The Canadian Produce Marketing Association’s annual Convention & Trade Show is off to a great start in beautiful Vancouver. The buzz from the busy trade show floor is evident, as CPMA’s expected 3,700 guests hold business meetings, catch up with old friends and look for new products — all good things for this year’s exhibitors.

SCOTTSDALE, AZ — Richard Ruiz sat in a comfortable chair in the grand lobby of the Scottsdale Hilton Resort & Spa. It was March 18 and there was a brief afternoon break in the schedule of the March 17-19 annual conference of the Produce for Better Health Foundation.

A recently published consumer purchase behavior study by the Hass Avocado Board in Irvine, CA, examined trends in avocado volume and avocado dollar sales at retail for 13 key holidays and special events throughout the year.

“Chile had many issues this season, including strikes, weather and the implementation of new requirements for Chilean blueberries by the U.S. Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service due to detections of European Grapevine Moth or Lobesia botrana,” said Nelly Yunta, vice president of sales, marketing and customer care, liner and logistics business groups for Crowley Maritime Corporation in Jacksonville, FL, and vice president of Customized Brokers, the customs brokerage and consulting division located in Miami.

It’s been a tough winter for Western vegetable shippers but several cold fronts going through California as producers shift from the desert to both Central and Coastal California just might make for a strong spring marketing period.

Joe Ange, assistant purchasing director for Markon Cooperative Inc., Salinas, CA, told The Produce News on Tuesday, April 1, “We are seeing a few higher quotes for forward pricing.”

Dole Fresh Vegetables of Monterey, CA, today announced the addition of six new salad kits and blends: two additions to the DOLE All Natural Chopped Salad line introduced last year; a new addition to Dole’s line of Caesar salad kits; and an entirely new line of super greens.