While there was hope for a return to normal in 2022 following two years of the COVID-19 pandemic, Salix Fruits, a global import-export company based in Philadelphia, has been faced with additional challenges involving the war in Ukraine, climate changes and strikes that have affected the fruit produce industry.

Keystone Fruit Marketing, a division of Progressive Produce, is known for its year-round sweet onion program. Its Mayan Sweets are an integral component of this program, and Keystone is gearing up for one of its busiest seasons of the year.

Andrea Scroggs, sales and marketing manager, said sweet onion Commodity Manager Matthew Gideon took a trip to Peru in the spring, connecting the onions he's been selling for years with the actual place, culture and people.

The Kroger Co. announced the official opening of a new spoke location in Louisville, KY. The 50,000-square-foot facility will collaborate with the Customer Fulfillment Center in Monroe, OH, and will serve as a last-mile cross-dock location that expands Kroger Delivery's ability to serve more customers in the greater Louisville area.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture imposed sanctions on two produce businesses for failing to meet contractual obligations to the sellers of produce they purchased and failing to pay reparation awards issued under the Perishable Agricultural Commodities Act.

The following businesses and individuals are currently restricted from operating in the produce industry:

Port City Logistics Inc., a leading East Coast third-party logistics provider, will open a $16 million facility near the port of Wilmington as it grows supply chain capacity. The company, based in Savannah, GA, will create 75 new jobs there.

Jill Moran, a long-time Monterey Mushrooms employee, re-joined the sales team as a sales manager based out of Watsonville, CA. Moran will manage fresh mushroom sales for retail and foodservice customers in the western region.