Fresh potatoes never truly left the weekly shopping list, but the category received a boost during the early days of coronavirus-influenced panic shopping — and there has been no retreat over the ensuing six months.

“On the retail side, we are still seeing double-digit dollar increases week over week,” said Ross Johnson, international marketing director for the Idaho Potato Commission. “Consumers are learning how enjoyable it is to cook.”

He theorized that the commute time these would-be office employees are saving by working at home is being converted into meal prep time. The potato

2020 has been a year full of challenges, but also one full of new opportunities and growth, as emphasized during the Center for Growing Talent’s Women’s Fresh Perspectives general session, held virtually on Thursday, Oct. 15 as part of PMA Fresh Summit.

The virtual session kicked off with the announcement of the 2020 CGT Frieda Rapoport Caplan Women’s Catalyst Award, which went to Kristen Reid, executive vice president of MIXTEC Group.

“Frieda always made me feel really special,” Reid said during her acceptance speech. “I am honored to receive the first Women’s Catalyst award that bears her

Walmart is seeking to immediately hire 10,000 new associates as the business grows.

The hiring news follows a major $3.5 billion investment into all aspects of the business to generate significant growth and to make the online and in-store shopping experience simpler, faster and more convenient for Walmart's customers. The investment over the next five years will lead to the use of advanced technologies working alongside associates in a state-of the-art facility to move products as quickly as possible.

“Walmart is all about people. It’s our people who make Walmart special and who represent

Superior Fresh, one of the world’s largest aquaponic farms and one of the largest organic salad producers outside of the West Coast, grows USDA certified organic produce and Atlantic salmon. The company recently announced a brand re-fresh and packaging update.

With its eyecatching, consumer friendly look, the packaging highlights its many benefits, including being USDA certified organic. Superior Fresh is excited to celebrate its contributions to the environment through the use of repurposed water bottles in its recycled clamshells, a bio-diverse ecocystem that saves millions of gallons of

Three speakers in an international session of the PMA Fresh Summit on Oct. 13 presented a truly global view of the produce industry in this remarkable year.

Nancy Tucker, PMA’s global regional vice president in the Americas, moderated the panel.  The first of the presenters was Fernando Gomez, the general manager of Proexport Spain. Nicolas Moller, the executive vice president of Hortifrut S.A., discussed the global produce industry from the perspective of a company that grows berries in ten countries, located in five continents with 500 collaborating growers. The third speaker, Patrick

FirstFruits Marketing announced the launch of another Opal apple season. Opals are a naturally non-browning apple with unique flavor and have a distinct crunchy texture making it a yellow apple with a crispy bite. This year, retailers can look forward to new campaign, including new in-store marketing, signage, bins and social media tool kit all inviting consumers to “Crave the Crunch.”

Retailers can also look forward to a new Opal Crunch Crate launching later this fall, which is made of recyclable materials that will hold smaller size apples, making them perfect for kids snacking at home or