In U.S., transportation and produce supply chain also remain uncertain
Paul Revere was worried only about Land and Sea. Today, our transportation troubles include Air as well. Current transportation and supply chain woes are testing the resiliency so frequently attributed to the produce industry. For many of us, the increased cost of sea and air transportation is easily measured in the number of air pallets […]
Despite soaring profits, Maersk sees economic risks coming this year
Danish shipping group AP Møller-Maersk anticipates “a slowdown in the second half, a normalization”, according to its chief executive Søren Skou and in a report in The Financial Times. This comes despite the highest profits of $19.3 billion (+55%) made in its 114-year history, in the first quarter. “The visibility is quite low. Mainly we see risks […]
How do consumers value produce and local vs. long-distance?
A new researcher at the New York Produce Show, Rebecca Wasserman-Olin, shared new research findings about how customers value various appearance characteristics and how a consumer value perception is affected when a strawberry is marketed as ‘local,’ among other key findings. While this work uses strawberries as an example, it provides important lessons for everyone in the fresh produce […]
First freight shipment to arrive on ‘Brexit buster’ Morocco to UK route
The Port of Poole in Dorset is expecting its first delivery via a new direct shipping route from Tangier in Morocco, which was established by United Seaways. A shipment of 100 freights of organic seasonal fruit and vegetables is shortly scheduled northbound while the route will run once per week and largely comprise dry and […]
Where in the world is my container?
The global produce industry is a fascinating and entirely unique business model, with arguably one of the most delicate operational chains that spans global markets and meticulously juggles countless daily moving pieces. The industry is also no stranger to incident response, troubleshooting, and navigating large-scale challenges whether weather-related, a hiring or labor challenge, government policy […]
A Landmark Decision: Grower Property Rights Issue Hits U.S. Supreme Court, a Victory Almost 50 Years In Making
This column first appeared on PerishablePundit.com The Pundit grew up, of course, in a produce family. When we were around 10 years old, we remember someone in school was passing around a petition asking people to support César Chavez and the United Farm Workers Union. We can still hear her explaining that farmers were abusive toward the farm […]
Seven tough questions in preparing for the post-pandemic future
Originally printed in the March 2021 issue of Produce Business. As we move into the second year of our pandemic-created reality, it’s become clear that whenever the virus ceases to be a major factor in our industry, things will never be the same as they were prior to March 2020. Innovative and resourceful produce retailers are […]
South Africa expects big pome fruit harvest, but shipping costs a concern
South Africa’s Hortgro says it is expecting a record apple and pear crop this season after “near-perfect growing conditions”. The “exceptional” harvests come despite challenges relating to the Covid-19 pandemic and a “few tough years of drought”, it said. Additionally, the expected record volumes come in spite of the Langkloof hail which in January removed […]
