Florida Producers Find Profit At PMA Fresh Summit

Posted by Paul Rusnak|October 23, 2013

Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Adam Putnam accompanied 18 local companies and two agriculture associations on the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services’ (FDACS) annual trade mission to the recent Produce Marketing Association’s (PMA) Fresh Summit in New Orleans.

Collectively, the companies estimated $28.2 million in sales of products on site and another $49.1 million in projected sales. The Fresh Summit has more than 1,000 exhibitors and is attended by 18,000 participants from more than 60 countries. PMA is the leading trade association representing companies from every segment of the global produce and floral supply chain.

Attending from Florida were:

Agritrade Farms, Deerfield Beach: Okra, mini-cucumbers, other fruits and vegetables.
Agro Trading International, Coral Springs: Cantaloupe, honeydew, watermelons, mangoes, papaya and hothouse tomatoes.
Astin Strawberry Exchange, Plant City: Strawberries, squash, eggplant, cantaloupe and blueberries.
B&W Gourmet Farms, Fellsmere: Distinctive baby leaves, including watercress, wild baby arugula, red watercress and baby spinach.
Bejo Seeds, Monticello: Breeding, seed production, marketing and sales of commercial vegetable seed, including Tasti-Lee tomatoes.
BioXTEND Co., Naples: Post-harvest solutions, including air purification systems and temperature monitoring.
Brooks Tropicals, Homestead: Papayas, avocados and starfruit.
Dependable Packaging Solutions (DPS), Miami: Packaging and office supplies.
E Foods, Inc., Altamonte Springs: Tomato distribution.
Florida Blueberry Growers Association, Bartow: Florida blueberries.
Florida Classic Growers, Dundee: Grower-owned cooperative for grapefruit, navels, oranges, tangerines and peaches.
Florida Strawberry Growers Association, Plant City: Fresh Florida strawberries.
J&J Family of Farms, Loxahatchee: Peppers, squash, zucchini, tomatoes, eggplant, cucumbers and other vegetables.
Mack Farms, Lake Wales: Potatoes, onions and watermelon.
Noble Juice, Winter Haven: Specialty citrus fruit, blueberries and tangerine juice.
Pioneer Growers, Belle Glade: Sweet corn, green beans, radishes, celery and cabbage.
S.M. Jones, Belle Glade: Sweet corn.
Scotlynn Sweet Pac, Belle Glade: Sweet corn, watermelon, green beans, radishes, leafy greens, pumpkins and other hothouse commodities.
Southern Corporate Packers, Immokalee: Produce shipping.
West Coast Mushrooms, Quincy: Fresh mushrooms.

The trade mission was supported by FDACS, which hosts trade missions to various domestic and international destinations to promote Fresh From Florida products.

Source: FDACS