“An accurate assessment of New Jersey’s blueberry crop is that it’s on track for a great season,” Bob Von Rohr, director of customer relations for Sunny Valley International, headquartered in Glassboro, NJ, told The Produce News on May 26. “The weather has been favorable for producing an excellent and full crop. Timing of movements on the East Coast appears to be about five to seven days later than last season, which had a normal start.”

Von Rohr also noted that early indications are that growers will have a good supply of labor for harvesting this season.

“We have been importing and distributing Chilean blueberries for the past few years,” said Nick Pacia, vice president of A.J. Trucco Inc., located on the Hunts Terminal Market in the Bronx, NY.

“This year for the first time we are delighted to announce that we will be offering domestic New Jersey blueberries under our own private label — ‘A.J. Trucco,’” he added.

The company also imports blueberries from Argentina. The newly added New Jersey program is a part of the company’s goal to offer the item year round.

HAMMONTON, NJ — New Jersey blueberries should begin “a few days” later than historical norms, and volume should be “better than average,” according to John Galaida, general manager of Pleasantdale Farms, here.

“I’m thinking of June 19 that we would start, and volume would begin four to five days later,” Galaida told The Produce News Wednesday morning, May 28, at his office here in the southern part of New Jersey. “That would be a few days later” than an average start to the season.

David Sherrod, a well-known member of the produce industry both for his many years with Apio Inc. and for his work with the Southeast Produce Council, is making some important changes in his professional career and taking on some bold, new challenges in the next couple of weeks.

Promoting California avocado consumption for Fourth of July is a major initiative for the California Avocado Commission, which for the third year is providing marketing support to associate American summer holidays and California avocados. The latest consumption projection for the Fourth of July is 104.7 million pounds of avocados, which may surpass both the Super Bowl and Cinco de Mayo events in 2014.

Carrie Smith Harnden recently started a new company called Harvest Creations, which serves as a creative resource for produce companies, focusing on website design, package design and POS signage.