shoppers, re-engage loyal customers, and drive measurable growth across the mushroom category.

From Aisle to Online: A Category-Wide Celebration

With retail partnerships spanning North America, Highline is meeting shoppers wherever they are; online, in-store, and at the digital point of purchase. The high-impact campaign blends in-store inspiration with digital activation, featuring geo-targeted campaigns across multiple platforms and engaging content partnerships designed to inspire, educate, and drive purchase.

Turnkey POS kits make it easy for retail partners to join the celebration, a press release noted. Each kit showcases Highline’s bold rebrand with impactful visuals and educational elements, creating a fresh, connected shopping experience that captures attention and encourages discovery.

Driving Excitement and Increasing Consumption 

Every element of this campaign is designed to spark excitement, grow consumption, and position mushrooms as a versatile, nutrient-rich, and must-have everyday staple.

"National Mushroom Month is our biggest campaign yet and a launchpad for our vision to make mushrooms the most exciting and shoppable category in produce year-round. For retailers, it’s a turnkey program that delivers traffic, builds loyalty, and increases purchase frequency.

We’ve built this around what today’s shoppers want most: transparency, nutrition, convenience, and bold flavor. Our rebrand is the foundation for telling the mushroom story in a fresh, engaging way that inspires consumers to choose mushrooms more often and keeps them coming back." — Sabrina Pokomandy, Director of Business Development and Marketing, Highline Mushrooms

National Mushroom Month activations will run throughout September, keeping mushrooms top of mind, and top of cart, long after the month ends.

FOWLER, CA - As the 2025-2026 academic year draws near for many households, the Bee Sweet Citrus team is encouraging families to incorporate their citrus products into back-to-school meals and snacks.

“Citrus fruits are perfect for busy families because they’re easy to peel, delicious, and are a great source of vitamin C,” stated Bee Sweet Citrus Director of Communications Monique Mueller in a recent release. “They require minimal preparation, making them an ideal snack choice for families juggling work, school, sports, and more.”

In addition to maintaining a steady supply of lemons, oranges, and mandarins for its customers, Bee Sweet Citrus is also sponsoring the Healthy Family Project’s annual Back to School campaign for the tenth consecutive year.

“The back-to-school season is a fun, yet crazy time for many families, and Healthy Family Project is excited to partner with companies like Bee Sweet Citrus to make things a bit easier for everyone,” stated Healthy Family Project Partnership Manager Tracy Shaw. “Over the next few weeks, you can count on us to share fun, back-to-school blog content, RD-led social media segments, and even upbeat Spotify playlists that will help fill households with fun tunes.”

The Healthy Family Project’s annual Back to School campaign provides families and educators with helpful resources that highlight the role produce plays in healthy diets. This year, the company and its sponsors donated $16,000 to the International Fresh Produce Association’s Foundation for Fresh Produce to increase accessibility to fresh fruits and vegetables in schools.

“As families juggle the back-to-school season with hectic work and school schedules, the last thing they should worry about is their accessibility to fresh produce,” continued Mueller. “We’re proud to provide families with citrus year-round and support organizations that combat food insecurity.”

Bee Sweet Citrus currently offers offshore mandarins, lemons, and Navel oranges, as well as California grapefruit, Meyer Lemons, and Royal Red oranges, to its customers. To learn more about the company’s variety availability, please call 559-834-4200 or visit www.beesweetcitrus.com.

CORAL GABLES, FL - Fresh Del Monte Produce Inc., one of the world’s leading vertically integrated producers, marketers and distributors of high-quality fresh and fresh-cut fruit and vegetables, announced a new joint venture with Managro Group, a Colombia‑based agricultural company and leading exporter of limes and avocados. The strategic partnership includes a shared investment to expand an avocado and lime packing house in Colombia, further strengthening Fresh Del Monte’s supply chain capabilities and broadening its presence in two high-growth categories: avocados and limes.

The facility will service Fresh Del Monte’s North American and European markets, enhancing the company’s ability to deliver consistent, high-quality avocados and limes year-round, according to a press release. With Colombia’s favorable growing conditions and reliable sourcing potential, this investment supports the company’s long-term strategy in both lines, while also solidifying its commitment to diversifying its sourcing and expanding its presence in Colombia.

“This joint venture is a bold step in advancing our long-term ambition: to lead in the most dynamic, high-growth categories in fresh produce,” said Danny Dumas, Fresh Del Monte Senior Vice President of Sales, Marketing, and Product Management for North America. “Through our partnership with Managro in Colombia, we’re enhancing our vertical integration, expanding our global footprint, and reinforcing our position as a trusted, year-round supplier of premium avocados and limes.”

The avocado and lime markets are experiencing strong, sustained growth, driven by rising global demand for nutrient-rich foods. According to Fact.MR, a global market intelligence and advisory firm, the global lime market is projected to grow from $48 billion in 2024 to $62 billion by 2034, at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 2.5%. The global avocado market is expected to expand from approximately $19 billion in 2024 to about $34 billion by 2034, reflecting a robust 5.9% CAGR. This joint venture leverages Colombia’s strategic production advantages, Managro’s deep product-line knowledge, and Fresh Del Monte’s global distribution expertise to meet growing demand with consistency, quality, and scale across both categories.

This strategic move strengthens Fresh Del Monte’s commitment to growth, innovation, and the delivery of premium produce that meets the evolving needs of today’s consumers.