DINUBA, CA - King Fresh Produce is unveiling a new pomegranate box this season with high quality graphics and eye-catching colors, along with an anticipated 30% increase in its program over last season.

“The pomegranate quality is simply excellent this year,” Rene Millburn, Public Relations Director for King Fresh, tells AndNowUKnow. “We continue to appeal to moms and kids with our fun and colorful lion cub graphics. We’ve redesigned our new pomegranate carton with beautiful deep, bold colors that tend to appeal to moms, while at the same time, still incorporating the cute lion cub, which appeals to children of all ages.”

As the summer season ramps up, King Fresh's pomegranate varieties are ripe and ready with harvest currently ongoing for its Smith varieties, followed by Early Wonderfuls, and then finally, Wonderfuls. This year, King Fresh will pack its pomegranates in a 2 layer carton, a 1 layer Euro carton, a 18/3 ct sleeve, and a 10/5 ct pouch bag.

Don’t forget to swing by the King Fresh Jungle Café at booth #3984 at this year’s PMA Fresh Summit to get a closer look at this company’s sensational pomegranate harvest. 

King Fresh

STELLARTON, NS - Sobeys’ parent company, Empire Company Limited, boasted high profits for Q1.

The company saw sales of $6.22 billion, up $1.63 billion representing an increase of 35.4%.  The Financial Post reports that this substantial increase comes as a result of its acquisition of Canada Safeway. 

“We are pleased with our first quarter results as Sobeys achieved improved same-store sales growth and significant growth in EBITDA in the face of a challenging market,” said Marc Poulin, President and CEO of Empire Co. Ltd. Sobeys’ same-store sales increased by 1.3% in the quarter.

Other highlights from the financial release include:

• EBITDA of $342.7 million compared to $222.2 million last year, up $120.5 million or 54.2 percent.  
• Adjusted EBITDA of $344.7 million compared to $232.3 million last year, up $112.4 million or 48.4 percent.  
• Net earnings from continuing operations, net of non-controlling interest, of $123.1 million compared to $82.6 million last year, a 49.0 percent increase.
• Adjusted net earnings from continuing operations, net of non-controlling interest, of $131.7 million compared to $89.7 million last year, a 46.8 percent increase. 
• Adjusted EPS from continuing operations (fully diluted) of $1.43 compared to $1.32 last year, an 8.3 percent increase.
• Free cash flow generation of $391.3 million compared to $68.2 million last year.
• Funded debt to total capital ratio of 35.5 percent versus 38.0 percent last quarter.

“Going forward we remain focused on completing the successful integration of all Canada Safeway business and on the ongoing promotion of our ‘Better Food for All’ culture, while continuing to secure operational efficiencies and cost reductions across the organization,” Poulin added.

Congratulations on the great Q1, Sobeys and Empire!

Sobeys

Empire Co Investor Relations

Stemilt Growers’ Communications Manager Brianna Shales gives AndNowUKnow an exclusive look at Riverstone Orchards where the company’s Rushing Rivers pears are grown.  This location is perfect for Stemilt to grow the best tasting pears because of its fertile volcanic soil, pure mountain rivers and clean air brought in from the mountains. The area has been farmed for over 100 years by generations of local farmers, and this year's crop quality is outstanding.  The harvest is underway, and Stemilt is currently packing them in its white Rushing Rivers pear cartons.  

Make sure to check out the video above for an inside look at the company's Rushing Rivers pears!

Stemilt

CENTRAL VALLEY, CA - Stanislaus County exported nearly $1.8 billion worth of total goods during the 2013 season, a 20.3% increase from 2012, and almost triple the exports numbers from a decade ago. County officials can thank the county's farmers for much of this boom, considering that crop production, including almonds and walnuts, made up nearly half of all exports last year, amounting to more than $862 million in value, according to the Merced Sun Star.

“We’re proud of the role California almonds play in creating jobs and economic growth throughout the state, not just on farms, but throughout the supply chain,” said Stacey Humble, the Almond Board of California’s Executive Director for Global Marketing.

“Almonds have evolved into a multifaceted product...[a big] part of the health food craze,” agreed Rey Campanur, the Stanislaus Business Alliance’s Vice President of Business Development. “We are finding more and more companies are venturing out, looking at foreign countries to grow their markets.”

Stanislaus' place as the top almond-producing county in California, a state which boasts nearly all of America's commercial almond orchards, certainly puts it in a prime position to make the most of this increasing demand. In light of this, it is unsurprising to hear from the Almond Board that 67% of these California almonds are exported abroad, especially when you take into account that exported food items are exempted from the California sales tax.

“We encourage growers and food processors in the Valley to take advantage of tax exemptions aimed at spurring further job creation and economic growth,” Board of Equalization Member, George Runner, said. It is a “...good sign that the Central Valley's economy is rebounding.”

Stanislaus County was not alone in enjoying a strong export market either. According to the Merced Sun Star, Merced County exported almost  $961 million and San Joaquin County exported nearly $1.3 billion in goods, a 21.4% and 9.6% increase from 2012 respectively.

Congratulations to the growers of the Central Valley for making these exciting numbers possible!

YAKIMA, WA – FirstFruits Marketing of Washington, the exclusive marketer for Opal™ apples and representative of the largest contiguous apple grower in the United States, is in the midst of an exciting 2014 apple harvest.

According to a press release, FirstFruits is currently packing its proprietary Sweetie™ apple variety, a hybrid of Braeburn and Royal Gala, prized for its sweet and juicy taste and crunchy texture. It will be available for a limited time only.

This will also be the first year in which FirstFruits will be offering its clients the option of its new ultra mesh bags in addition to its traditional packing options. The new bag is unique because of its distinctive graphic display, highlighting the variety and facilitates improved product visibility. The packaging also has a much lighter environmental impact than standard plastic or pouch bag packaging options, an important attribute for an increasingly environmentally conscious American consumer.

“We are very excited about our new ultra mesh bags because they will provide outstanding product visibility, a convenient handle for consumers and the ‘stand-up’ visibility that drives consumer impulse buys,” said Keith Mathews, CEO of FirstFruits Marketing of Washington. “The ultra mesh bags will nicely complement our selection of poly and stand-up poly bags.”

According to a press release, this packaging will be available for both organic and conventional versions for Opal, Sweetie, Fuji, Jubilee, Gala, Granny and mainline apples.

What's next for FirstFruits? Starting in October, the company will begin offering its Jubilee Fuji apple variety followed by the Opal apple in November, with both apples being offering in conventional and organic varieties. As the exclusive marketer of the Opal variety, FirstFruits expects its supplies to last through March.

FirstFruits is confident that its partners and consumers will love these two varieties this season. The Opal, ready a month earlier than last year, is crunchy and sweet with a hint of tang and naturally resists oxidation making it slow to brown. The Jubilee Fuji apple, Named after the Jubilee Youth Ranch, has a distinctly fresh, autumn flavor.

Congratulations to FirstFruits Marketing for an excellent start to this year's apple season!

FirstFruits Marketing

SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY, CA - A few nights ago I was watching T.V. after work when a Wal-Mart commercial featuring Hronis Farms came on. Knowing the history of this family-owned grower, which has been farming table grapes in the San Joaquin Valley since 1945, my interest was immediately piqued. I was not disappointed either, as this commercial perfectly highlights how the passion of Kosta Hronis and his family for what they do makes the produce coming out of Hronis Farms the industry standard that it is.

Check out the commercial for yourself below:

Kosta eloquently shares how his father and grandfather built Hronis Farms into what it is today and how, now that the grower's operations have passed onto him, he continues the Hronis family tradition of cultivating and supplying the best quality produce.

“...we're actually the 3^rd generation of table grape growers. Now I'm riding around with my son and that's all very special to see from one generation to the next,” he shared. “I'd say its in our blood, you can't get it out.”

Kosta also explained how his company's partnership with Wal-Mart had helped him and his family grow and bring the best crop to the market.

“I'm proud to be a grape grower for Wal-Mart,” he summed up.

Now that is how advertising should be done.  

Hronis Farms

Wal-Mart

PERU – Turners & Growers and Unifrutti have formed a joint venture to invest in the development and cultivation of prime agricultural land in Piura, Peru.

Yahoo! Small Business reports that this venture aims to meet the increase in the global demand for quality Peruvian table grapes.  The planting should begin by the end of this year, with the first commercial volumes harvested in late 2015.

“The partnership with Unifrutti makes a lot of sense. They have significant experience in the development of vineyards and infrastructure in South America and have superior new table grape varieties within their portfolio. We currently enjoy an excellent commercial relationship with Unifrutti Chile, and we are extremely pleased to be developing a Joint Venture with a company of such high caliber in the South American region,” Alastair Hulbert, Chief Executive of Turners & Growers said.

Turners & Growers has a successful and extensive global table grape trading business, and Unifrutti is a Chilean-based fresh fruit growing, packing and exporting company.

Jorge Massanes, Executive Vice President of Unifrutti Chile said, "We are very excited with this joint venture. Investing in Peru is something that has been one of our priorities and finding the right partner was the challenge.  Our commercial relationship with Delica and their top management, plus their experience in Peru, made Turners & Growers the perfect partner. Table grapes are one of our key products and through this partnership we will be able to better serve our clients by expanding our shipping season."

This partnership should help satisfy the global increase in demand for table grapes by allowing both companies to work off of each other’s strengths.

Turners & Growers

Unifrutti

ASKER, NORWAY - TOMRA is posting impressive growth numbers this year, and according to TOMRA Sorting Executive Vice President and Head of Sorting Dr. Volker Rehrmann, order intake in the first half has exceeded numbers from the first half of 2014.

Ashley Hunter, Senior Vice-President and Head of TOMRA Sorting Food, spoke proudly of what the company had accomplished in the wake of its acquisition of the operations of ODENBERG and BEST.

“Overall, I’m pleased, considering the many activities we have merged since the acquisitions of ODENBERG and BEST,” he said. “End-retailers are also demanding much higher and more consistent quality levels but, of course, our customers’ options to increase prices are limited. Therefore the cutting of our customers’ costs is a big driver of our business...the sensor based systems we provide allow this.”

“Another factor influencing the need for our products is the supply of labor - it’s not just the cost anymore with availability becoming an increasing problem,” he further explained. “Urbanization is reducing the number of people left to do manual sorting and control in areas where food is grown and processed.”

According to a press release, TOMRA now supplies equipment sorting over 150 applications and sold in over 80 countries. Its new products from the first half, which include the Blizzard, the new Biometric Signature Identification technology, and the Eco steam peeler, have all been greeted warmly by its clients.

Ashley revealed that TOMRA's increasing investment during the first half in nations such as the USA, Ireland, India, China and Belgium was a sign of its global focus.

“I believe this global breadth and being part of a large, strong, financially stable group allows us to cope with the ups and downs of individual territories and applications in a more balanced way,” he explained. “Our size and scope also helps us to service our many customers who are multi-national, whose number will increase as China and other emerging markets develop.”

TOMRA will be dispatching former Market Unit Manager for Tobacco, Steven Van Geel as the new Sales Director for China. Fellow TOMRA executive Sean Slevin has been entrusted with the position of Sales Director for the rest of Asia.

“We’d previously treated China as part of the wider Asian continent but it requires a more focused approach. We’re very optimistic that having Steven based there will help grow the Chinese market faster for us.”

Congratulations to a very impressive first half, TOMRA! I'll certainly be looking forward to hearing about what this exciting company accomplishes in the remainder of the year.

TOMRA

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Washington Conference, which took place in Washington D.C. this week, offered attendees face-to-face dialogue with lawmakers and staff at key congressional offices and provided great networking opportunities.  Check out some of the highlights from the event. 

The Conference kicked off on Monday with hundreds of industry leaders attending this year’s opening party.  Attendees were able to network while enjoying one of the best views in the city on the Rooftop Terrace of Charlie Palmer Steak.

At Tuesday’s Breakfast General Session, United Fresh presented its Congressional Leadership Award to Rep. Doc Hastings of Washington for his work representing produce industry interests, including his service as Co-Chair of the House Specialty Crop Caucus and his leadership on immigration reform and multiple Farm Bills.  Rep. Hastings and Sen. Pat Roberts of Kansas then addressed the attendees and provided updates on the legislative agenda leading up to the midterm election.

Then, hundreds of United Fresh members came together and met with lawmakers of the House of Representatives Tuesday in the annual march on Capitol Hill.  Industry leaders were able to voice their concerns about immigration reform, nutrition policies and the impact of economics and regulatory challenges on their operations.

Tuesday night, attendees were treated to the Fresh Festival on Capitol Hill.  This unique event is one of the most talked-about receptions in D.C.  Members of Congress and their staff, key administration officials and produce leaders came together for this flavorful display of what the industry has to offer. 

On Wednesday, conference attendees received the rare opportunity to hear from Mike Taylor, the Deputy Commissioner for Foods and Veterinary Medicine for FDA.  Taylor used his time to discuss the proposed FSMA rules that could significantly impact the industry. 

The conference ended Wednesday with an entertaining address from Frank Luntz, an American political consultant, pollster, and "public opinion guru," who gave a behind-the-scenes perspective on the fall 2014 elections and how they might impact the industry.

With the two key takeaways from the conference being the need for action on school nutrition and immigration reform, hopefully the produce industry joining together and voicing their concerns on these issues will lead Congress to act.

United Fresh

CINCINNATI, OH – Kroger just keeps steaming ahead with the release of a very strong Q2 financial report, highlighted by net earnings of $347 million, or $0.70 per diluted share, and identical supermarket sales growth, without fuel, of 4.8%. During the same period last year, that figure was $317 million, or $0.60 per diluted share. The release of this report impressively marks the 43rd consecutive quarter of positive identical supermarket sales growth.

With results like these, Kroger's CEO Rodney McMullen was understandably proud of his company's performance.

"We are winning with customers because we offer a full range of advantages including a great overall shopping experience, excellent customer service, a complete assortment of both national and corporate brand products, and everyday low prices and promotional offerings," McMullen said. "As we improve our connection with customers, we are also executing our growth plan and delivering on our key performance indicators -- all of which is fueling strong financial results for shareholders."

Other highlights from the report include:

• An increase in total sales of 11.6% to $25.3 billion compared to $22.7 billion for the same period last year. According to Reuters, analysts had only expected $24.92 billion in total sales.
• Total sales, excluding fuel, increased 12.4%.
• Capital investments, excluding mergers, acquisitions, and purchases of leased facilities, of $672 million, compared to $507 million.
• An increase in forward looking guidance to a range of $3.22 to $3.28 per diluted share for fiscal 2014 from an original guidance range of $3.19 to $3.27 per diluted share.
• An increase in forward looking guidance for identical supermarket sales growth to 3.5% to 4.25% for fiscal 2014 from a previous estimate of 3.0% to 4.0%.

"We are accelerating core business growth and investing to create unique competitive positioning for today and the future," McMullen said. "Based on our strong quarter results, we raised our net earnings per diluted share and identical supermarket sales growth guidance for the year.  We are well on our way to achieving a 13 – 15% net-earnings-per-diluted-share growth rate, including net accretion to earnings from the Harris Teeter merger, plus the dividend for fiscal 2014."

With the history of success Kroger has compiled over the past several years, I certainly wouldn't be one to bet against McMullen making good on this statement.

As of 11:00am PST, Kroger's stock is currently trading at $52.00 per share, a 0.25% increase during the day's trading activities.

Kroger