Posts Tagged “feature”
By Melissa Ackerman
Prescription produce is on a mission to reshape healthcare by proactively addressing diseases like heart disease and diabetes through dietary management. Shocking statistics reveal that only 1 in 10 Americans consume the recommended fresh produce, while 8 out of 10 healthcare dollars treat preventable chronic diseases. This shift underscores the preventive potential of a nutritious diet, extending beyond conventional medications.
The National Produce Prescription Collaborative notes a rising trend in healthcare providers and insurers advocating for these prescriptions among eligible patients facing health risks or food insecurity. With over 100 pilot programs nationwide, spanning Medicaid, Medicare, private employers, and federal healthcare systems, this movement is expanding rapidly—and Planet Harvest is excited to be a part of it.
Planet Harvest is spearheading innovation in healthcare accessibility, partnering with entities like UT Health and impactful nonprofits such as Brighter Bites to enhance fresh produce availability within communities.
Going beyond typical delivery methods, Planet Harvest deeply integrates itself within communities. Through strategic alliances with distributors and dedicated nonprofits, the company distributes fresh produce in innovated access points in rural areas, religious establishments, community centers and shelters.
Resourceful in their approach, Planet Harvest is in enhancing healthcare accessibility by leveraging their established network of distributors and last-mile solutions. For instance, their introduction of mobile food ‘farmacies’ utilizes assets from distributor partners, strategically parking them within five miles of the patient’s residence and deploying last-mile delivery solutions directly to their doorsteps.
Recognizing the shortcomings in current infrastructure, Planet Harvest steps in to bridge these gaps, positioning itself as a driving force in transforming healthcare through prescription produce.
Planet Harvest actively works to move products into commerce that were historically considered unsaleable through its affiliated distribution network, thereby minimizing the environmental and economic impacts of food losses.
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Melissa Ackerman is the founder and CEO of Planet Harvest, a mission-based company dedicated to revolutionizing the way people enjoy fresh produce. Committed to driving consumption and accessibility, the company focuses on refining supply chains and introducing rescued produce into daily lives, all while championing a sustainable future. With over 14 years of leadership experience in the produce industry, Melissa Ackerman possesses a deep understanding of the challenges and opportunities facing growers, distributors, retailers, consumers, and healthcare providers. Her passion lies in finding the right balance between doing business and doing good, all the while seeking innovative solutions to improve the quality and accessibility of fresh, nutritious food.
Adverse weather conditions have played havoc with Peruvian mango exports this season. A forecast by The Peruvian Association of Mango Producers and Exports (APEM) reveals volumes will plunge by 76% this season to 60,000 tons.
In the 2022-23 season, the country reported export volumes of 250,000 tons, the fourth consecutive increase for the fruit.
The drop in export volumes has caused prices to surge, even double the price of last season for fruit transported by air.
APEM notes production in the San Lorenzo Valley, and pretty much every growing region was very affected by rains during March and April.
Maritime exports to the United States started about three weeks ago. About
95% of the country’s mango exports are by boat.
Forecasts indicate that the main market will be the U.S. since Europe will have some Brazilian mangos.
The APEM originally estimated exports to the U.S. would be approximately 8 million boxes, but that total has now been reduced to 5 million boxes.
The Hunts Point Produce Market located in New York City’s South Bronx is the world’s largest wholesale produce distribution center supplying fresh fruits and vegetables to 22 million people each year.
The 112-acre complex in the Bronx has approximately 30 merchants, moves over 2.5 billion pounds of produce sourced from 49 states and 55 countries each year.
S. Katzman Produce reports it sells various products the year around because it is produced in different places with different seasons.
Literally hundreds of trucks ranging from 18 wheelers to straight jobs are deliver produce to the market, or distributing it from the facility. Hunts Point also receives about 150 rail cars per month, providing volume that is miniscule to that of trucks.
The giant produce markets employees 2,000 people and has about 7,000 visitors daily.
Hunts Point opened in 1967 and is owned by New York City. It has received three rounds of funding totaling nearly $400 million, but business owners say more is needed to fully modernize.
A major upgrade at the produce center is building adequate refrigerated storage to replace the approximately 1,000 diesel-powered refrigerated trailer units that idle on-site.
While some winter vegetables from West Mexico have been crossing the border at Nogales, AZ since mid November, volume has been gradually increasing. Peak shipments occur during January, February and March.
Importer/exporter and shipper EarthBlend of Nogales was receiving a steady supply of Sonoran soft squash and cucumbers, and Sinaloa volume in mid November. Volume is now significantly more now and will get even better after the New Year.
Among its first items for shipping were Sonoran soft squash and cucumbers. It has good volume with beans, soft squash (Italian, yellow and grey), hard-shell (butternut, spaghetti, acorn and kabocha), cucumbers (slicer, European and Persian), bell peppers (mini sweet peppers, green, red, yellow and orange) and hot peppers (jalapeno, serrano, poblano and Anaheim).
When spring arrives it will be loading watermelon, honeydew and roma tomatoes.
This will be Earth Blend’s first season to have steady shipments of melons. The past three years the company has been increasing its roma crop volume, starting the harvest in mid-April and finishing mid-June.
EarthBlend’s peak shipments with Mexican watermelons and honeydew will occur from mid-March through the end of May.
Importer Rich River Produce of Rio Rico, AZ started shipping Mexican vegetables in mid October, a full month ahead of when it normally starts. However, weather factors and strong domestic demand has interrupted a steady flow of product.
Rich River Produce specializes in chili peppers and other hot pepper varieties. Besides hot peppers, the company also has good supplies of bell peppers, cucumbers and roma tomatoes.
The company works with eight to nine growers throughout theMexican winter growing regions.
Between January and September of 2023, the Peruvian avocados were exported to 36 different countries with a total market value of $953 million. Compared to the previous year, this was a 9% increase from the $874 million reached in 2022, according to The Peruvian Exporters Association (ADEX).
In terms of volume during this period, 594,778 tons were exported, 3.3% more year-on-year.
The industry struggled with challenging weather conditions during August, which reduced the month’s harvest volume year-on-year from 48,401 tons to 45,041 tons. However, regions like Pasco and Ica experienced more than an 85% increase in production volume.
The United States stands as the third main destination of Peruvian avocados this year, with a total import value of $135 million. Only The Netherlands and Spain have a bigger share of the market with $293 million and $185 million in total value, respectively.
Chile and the U.K. finish the top five list of Peruvian avocado importers with a shared import value of $97 million, according to ADEX.
Leading export companies were Avocado Packing Company S.A.C., Westfalia Fruit Perú S.A.C., Camposol S.A., Virú S.A., Sociedad Agrícola Drokasa S.A., Agrícola Cerro Prieto S.A., and Agrícola Pampa Baja S.A.C.
Wishing everyone one of you and those you love a Merry Christmas! Pray for peace in a turbulent world. May the love of Jesus Christ live within all of us.
Growers estimate 12.7 percent more acres were planted in Idaho this year compared to last.
There will be enough supply to meet demand through the rest of the 2023-24 season due to higher yields, according to Markon Cooperative of Salinas, CA, in a press release.
The North American Potato Market News reported growers produced 434.22 million cwt. of potatoes this season, about 35.48 million cwt. more than 2022 (cwt. is the abbreviation for hundredweight, which is roughly 100 pounds).
The warm summer months contributed to excellent quality and a high pack-out of No. 1 quality potatoes.
40- through 50-count potatoes will remain limited; 90- through 100-count will be readily available throughout the season.
Sun World International announced the addition of eight importers to its portfolio of North American licensees. These are Canadawide Fruits, Direct Source Marketing, Flavor Farms, Fresh Latina, International Produce Group (IPG), Pandol Bros, Sbrocco International and Sun Fresh International.
The new additions bring the company’s panel of licensed importers to 28 companies.
Each of these companies holds a license to distribute and market Sun World’s full line of proprietary grapes in the United States and Canada from licensed Chilean, Peruvian, Brazilian, European, and South African suppliers.
Additionally, licenses include the right to import fruit from new and existing varieties developed by Sun World, marketed under the company’s leading consumer brands, such as AUTUMNCRISP, MIDNIGHT BEAUTY, SABLE SEEDLESS, ADORA SEEDLESS, and SCARLOTTA SEEDLESS.
“We are pleased to be able to bolster and expand our global footprint through the appointment of these extraordinary importers,” says Petri van der Merwe, global licensing co-director for Sun World.
“As we continue our strategic growth and expand our marketing efforts for our consumer brands, like Autumncrisp, we are ensuring ease of access to our proprietary fruit. Our goal is to maximize the revenue for our licensed growers while increasing consumer exposure to our proprietary table grape varieties and consumer brands,” he adds.
By Jon Manning, ALC Cincinnati
Creighton Abrams once said, “When eating an elephant, take one bite at a time.” AI is that elephant in the logistics space that everyone seems to be talking about. Let’s not kid ourselves here, we humans love the opportunity to have something within our grasp, that ultimately will make our lives less laborious, and can provide boundless information whenever and wherever we need it. Within the past week, I would have loved to have had something tell me how to make a beef Wellington from scratch or provide me with college football picks. That time will come, I’m sure, but even before the time comes the conversation about policy and ethics of AI will certainly be debated in many forums.
Ultimately, the idea is that AI can and will eventually surpass a team of people in breadth and scope of work, in mere seconds, it will become the new standard. I opened ChatGPT recently and typed in, “How will AI help supply chains?” The answer was shocking. In a matter of seconds, it gave me a plethora of ways that AI could be beneficial, such as demand forecasting, inventory management, predictive maintenance, blockchain for transparency, and risk management. For those thought-provoking scholars, that means AI can carve vast efficiencies in any supply chain. In a recent article from Nasdaq, “AI is being used worldwide to improve production times and boost safety in manufacturing plants in what is referred to as the ‘Industry 4.0’ era.” Will the human element still be applicable? The short answer is yes. While AI is revolutionizing the supply chain by optimizing processes, predicting demand, and enhancing efficiency, it will never replace the invaluable human connection, compassion and sensible foresight that supports the industry.
So, where would I guess the logistics industry to be in 5 to 10 years from now? Perhaps we’ll see a litany of providers offering up to customers a comprehensive “AI” program to help manage their supply chain stem to stern, or, most likely, staying the course and navigating the nuances of logistics using the best and brightest talent in the industry, which is none other than human capital. This remains essential for fostering collaboration, resolving complex issues, and navigating the unpredictable challenges inherent in the dynamic world of supply chain management. AI may streamline operations, but the industry’s success will always count on the symbiotic relationship between technological innovation and the irreplaceable human element that is required to cultivate and grow businesses.
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Jon Manning is the general manager of the ALC Cincinnati office. He started in the logistics industry working in transportation sales role in 2002. Manning graduated from Bowling Green State University with a B.A.C. degree in Communications.
jon.manning@allenlund.com
Berry Fresh of Compton, CA is again bringing in Sweet Karoline blackberries from Mexico.
With blackberry supply from Mexico on the horizon, Sweet Karoline is forecasted to begin entering the market in late December, according to Berry Fresh. Heavier supply is anticipated in later February and volume will continue through spring, the release said.
“Let’s bring blackberries into the spotlight!” Jyoti Bhogal, vice president of sales and marketing for Berry Fresh, said in a news release. “We are excited about this year’s season and our plans to promote Sweet Karoline with our retailer partners and straight to the end customers as well. Customers are asking for this variety now, and we have plans to expand our distribution.”
Berry Fresh says that as more people add berries to their shopping list, varieties like Sweet Karoline help keep blackberries top of mind for both health and flavor enthusiasts.