U.S. Customs & Border Protection officers at the Otay Mesa commercial facility discovered almost 1,200 small packages of methamphetamine hidden within a shipment of onions on Sunday, Feb. 20.

Officers encountered a 46-year-old driver of a tractor trailer with a shipment manifested as onions.  During the inspection, a CBP officer referred the driver along with the conveyance for a more intensive examination.

During the exam, a CBP canine team screened the truck and trailer and the detector dog alerted to the shipment.  CBP officers searched the shipment and discovered 1,197 packages of

“People rarely succeed unless they have fun in what they are doing.” — Dale Carnegie

I always say that produce is the “fun before the storm.” Let’s face it, working in the produce business is like the weather. There are calm sunny days and there are dark stormy days.

The produce industry does come along with unexpected adversities. But there are also tranquil times where work becomes enjoyable, especially when sales are flourishing. Besides, nobody ever said it would be easy.

I am constantly in contact with produce industry associates throughout the week. Many are very close friends and

Temperatures dipped into the low 30s this morning causing widespread lettuce ice in the Arizona/California desert region. With low temperatures forecast, Markon Cooperative Inc. is projecting challenges through next week.

Inconsistent weather patterns persist, as weather forecasts call for lettuce ice through Saturday, Feb. 26, before temperatures begin to warm next week. This latest freeze event will cause prolonged quality problems, lower yields and possibly supply challenges through the end of the desert growing season, according to Markon field inspectors.

“This week, Romaine pushed into

Cathy Burns, currently co-CEO of the new International Fresh Produce Association formed by the combination of United Fresh Produce Association and the Produce Marketing Association, will become its singular CEO effective March 31. Tom Stenzel, currently co-CEO and past president of United Fresh, will move into a consulting role, working closely with Burns through June 2022.

“When I first joined PMA, I spent time with Tom exploring opportunities for our then-respective associations to collaborate and bring greater value and voice to our industry. I saw his passion about the potential our

Though the worst of the coronavirus appears to be in the rearview mirror, concern about rising costs is a new factor causing the average U.S. consumer to continue to eat more meals at home.

At least that was one of the takeaways from an International Fresh Produce Association webinar titled “Retail Supply Chain, Inflation and Consumer Demand," which was held on Wednesday, Feb. 23.

Jonna Parker, principal of IRI Fresh Center of Excellence in Phoenix, AZ, led off the discussion with some fresh data points illustrating current consumer trends. Her data was up to date covering the early weeks of

The produce markets have been topsy-turvy and unpredictable all winter. This puts a strain on the planning of produce ad features for weekly flyers. However, there are still item opportunities in the supply chain for promoting.

Let's take a look at some fruit markets. These items are ideal for merchandising on end caps or for wing displays:

Pineapples — Good demand on steady supplies. Excellent growing conditions produced larger sizes.

Cantaloupes and Honeydews — Quality has been excellent with a steady supply. Sizes are running on the larger side. Interior meat has excellent color. There