Marketing
Ontario processing vegetable growers might lose bargaining power
In February, Ontario’s Regulatory Registry listed proposed amendments by the Ontario Farm Products Marketing Commission to Regulation 440 (Vegetables for Processing-Marketing) under the Farm Products Marketing Act to remove the provisions establishing negotiating agencies and... more »
Western Growers revamps Produce Price Index website
Western Growers has revamped its “Produce Price Index” (PPI) website to allow consumers to identify the price difference between what customers pay at grocery stores for fresh produce and what farmers receive for their products.... more »
Produce Nerd website launched for produce industry
The Produce Nerd, a new online social marketing tool, has been launched to introduce the general public to the produce industry. The Produce Nerd provides information on where produce came from and the work that goes... more »
FreshFacts on Retail Q1 report released
Organic produce sales have surpassed the $1 billion mark, while consumers continue to drive demand for convenience and value-added items, according to the United Fresh Produce Association’s Q1 2016 edition of the FreshFacts on Retail... more »
Study finds promotion opportunity for Florida strawberries
More than three quarters of Florida’s strawberries are shipped to American markets east of the Mississippi River. Most of those out-of-state consumers enjoy the fruit, but some mistakenly think Sunshine State strawberries aren’t available at... more »
Center for Produce Safety announces $20,000,000 campaign
Since its inception in 2007, the Center for Produce Safety (CPS) has provided $16.4 million to fund produce safety research. To expand this work, the center announced the “Campaign for Produce Safety,” a fundraising initiative... more »
Report: Organic product sales in the U.S. increased 72 percent since 2008
The U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) released the results of the 2014 Organic Survey, which shows that 14,093 certified and exempt organic farms in the United States sold a total of... more »
Crop mix keeps customers coming back for more
When the Erbs talk about the diversity of their crops, they're not exaggerating. They grow 74 varieties of heirloom tomatoes, 54 varieties of peaches and nectarines and more than 100 varieties of pumpkins, for example,... more »
Hot sauce puts jalapeno grower on the hot list
Craig Underwood can't explain exactly why Huy Fong Foods' Sriracha Hot Sauce has exploded in popularity in the last few years, but he can always speculate. For one thing, consumers have developed a taste for... more »
USDA Fruit and Vegetable Program changes name to the Specialty Crops Program
USDA's Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) is changing the name of the Fruit and Vegetable Program to the Specialty Crops Program effective immediately. Because of the expansion of products covered, the program name is being changed... more »