Fresh Cut Magazine

Study pegs value of produce industry at $554 billion

The United States fruit and vegetable (including the mass-market portion of the floral industry) contributes $554 billion annually to the nation’s economy. That’s the finding of a study commissioned by the Produce Marketing Association (PMA) and carried out by Battelle Technology Partnership Practice. The study was the subject of an industry “virtual press conference” Feb. 17. “This is the first study to reach across the value chain to define the full impact of the (fresh produce) industry on the U.S. economy, from the farm all the way through retail and foodservice,” said PMA president and CEO Bryan Silbermann. “Our industry has substantial economic and employment impact in the United States, contributing significantly to the economies of every state and congressional district in the country.” The study, titled “Economic Reach and Impact of the Fresh Produce and Floral Industry,” used economic modeling specially developed to…  » Read more

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Indianapolis Fruit Co. launches three branding initiatives for retail

Indianapolis Fruit Co. has long been supplying whole and fresh-cut produce to foodservice customers in the Midwest, but retail products are a growing market, said Shane Towne, marketing and new business development coordinator for the company. Indianapolis Fruit Co. is a broadline distributor that was founded in 1947. In 1997, the company combined operations with Piazza Produce, and 10 years later bought McCartney Produce. The distributor now manages more than 150 refrigerated trucks and four facilities with more than 200,000 square feet of warehouse space. Piazza Produce handles the foodservice distribution and Indianapolis Fruit Co. does the retail distribution. To increase the visibility of its retail products, Indianapolis Fruit Co. is freshening up its fresh-cut brand in rolling out two new brands. Fresh-cut products will be sold under the gardencuts brand. The brand will include organic and conventional products – really anything that’s cut and packaged,…  » Read more

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Commodity group helps in product development to grow sales

Innovation generally comes from a company looking to create a competitive advantage by offering a new product or a new use for an existing product. That’s been the model in the fresh-cut industry, and has resulted in many new fresh-cut offerings, including the $1.5 billion bagged salad market. But potatoes, the most consumed vegetable in the United States, hasn’t grabbed the same chunk of the fresh-cut market as it holds in the fresh market. The industry has suffered over the last few decades as preparation time for meals decreases, health concerns regarding the potato have increased and consumers just don’t know how to prepare potatoes. So the marketing and promotion arm of the potato industry, the United States Potato Board, has been working with a product innovation company to develop convenient products for potatoes. It’s not the typical model – lettuce industry groups didn’t invest in…  » Read more

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Stretching Dollars

The Today Show recently asked the question, “Is the recession making you fat?” Because of the economic times, psychiatrist Gail Saltz said people eat more comfort foods – high in sugar, carbohydrates and fat. But the host of the segment, Al Roker, pushed further, asking Today Show contributor and nutritionist Joy Bauer if eating healthy is too expensive in a bad economy. “There is some validity to that, when you think about it, because fresh produce and lean meats are more expensive than less expensive fare,” she said. “But, if you strategize, you can eat well in an affordable way.” Some of her tips included eating at home instead of eating out at restaurants, especially for quick meals, and brown-bagging work lunches. She also told viewers to buy produce in bulk and then individualize the meals, adding a variety of fresh produce while bringing down the per-meal cost.…  » Read more

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Drought leaves growers desperate for water

It’s being called the most significant water crisis in California’s history. A combination of drought, court rulings and an aging, inadequate infrastructure is severely squeezing the state’s water supply. Things are looking grim for everybody, especially growers who need water for their crops. “It’s looking as dire as it can look,” said Ara Azhderian, water policy administrator for the San Luis & Delta-Mendota Water Authority. On Feb. 20, the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation announced that farmers supplied by the Central Valley Project – a federal water system that stretches hundreds of miles through California’s agricultural breadbasket – would receive none of their allocated water this year. Not one drop. Growers supplied from state water sources won’t fare much better. Azhderian said their allocation would be 15 percent of normal. It’s too early to fathom the full impact these massive shortages will have on California agriculture – including the state’s…  » Read more

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