U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers at the commercial facility at the Otay Mesa port of entry seized more than 12,000 pounds of marijuana found commingled within a shipment of papaya hauled by a tractor-trailer rig, with a street value of $27 million.

A 50-year-old male Mexican citizen arrived at the Otay Mesa port of entry as the driver of a truck hauling a trailer with a shipment manifested as fresh papayas. The CBP officer referred the driver along with the conveyance to the port’s X-ray imaging system.

“CBP officers are vigilant to stop those who intend to do harm in our

Fall Creek Farm & Nursery Inc., a blueberry breeding and nursery company, has announced Scott Cully as regional director for the United States and Canada, reporting to co-CEO Oscar Verges. Cully joined the company as general manager in 2008. He will be based in Lowell, OR.

“We have been fortunate to enjoy Scott’s tremendous contributions in so many initiatives across Fall Creek over the years and see the promise of good things to come from the expertise he will bring to the U.S. team and our grower customers,” said Verges. “As the industry increases its focus on quality, consumer expectations

Bill Kelley, group vice president of produce commissary at Hy-Vee, is calling it a career after 40 years of service.

Kelley graduated from Wayne Community High School and attended Truman State University as well as Iowa State University. He joined Hy-Vee in 1978, working part-time at the Corydon Hy-Vee. He left Hy-Vee while in college, returning to the company in 1983 at the Ames #1 store as a produce clerk. He then moved to four different stores as produce manager. His first management stint was at the Rochester #2 store in 1989, followed by the Boone store in 1993, the Des Moines #3 store

Bard Valley Natural Delights are an essential part of the Ramadan tradition as Muslims begin the daily ritual of fasting from sunrise to sunset. Ramadan lasts 30 days beginning April 12 and ending May 11. Past sales data indicate a retail sales volume spike of 57 percent during this period. Retailers are encouraged to begin building inventory on Bard Valley’s Medjool Dates to capture sales during this high-volume consumption period.

“April 1 is the ideal time for retailers to start merchandising, promoting and marketing Medjool dates to maximize sales for the Ramadan holiday,” said Neil

Fresh Express, a category leader in value-added salads, is contemporizing its brand with clean, refreshed packaging for its Garden, Premium Garden, Crunchy and Tender Leaf salad blends products. The new eye-catching design, which features revised artwork and graphics, aims to increase consumer appeal and purchase interest, and in independent qualitative and quantitative research, a whopping 86 percent of consumers said the updated look feels “fresh.”

The new packaging — which includes elements like a larger window for improved ingredient visibility, product segmentation on pack and a more

The Produce Marketing Association announced that Fresh Summit 2021 will take place in person Oct. 28-30 at the New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center in New Orleans. PMA will welcome the industry back to the event with a variety of safety protocols and modifications developed with guidance from public health authorities.

“We all had that moment in the last year when we knew that things would never be the same,” said PMA CEO Cathy Burns. “I shared my belief I have no interest in going back to normal. I am much more interested in using this opportunity to create our ‘new extraordinary.’