RIO RICO, AZ — For Ciruli Bros. LLC the Mexican mango shipping peak will come in April, according to Chris Ciruli, chief operating officer of the Rio Rico-based firm.

On Feb. 16 Ciruli received its mango season’s first fruit through Texas.

The firm’s volume will reach a substantial level on March 16 and then hit a high volume plateau in April.

RIO RICO, AZ — Ataulfo mangos from Chiapas, Mexico, were given a little extra time to mature this year, according to Edgar Duarte, a partner in Higueral Produce Inc., located here. Thus, rather than the usual late-February start, the Ataulfo deal will gain volume in early March.

Duarte noted that the February market “was not that good either, and with the cost of transportation” from southern Mexico came the decision to wait until the fruit was at optimal maturity.

Loblaw Cos. Ltd., a leading Canadian retailer based in Brampton, ON, will invest more than $1.2 billion in its Canadian business in 2015. The investment includes construction projects for dozens of new and existing stores, e-commerce expansion and continued investment in supply chain and IT infrastructure.

As one of Canada's largest networks of corporate and independently owned retail stores and formats, each employing between 20 and 300 employees, Loblaw's investment is expected to create more than 20,000 jobs through store staffing and construction.

While many people around the country were still digging out of snow drifts, around 700 produce professionals and their families "braved" temperatures in the upper 80s on Saturday, March 7, to attend the annual Fresh Produce & Floral Council Day At The Races at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, CA.

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Del Monte Fresh Produce, one of North America’s leading marketers and distributors of high-quality fresh and fresh-cut fruit and vegetables, announced that industry veteran Robert (Bob) Spence has joined the company as vice president of sales and product management for its tomato and vegetable program.

The Produce Corner with Bob Corey, which spanned 23 years as a local news insert on TV stations throughout the country and for three years on the Food Network, is now available on YouTube.