Month: June 2012

 In order to strengthen the presence of Mexican food in the international market, this month papaya producers began a campaign of promotion and consumption of fruit in the United States, with emphasis on Texas, California and Illinois, which emphasize the quality, health and safety of this product. …

The Oppenheimer Group’s Pacific Northwest cherry program has nearly doubled in volume thanks to two premier Oregon cherry growers. Orchard View Farms of The Dalles, Ore., and Blue Mountain Growers of Milton-Freewater, Ore. round out Oppenheimer’s 2012 Northwest cherry program. …

Bayer CropScience announced today that it has entered into an agreement to purchase the watermelon and melon seed business of Abbott & Cobb Inc., a privately-held seed company headquartered in Feasterville, Pennsylvania, USA. The acquisition will strengthen the vegetable seed business of Bayer CropScience, which operates under the Nunhems brand and is a key segment for the company. Around 30 employees of Abbott & Cobb are expected to join the vegetable seed business of Bayer CropScience. Closing is expected within a few weeks. Financial details were not disclosed. …

Sonoco, one of the largest diversified global packaging companies; Paper Pak Industries, a leading manufacturer of absorbent mediums for the food industry; and Bunzl Distribution, a global packaging and supplies distribution company, are pleased to introduce the UltraFreshSystem for packaging fresh-cut produce. …

Fresh produce retail prices fluctuated in the first quarter of 2012, though fruit categories managed to remain steady while the majority of vegetable products decreased in average retail price compared to the first quarter of last year. Organic and value-added fruit and vegetable products fared well regardless of variable retail prices, with consumers continuing to pay a premium for the products, according to the latest edition of FreshFacts® on Retail, the quarterly retail research report of the United Fresh Foundation. …