The Packer

The Packer, Produce Market Guide and Farm Journal have rebranded GOPEX as the East Coast Produce Expo, set to debut Jan. 12-13, 2026, at the JW Marriott Turnberry Resort in Aventura, Fla. ECPE will serve as the first major fresh produce event of the year, offering a premier venue for industry leaders to establish strategies, form partnerships and engage with innovations shaping the fresh produce market. While maintaining the intimate environment valued by past GOPEX attendees, ECPE will help foster meaningful connections and provide actionable solutions backed by industry-leading data and insights. loom.ly/3YcrFh0

Experts say FSMA 204 prep should continue despite proposed delay. While more time before implementation can help companies ready for the new food safety rules, some worry that businesses will wait until closer to the 30-month extension deadline to prepare. loom.ly/BIfhVoE

Highline Mushrooms' initiatives featuring clear packaging and social media engagement are part of a rebranding initiative to increase mushroom consumption and attract the next generation. Learn how Highline Mushrooms plans to connect with new and younger consumers: loom.ly/rRN9E8c

Oishii, a Jersey City, N.J.-based vertical strawberry farmer, has acquired Tortuga AgTech’s IP, assets and members of the Tortuga engineering team. The company says the deal will “turbocharge” the output and efficiency of Oishii’s robotic harvesting capabilities. loom.ly/raG7Rj8

All produce buying trips are educational, but some more memorable than others, says columnist Armand Lobato of visiting grape growers and shippers in Chile. loom.ly/_1M9XII

Imagine you’re shipping a 40-pound box of broccoli, of which, 20 pounds of it is ice and another 20 pounds of it is the broccoli itself. Wouldn’t it be more efficient if you were able to ship more broccoli and reduce the ice? That’s exactly what Verdant Technologies is hoping to solve with its HarvestHold product, a 1-methylcyclopropene-based postharvest solution that extends the usable product life of fruits, vegetables and flowers by an average of 40-50%. HarvestHold is Matthew Aronson, chief revenue officer of Verdant Technologies, joined the “Tip of the Iceberg” podcast to discuss the move away from ice in shipping fresh produce and the residual effects it can have. loom.ly/1ZbehA4

Tariff whiplash is consuming the fresh produce — and the possible impact is stirring up quite the debate. At present, President Donald Trump says he’s sticking to his plan to impose additional tariffs on the United States’ top three trading partners starting April 2. Do you agree with President Trump’s Use of tariffs? Let us know: loom.ly/l_gTMQk

Rising wages have made an already complicated — but critical — guestworker program almost too costly to participate, forcing growers to leave the industry or relocate production outside the U.S. Read the next in our series on ag labor: loom.ly/RElXO_4

U.S. banana suppliers say the industry remains robust, despite some recent weather challenges in certain growing areas, and they anticipate continued growth in 2025. The U.S. imported about 10.4 billion pounds of bananas valued at about $2.43 billion in 2024, up from 10.2 billion pounds valued at $2.38 billion in 2023, according to the USDA. “As a staple fruit enjoyed by consumers of all ages, bananas remain one of the most affordable and versatile options available,” said Jamie Postell, vice president of sales for Fort Lauderdale, Fla.-based Chiquita North America. loom.ly/bCryRlo

Desiree Pardo Morales, founder of TropicalFruitBox.com, transformed her family’s whole business, WP Produce, into a thriving direct-to-consumer platform, making tropical and exotic fruits accessible to consumers nationwide. loom.ly/2BZtGpY