Red potato prices in the New Year are expected to hold, according to Paul Dolan, manager of Associated Potato Growers Inc., located in Grand Forks, ND.

A key wildcard in early 2014 pricing for the Red River Valley shippers will be the oncoming Florida red potato deal. Dolan noted, “A short supply of seed may help that situation.”

Red potatoes shipped from Canada and Wisconsin also figure into the overall marketing scenario.

Dolan added, “We are down a little in the valley as a whole.”

"KIKU" brand apples have become one of the hottest new items for retailers in their supermarket apple section. According to retail data from Nielsen Perishables Group, for the 52 weeks ending Nov. 23, 2013 (compared to the same period one year earlier) dollar sales for KIKU apples jumped by over 229 percent. During the same period, volume increased by nearly 192 percent.

The Pear Bureau Northwest has introduced a new display contest that is open to retailers of all sizes in the U.S. and Canada in February and March.

SUPERVALU Inc. announced that Gerald Storch, an experienced retail executive, has been elected as the company’s new chair of its board of directors. The appointment comes after Robert Miller, who served as chairman of SUPERVALU’s board of directors since March 2013, announced he would resign his chairman position to focus on other demands.

Greg Sandeno, president and chief executive officer of C&K Market Inc., will be leaving the company, effective Jan. 31. This announcement came one week after the company laid off about half of its corporate staff members in Brookings and Medford, OR.

Chuck Sinks, president of Sage Fruit Co. LLC, said he is pleased with apple movement this season. “All varieties are moving well through the first pick and right up to the Thanksgiving/Christmas holidays,” he told The Produce News. 

“Christmas and Thanksgiving always bring a good spike in apple and pear sales, as holiday baking starts up, and retailers begin building fruit baskets with apples and pears as a main building component,” he said.