The Produce Industry Podcast w/ Patrick Kelly

This week on The Global Fresh Series, we take a wide-angle look at the forces reshaping the global fresh produce industry—from avocado boardroom power, with the blockbuster acquisition of Calavo Growers by Mission Produce, a deal that signals a new era of scale, vertical integration, and expansion into prepared foods. moves to unexpected environmental challenges influencing what ends up on our plates. Followed with exploring record avocado demand and how Avocados From Mexico is looking far beyond Super Bowl Sunday—forecasting billions of avocados moving through global markets and investing in year-round demand, new regions, and next-generation consumers. We look at microfibers in clothes stunting tomato growth and finally, we end on a sweet note with the surging global popularity of mangoes, as consumer demand, improved supply chains, and expanding markets continue to fuel one of the fastest-growing fruit categories worldwide.

What happens when discovery turns to disaster — and survival hangs on a sliver of luck? How close did Joseph Banks come to losing everything he had collected, and his life with it? And how did coral, disease, and chance shape one of the most important scientific voyages in history?
Join John and Patrick as the Endeavour smashes onto the Great Barrier Reef, limps into Batavia, and is transformed from a ship of discovery into a floating hospital - a brutal reminder that Banks’s botanical triumphs were forged on the very edge of catastrophe.
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In Sponsorship with J&K Fresh.
The customs broker who is your fruit and veggies’ personal bodyguard. Learn more here!
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In this episode of the Produce Industry Podcast, Patrick Kelly sits down with Jeff Cady, Vice President of Procurement for Tops, to discuss retail sourcing, supplier relationships, and today’s produce market challenges. Jeff shares insights on procurement strategy, leadership, and what it takes to succeed as a retail partner in an evolving industry.

This week on Fresh from the Field Fridays, we’re talking dandelion greens, Cara Cara red navels, and those rare Chocolate Navel oranges — all showing up in stores right now.
Dan also breaks down a timely AgLife Media article on California pear growers and the impact of heavy imported pear volume still in the pipeline just as fresh Lake County pears are hitting the market.
And we wrap it up with a look at some really cool, nutrient-packed broccoli microgreens.
It’s all right here on Fresh from the Field Fridays, from the Produce Industry Network, powered by AgLife Media.

This week on The Global Fresh Series, we take a wide-angle look at how rapidly shifting environmental conditions, global demand, and innovation are reshaping the fresh produce landscape.
We begin in California, where the state has officially been declared drought-free, marking a major turning point for growers, water policy, and long-term agricultural planning.
From there, we travel to Southeast Asia, where surging demand for durian—driven by the Chinese market—is transforming the small rural village of Raub, in Malaysia. Once a quiet agricultural area, Raub is now positioning itself as a global supplier, expanding durian production and opening new export channels to India.
We close the episode with a look at innovation closer to home, as four new potato varieties are introduced to the market—highlighting how plant breeding, consumer preferences, and adaptability continue to drive opportunity in staple crops.
From climate resilience to exotic fruit demand and varietal innovation, this episode captures the interconnected forces shaping the future of global fresh produce.