Dubbing itself “the world’s largest distributor of green asparagus,” Calexico, CA-based Altar Produce LLC is in the midst of a very solid year in terms of supplies.

“Production is steady and will be comparable to previous years, between 11-13 million 11-pound cases a year,” Director of Sales Denys Sam told The Produce News in early September.

Maurice A. Auerbach Inc., a Secaucus, NJ distributor, can’t keep supplies of jumbo asparagus on hand.

“In the past few years our sales of jumbo asparagus have more than doubled,” said Paul Auerbach, president of the company founded by his grandfather more than 80 years ago.  “We’ve sold more units and more dollars.”

Interesting what a difference one year can make.

Officials at Continental Fresh expect the mango season to be much stronger this season than it was last year, thanks, in large part, to some interesting weather patterns in 2023.

With the peak of the Peruvian asparagus season expected to hit its stride in mid-October, the Peruvian Asparagus Importers Association is working with importers preparing for promotional opportunities.  “In today’s marketplace, asparagus trade can only prevail through forethought and strategic planning,” said PAIA Executive Director Priscilla Lleras.

Gee Whiz, a leading grower of Washington apples and cherries and the only producer of the Hunnyz apple variety, announced that for the first season since the variety was introduced, volume is expected to extend into late spring.

NASHVILLE, TN – The Southeast Produce Council introduced a few changes to this year’s recently completed Southern Innovations 2024 conference and expo, including adding an extra hour to walk the trade show floor. Southern Innovations, which took place from Thursday, Sept. 12, to Saturday, Sept. 14, at the Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center, had over 1,400 people check in and almost 200 exhibitors — the largest Southern Innovations ever.