Orange County, California-based Zespri begins shipping its kiwifruit in mid-May. Leading the sales growth is Zespri’s SunGold, which is now the No. 1 largest and top-growing kiwifruit. Shoppers are better able to locate SunGold in the produce section with its newly designed vertical packaging, which is stackable and easier to merchandise. “Zespri is the world […]
Category: Produce News
The Shelby Report covers the produce industry for grocery retailers nationwide, from fresh fruit and vegetable trends and supplier announcements to merchandising strategies and regional market news. Updated regularly across our five regional editions.
Find all our fresh coverage in Focus on Fresh.
Posted inProduce News, Home Page Slider, West
Dole Food Co. Partners With Beanstalk To Extend Brand Offerings
Dole Food Co. is partnering with global brand extension licensing agency, Beanstalk, to extend its brand into food categories that further empower consumers to experience healthy living through association with the DOLE brand. For generations the Dole brand has represented the highest quality in produce with a mission to make the world a healthier place […]
Posted inProduce News, Home Page Slider, Southeast, The Kroger Co.
AppHarvest Ships First Harvest Of Tomatoes On The Vine
AppHarvest recently shipped its first harvest of Tomatoes on the Vine from its flagship high-tech indoor farm to Kroger grocery stores. This harvest marks the second tomato variety to be distributed to grocery stores since the controlled environment ag company first harvested Beefsteak tomatoes in January. The Morehead, Kentucky facility, one of the country’s largest […]
Posted inProduce News, Home Page Slider, Southeast
Green Life Farms Building Hydroponic Greenhouse In Lake City, FL
Green Life Farms has started construction on its second hydroponic greenhouse in Florida on 24 acres in Lake City. Using state-of-the-art hydroponic technology, Green Life Farms will grow leafy greens in oxygenated water – without soil – then harvest and package them in a controlled environment, reducing the risk of contamination and preserving flavor and […]
Posted inProduce News, Home Page Slider, Northeast
Sun Belle Launches 2021 Pomegranate Arils Program
Berry marketer Sun Belle Inc. has launched its 2021 Pomegranate Arils program with Green Belle organic and Sun Belle conventional 4.4-oz. cups, packed by Agricola Los Medanos S.A. in Ica, Peru. The arils are extracted from just-ripe pomegranates in Los Medanos’ facility using state-of-the-art technology, including UV sanitation. They are immediately packed in retail cups […]
Posted inProduce News, Home Page Slider, Southeast
Wish Farms Cuts Ribbon On New Headquarters In Plant City
International grower and year-round marketer of strawberries, blueberries, blackberries and raspberries, Wish Farms hosted a ribbon cutting ceremony on its new headquarters in Plant City, Florida. The company moved into its new 24,000-square-foot office on its 36-acre campus. “Our company has a 100-year relationship with the community of Plant City. Our connection goes back to […]
Posted inProduce News, Association News, Home Page Slider, National
2021 Power Of Produce Shows COVID-19 Impact On Purchasing Habits
Produce department sales reached $69.6 billion in 2020, an 11.4 percent increase, according to FMI–The Food Industry Association’s 2021 Power of Produce. The survey of produce grocery shoppers, released at the Southeast Produce Council Southern Exposure event, finds shoppers are purchasing more produce than pre-COVID-19 pandemic, with shoppers buying more fresh fruit (+8.9 percent) and more vegetables (+14.2 […]
Posted inProduce News, Association News, Home Page Slider, National, The Kroger Co.
United Fresh Names Retail Produce Manager Award
Marking 17 years of recognizing exceptional retail produce managers, United Fresh Produce Association recently announced the honorees of its 2021 Retail Produce Manager Awards Program. This year’s cohort of 25 produce managers represents supermarket banners, commissaries and independent retail stores from 21 different states and one Canadian province. The winners will be the honored guests […]
Posted inPackaging News, Home Page Slider, Produce News, West
Driscoll’s To Sign The New Plastics Economy Global Commitment
Driscoll’s has joined The New Plastics Economy Global Commitment to help advance its pledge to prioritize sustainable packaging solutions that protect fresh berries while minimizing an environmental impact. The New Plastics Economy Global Commitment is led by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation in collaboration with the UN Environment Programme, and unites more than 500 signatories behind a common vision of […]
Posted inProduce News, Home Page Slider, West
Giumarra’s DulceVida Nectarines To Return This Summer
After making its successful debut in grocery stores last year, this summer will mark the return of the Giumarra Cos. trio of French-bred California nectarine offerings under its DulceVida brand umbrella: Midnight Edition, Twilight Edition and Sunrise Edition. “We are very eager for this summer’s return of our proprietary, premium DulceVida nectarines, as our customers and consumers love their sweet taste,” […]
Posted inProduce News, Home Page Slider, Southeast, The Kroger Co.
Del Monte Fresh Produce To Relaunch MAG.nificent Melon
Coral Gables, Florida-based Del Monte Fresh Produce N.A., a North American marketer and distributor of fresh and fresh-cut fruit and vegetables, is relaunching its MAG.nificent Melon. The melon provides consumers with consistency and takes the guesswork out of purchasing cantaloupes. Each one meets the highest standards for appearance, flavor, texture and aroma. Grown specifically with consumers’ needs […]
Posted inProduce News, Home Page Slider, Southeast
Del Monte Fresh Produce N.A. Partners With Apeel
Del Monte Fresh Produce N.A., a marketer and distributor of fresh and fresh-cut fruit and vegetables, has entered into a partnership with Apeel, a company fighting the global food waste crisis with its sustainable approach to keeping produce fresh longer. Through their combined efforts, Del Monte will now be able to offer its customers longer lasting avocados. […]
Posted inProduce News, Home Page Slider, Southeast
Vidalia Onions Pack Date For 2021 Season Is April 19
According to the Georgia Department of Agriculture and the Vidalia Onion Committee, the pack date for the 2021 season is April 19. The organizations are also celebrating the 35th anniversary of legislation that helped to make Vidalia onions beloved by millions of fans across the country. A rite of spring for its devotees, the announcement of […]
Posted inProduce News, Home Page Slider, Southeast
Kalera’s Newest Vertical Farming Facility In Atlanta Begins Operations
Orlando, Florida-based vertical farming company Kalera has completed construction of its newest facility in Atlanta, Georgia, on-time and on-budget. Its largest farm to date – and the largest vertical farm in the Southeastern U.S. – the facility is 77,000 square feet and has the capacity to produce more than 10 million heads of lettuce per […]
Posted inProduce News, Home Page Slider, Southwest
AFM Named To Fast Company’s List Of World’s Most Innovative Cos.
Avocados From Mexico has not only been named to Fast Company’s annual list of the World’s Most Innovative Companies for 2021, but also has been recognized as the top innovator in the Branding category. The list honors businesses that have found a way to be resilient in the past year and turned challenges into impact-making processes. This […]
Posted inProduce News, Albertsons, Home Page Slider, West
Plenty Expands Into 17 New Safeway Stores Across Northern California
Plenty, a vertical farming company, has expanded to 17 new Safeway stores across Northern California, bringing the total number of stores carrying Plenty produce in the region to 53. The additional Albertsons-owned stores, which include Safeway and Vons, are part of the multi-year agreement between the two companies to expand Plenty produce into more than […]
Posted inProduce News, Home Page Slider, West
Mission Produce Has Launched A Year-Round Mango Program
Oxnard, California-based Mission Produce, a source, producer and distributor of fresh Hass avocados, has launched its year-round mango program. The program will be the first to incorporate ripening and distribution on a global and national scale through Mission’s advanced network. “We’re entering the mango category today as we did the avocado category almost 40 years […]
Posted inProduce News, Home Page Slider, Southeast
Shuman Named Vidalia Onion Grower Of The Year
John Shuman, president and CEO of Shuman Farms in Cobbtown, Georgia, has been named the 2020 Grower of the Year by the Vidalia Onion Committee. The honor was given in recognition of Shuman’s contributions to the industry for more than 25 years. Following in the footsteps of his father, Buck Shuman, who began growing Vidalia […]
Posted inThe Kroger Co., Home Page Slider, Midwest, Produce News
Kroger Expands Partnership With 80 Acres Farms To 316 Stores
The Kroger Co. and 80 Acres Farms are bringing farm-fresh produce to customers across Ohio. And beginning March 15, 80 Acres will serve 316 Kroger locations across Ohio, Indiana and Kentucky. “Everyone deserves easy access to fresh, affordable, delicious food,” said Dan De La Rosa, Kroger’s group VP of fresh merchandising. “This newly expanded partnership […]
Posted inProduce News, Home Page Slider, Southeast
Mann’s New Facility To Include Fresh-Cut Fruit Products
Mann Packing Co., a subsidiary of Del Monte Fresh Produce N.A. and one of the largest suppliers of packaged vegetables in North America, is adding a fresh-cut fruit area to its new facility in Gonzales, California. This new section of the facility will allow the Coral Gables, Florida-based company to grow its fresh-cut fruit and […]