California Fruit and Vegetable

Tag: Inc.

  • Mission Produce® Appoints Michael Sims to Board of Directors

    Mission Produce, Inc. (“Mission” or “the Company”), a world leader in sourcing, producing, and distributing fresh Hass avocados with additional offerings in mangos and blueberries, today announced the appointment of Michael Bryan Sims to its board of directors, effective May 5, 2025. Sims is appointed as an independent Class I director, serving on the audit committee, with a term expiring at the Company’s 2028 Annual Meeting of Stockholders. In connection with this appointment, Mission Produce’s board of directors has increased the size of the board from eight to nine directors.

    Sims is a seasoned financial executive with more than four decades of experience leading global organizations across the food, agriculture, and consumer industries. He brings deep operational, strategic, and financial expertise, with a proven track record of driving growth, improving margins, and leading transformative initiatives for both public and private companies.

    Sims most recently served as Executive Vice President and CFO of TruGreen, where he led the company through critical financial restructurings, operational improvements, and strategic capital deployment. He previously held senior leadership roles at AdvancePierre Foods, where he helped take the company public and later facilitated its acquisition by Tyson Foods, and at Chiquita Brands International, where he led global finance and business development initiatives for over 20 years.

    In addition to his executive experience, Sims currently serves on the boards of The Hain Celestial Group and Winland Foods, where he provides strategic and financial oversight as a board member and audit committee chair. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Business from Indiana University.

    “We are pleased to welcome Michael to our board of directors,” said Steve Barnard, CEO of Mission Produce. “Michael’s extensive financial background combined with his board-level experience in the food and consumer sectors make him an ideal addition to our team. We expect that his proven ability to align financial strategy with long-term business objectives will enhance our growth strategies and create sustainable value moving forward.”

    “I’m honored to join the board of Mission Produce,” said Mr. Sims. “Mission’s industry-leading position in the avocado and mango industries, commitment to diversification, operational excellence, and supply chain transparency aligns closely with my professional philosophies, and I look forward to supporting the Company’s continued growth and success.”

    About Mission Produce, Inc.:

    Mission Produce is a global leader in the worldwide avocado business with additional offerings in mangos and blueberries. Since 1983, Mission Produce has been sourcing, producing and distributing fresh Hass avocados, and currently services retail, wholesale and foodservice customers in over 25 countries. The vertically integrated Company owns and operates four state-of-the-art packing facilities in key growing locations globally, including California, Mexico, Peru, Guatemala and has additional sourcing capabilities in Chile, Colombia, the Dominican Republic, Brazil, Ecuador, South Africa and more, which allow the company to provide a year-round supply of premium fruit. Mission’s global distribution network includes strategically positioned forward distribution centers across key markets throughout North America, China, Europe, and the UK, offering value-added services such as ripening, bagging, custom packing and logistical management. For more information, please visit www.missionproduce.com.

  • Nut and Dried Fruit Global Online Forum

    More than 1,300 attendees from over 85 countries are expected to join the INC 3D Online Conference from May 25-27, 2021. The event will be held using a virtual platform in which participants can customize an avatar to explore all that the conference has to offer.

    The online conference will feature live nut and dried fruit working group webinars led by industry leaders from around the world, giving insights and updates on topics such as production, trade, consumption, consumer trends, and other topics relevant to each product. Moreover, the event will include on-demand sessions which participants can watch on their own time. Apart from each product working group being available on-demand, attendees can also watch Nutfruit & Immunity, which will focus on nutrition and scientific research examining the health benefits of nuts and dried fruits, Nutfruit & Sustainability, which will highlight the sustainable activities of the sector, and Industry Marketing Programs Update, where participants can hear about the latest promotional activities from nut and dried fruit associations around the world. In addition, on-demand videos will feature sponsor videos and the Innovation Award Applicants. All of the live sessions will be recorded and published in Nutflix, so participants can re-watch the conference’s sessions or view them at a time that best suits them. Nutflix will also host all of the on-demand videos, making it the one-stop spot to catch all of the conference’s sessions.

    Brand new to this event is an interactive 3D virtual exhibition area where sponsors who have a booth can expose their brand, product, and services to the entire industry. Furthermore, attendees’ customizable avatars can explore the virtual platform to network by visiting the Nutfruit Cafe Corners where they will be able to foster existing and new business relationships and enjoy all the conference has to offer.

    Additionally, the INC will give out this year’s Innovation Award, which recognizes some of the brightest and most innovative products in the nut and dried fruit industry.

    Visit the INC 3D Online Conference website to register for the event, see the preliminary program, Innovation Award information, and discover who is already attending. 

    About the INC

    The INC is the international umbrella organization for the nut and dried fruit industry. Its members include more than 850 nut and dried fruit sector companies from over 80 countries. INC membership represents over 85% of the world’s commercial “farm gate” value of trade in nuts and dried fruits. The INC’s mission is to stimulate and facilitate sustainable growth in the global nut and dried fruit industry. It is the leading international organization on health, nutrition, statistics, food safety, and international standards and regulations regarding nuts and dried fruits.

  • USDA COVID-19 Food Assistance Program to Support Farmers

    Summary

    By Schramm, Williams & Associates, Inc. — The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced the $19 billion Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP) to support farmers and ranchers during the COVID-19 pandemic. This program is comprised of two major elements: direct payments to farmers and ranchers and commodity purchase and distribution.

    • Direct Payments Program – Provides $16 billion in direct support based on actual losses for agricultural producers where prices and market supply chains have been impacted and will assist producers with additional adjustment and marketing costs resulting from lost demand and short-term oversupply for the 2020 marketing year caused by COVID-19.
    • Purchase and Distribution Program – $3 billion of agricultural products, including meat, dairy, and produce will be purchased to support producers and provided food to those in need. USDA will work with local food and regional distributors to deliver food to food banks, as well as community and faith-based organization to provide food to those in need.

    CFAP uses funding authorities provided in the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA), USDA’s existing CCC funding, and Section 32 authority.

    Direct Assistance Program

    Source of Funds

    This program is funded using the $9.5 billion emergency program secured in the CARES Act and $6.5 billion in Credit Commodity Corporation (CCC) funding.

    Payment Allocations

    USDA will provide $16 billion in direct payments to farmers and ranchers including:

    • $2.1 billion for specialty crops producers
    • $500 million for others crops

    Payment Calculations

    Producers will receive a single payment determined using two calculations:

    1. Price losses that occurred January 1 – April 15, 2020.
    2. Producers will be compensated for 85% of price loss during that period.
    3. The expected losses from April 15 through the next two quarters.
    4. Will cover 30% of expected losses.

    Limitations

    • The payment limit is $125,000 per commodity with an overall limit of $250,000 per individual or entity.
    • Qualified commodities must have experienced a 5% price decrease between January and April.

    Expected Timeframe

    Program Sign-up: Beginning in Early May

    Payment Distribution: End of May or early June

    Food Purchase and Distribution Program

    Commodity Procurement

    It will begin with the procurement of an estimated:

    • $100 million per month in fresh fruits and vegetables;
    • $100 million per month in a variety of dairy products;
    • $100 million per month in meat products.

    Distribution

    The distributors and wholesalers will provide a pre-approved box of fresh produce, dairy, and meat products to food banks, community and faith-based organizations, and other non-profits serving Americans in need.

    Additional Food Purchasing

    In addition to the two targeted programs, USDA will utilize other available funding sources to purchase and distribute food to those in need.

    • USDA has up to an additional $873.3 million available in Section 32 funding to purchase a variety of agricultural products for distribution to food banks. The use of these funds will be determined by industry requests, USDA agricultural market analysis, and food bank needs.
    • The FFCRA and CARES Act provided an at least $850 million for food bank administrative costs and USDA food purchases, of which a minimum of $600 million will be designated for food purchases. The use of these funds will be determined by food bank need and product availability.

     

    Further details regarding eligibility, rates, and other implementation will be released at a later date.

  • USDA COVID-19 Food Assistance Program to Support Farmers

    Summary

    By Schramm, Williams & Associates, Inc. — The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced the $19 billion Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP) to support farmers and ranchers during the COVID-19 pandemic. This program is comprised of two major elements: direct payments to farmers and ranchers and commodity purchase and distribution.

    • Direct Payments Program – Provides $16 billion in direct support based on actual losses for agricultural producers where prices and market supply chains have been impacted and will assist producers with additional adjustment and marketing costs resulting from lost demand and short-term oversupply for the 2020 marketing year caused by COVID-19.
    • Purchase and Distribution Program – $3 billion of agricultural products, including meat, dairy, and produce will be purchased to support producers and provided food to those in need. USDA will work with local food and regional distributors to deliver food to food banks, as well as community and faith-based organization to provide food to those in need.

    CFAP uses funding authorities provided in the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA), USDA’s existing CCC funding, and Section 32 authority.

    Direct Assistance Program

    Source of Funds

    This program is funded using the $9.5 billion emergency program secured in the CARES Act and $6.5 billion in Credit Commodity Corporation (CCC) funding.

    Payment Allocations

    USDA will provide $16 billion in direct payments to farmers and ranchers including:

    • $2.1 billion for specialty crops producers
    • $500 million for others crops

    Payment Calculations

    Producers will receive a single payment determined using two calculations:

    1. Price losses that occurred January 1 – April 15, 2020.
    2. Producers will be compensated for 85% of price loss during that period.
    3. The expected losses from April 15 through the next two quarters.
    4. Will cover 30% of expected losses.

    Limitations

    • The payment limit is $125,000 per commodity with an overall limit of $250,000 per individual or entity.
    • Qualified commodities must have experienced a 5% price decrease between January and April.

    Expected Timeframe

    Program Sign-up: Beginning in Early May

    Payment Distribution: End of May or early June

    Food Purchase and Distribution Program

    Commodity Procurement

    It will begin with the procurement of an estimated:

    • $100 million per month in fresh fruits and vegetables;
    • $100 million per month in a variety of dairy products;
    • $100 million per month in meat products.

    Distribution

    The distributors and wholesalers will provide a pre-approved box of fresh produce, dairy, and meat products to food banks, community and faith-based organizations, and other non-profits serving Americans in need.

    Additional Food Purchasing

    In addition to the two targeted programs, USDA will utilize other available funding sources to purchase and distribute food to those in need.

    • USDA has up to an additional $873.3 million available in Section 32 funding to purchase a variety of agricultural products for distribution to food banks. The use of these funds will be determined by industry requests, USDA agricultural market analysis, and food bank needs.
    • The FFCRA and CARES Act provided an at least $850 million for food bank administrative costs and USDA food purchases, of which a minimum of $600 million will be designated for food purchases. The use of these funds will be determined by food bank need and product availability.

     

    Further details regarding eligibility, rates, and other implementation will be released at a later date.