NOGALES, AZ — Organic Mexican vegetable supplies are down in January and demand is pushing prices to high levels, according to Steve LeFevre, sales manager for Wholesum Family Farms, based here. LeFevre added that red Bell peppers are the exception to this rule.  

“The cucumber market is extremely tight,” LeFevre said. “Wholesum’s organic cucumber volume was down this year anyway. We don’t have the (cucumber) numbers we had in the past. But organic cucumbers from Mexico are down in general. It’s extremely tight.”

The Southeast Produce Council's 2015 conference and trade show could see record overall attendance, with excellent representation as always from the key retail and foodservice sides of the produce industry, according to one of the leaders of the council.

The USApple Association, its members and industry supporters are once again partnering to engage with consumers on social media each day during February’s American Heart Month to spotlight apples’ essential role in heart health. The association’s award-winning “28 Days of Apples” initiative returns for 2015 after successfully engaging with more than 15 million consumers last year by highlighting 28 ways and reasons apples are healthy for our hearts and bodies.

Del Monte Fresh Produce’s banana farms in Guatemala and Costa Rica, as well as its pineapple farms in Costa Rica, have been certified as Sustainably Grown by SCS Global Services in accordance with the producer requirements of its internationally recognized Sustainably Grown Standard v 1.3.

Total Produce PLC in Dublin, Ireland, has agreed to purchase a 50 percent share in Gambles Ontario Produce Inc., a Toronto-based distributor of fresh fruits and vegetables.

“This partnership with Total Produce will enable us to grow strategically to the benefit of our growers and customers,” Jeff Hughes, president at Gambles Produce, said in a press release. “We will continue to operate autonomously but will have the support of Total Produce and their global affiliations alongside us.”

Sue Johnson-Langdon, executive director of the North Carolina Sweet Potato Commission, was awarded with the Order of the Long Leaf Pine at the commission's annual meeting Jan. 15. In addition to her role with the commission, she also serves as the treasurer and manager of the American Sweet Potato Marketing Institute, which is devoted to expanding exports.