Chiquita Brands released financial and operating results for the second quarter of 2012 and announced restructuring activities designed to increase long-term profitability.

The company said that the restructuring will result in at least $60 million in annual savings, and that a focus on its core banana and salad businesses will be a key element to the plan.

“This season, we are moving more volume than we ever have,” Dana Thomas, president of Index Fresh Inc. in Bloomington, CA, said July 27.

“What we see right now [are] markets that are consuming a tremendous amount of avocados,” he said. “The combination of all the different countries of origin” together with attractive market pricing “has allowed a lot of promotions,” and that has allowed “a lot of customers to move a lot of product.”

Large crops in any commodity generally bring promotional opportunities, and the record aggregate volume of avocados in the U.S. market this year from all sources is certainly providing customers with those promotional opportunities.

The Hass Avocado Board in Irvine, CA, which is charged with working to build avocado consumption in the United States for avocados regardless of country of origin, has changed its focus this year.

New television ads from the Mexican Hass Avocado Importers Association for the 2012-13 marketing year are scheduled to run on national cable television, according to a written statement of the organization’s programs furnished to The Produce News July 30.

Bill Litvin, regional sales and national account manager for Giorgio Fresh Co., headquartered in Temple, PA, said that the company’s “D’Lightful” Portabella caps and Portabella sliced mushrooms provide 100 percent of the recommended daily allowance of vitamin D.