A trio of supply chain experts painted a bleak picture for the immediate future concerning the logistics issues that have plagued the United States and the world for the past two years. They each agreed that the current port bottlenecks, rising truck rates and labor issues will be evident throughout 2022 and probably well into 2023.

The speakers were part of an International Fresh Produce Association webinar held on Wednesday, Jan. 19, and hosted by Ed Treacy, IFPA’s vice president of supply chain and sustainability. He called the coronavirus-related epic disruption of the supply chain a

Pace International, a leading provider of sustainable postharvest solutions and technologies for the fresh produce industry, is launching its Postharvest Academy Webinar Series this month. The webinar series invites Pace International customers to learn about the latest research in the postharvest segment at their own pace with access to on-demand content.

The first webinar in the series features James R. Cranney, president of California Citrus Quality Council. Representing 2,000 growers and 85 citrus packers on technical and regulatory issues domestically and overseas, Cranney works with

The general melon market remains steady. Cantaloupes are in good supply with nine and 12 sizes being readily available. Honeydews are procurable in five and six sizes. Both are out of Mexico and Central America.

Seedless watermelons are steady and will include the offshore supply, which will raise availability. Quality of the new crop from Mexico is looking very good as well. Mini watermelons have become a huge consumer favorite. There is a slight gap before switching over to the Honduras crop.

Now is a good time to advertise and promote all melons together on a nice, attractive display

The New Jersey Agricultural Society has announced the appointment of a new executive director, Brooke McMinn. Al Murray, who has served in that position since 2017, is stepping down.

"I've enjoyed my tenure with the New Jersey Agricultural Society and considered it a privilege to serve as the executive director," said Murray, a resident of Audubon, NJ. "However, I've reached a point in my life where I'd like to pursue new endeavors." Murray also serves as a policy consultant to the New Jersey Farm Bureau, and indicated that he intends to remain in that position.

But Murray is probably best

El Sol Brands has a strong reputation in the tropical produce industry and has seen its Miami-based company grow year after year.

“El Sol operates a business model that is mindful of sustaining agricultural practices that will protect the environment where we grow our products,” said Luis Perez, vice president of sales. “We promote fairness with our growers and packers, protecting their dignity and their personal growth. We reward the dedication of our employee associates encouraging and promoting empowerment and risk taking. We value and protect the relationship we enjoy with our customers

ShopRite unveiled the new QuickCollect GO! POD, where shoppers can pick up their online ShopRite grocery orders from a temperature-controlled outdoor pickup pod for a fast and easy, contactless self-service pickup experience.

The QuickCollect GO! POD is a smart grocery retrieval system that can hold ambient, refrigerated and frozen foods, and customers’ entire grocery orders are available for pickup in one solution. This free-standing pod now available at the ShopRite in New Rochelle, NY, offers customers unprecedented convenience for retrieving their online pickup orders.

“The QuickCollect