HOUSTON — More than 2,760 attendees gathered at the 2025 Viva Fresh Expo to celebrate everything fresh produce for the event's 10th anniversary.
At the Limoneira booth, visitors wanted to know the latest impacts of tariffs on the company's availability.
“It changes minute to minute,” said Aaron Leeming, sales representative for the Santa Barbara, Calif-based company.
Leeming said he's noticed that retailers haven't been purchasing comfortably, as they have in the past, due in part to the uncertainty with tariffs.
“We're hoping things pick back up and [consumers] open up their pocketbooks and buy more fresh produce,” Leeming said.
It's a time of transition for Pandol Bros.' crops, said John Pandol, director of special projects for the Delano, Calif.-based company.
Retailers can expect a transition from Mexican blueberries to Georgia-grown blueberries right around Easter.
Visitors to the Pandol Bros. booth also discussed the transition of Mexican table grapes to the desert in the U.S.
“It's a little bit of the same but different every year,” Pandol said.
Visitors to Frontera Produce's booth asked about the impact of tariffs on its onions, limes, cabbage, mango and cilantro offerings. The company services wholesale and retailers and does a little bit of everything, said Keesha Burse, controller for Frontera Produce.
“They know us,” Burse said about her company's reputation in the industry. “We've been around for quite a while.”
Cowboy hats with the Avocado Queen logo were popular at Viva Fresh this year. The company handed out more than 300 hats and over 600 bags.
The company also debuted two new products to complement its fresh avocados: avocado oil and avocado ghee.
Natalia Merienne, president, CEO and sales director for Avocado Queen, said there was a lot of interest in the avocado ghee at the event.
Berry marketing was a hot topic for visitors to the Fresh Kamp booth as blackberry availability was especially tight, said Ty Bamford, account manager.
Bamford said he and his colleagues discussed starting new programs with customers. The company services both retail and foodservice.
Visitors also wanted to learn when Fresh Kampo will market the new berry season, Bamford said.
Visitors to the joint Mucci Farms and BrightFarms booth learned about Mucci Farms' savory tomatoes, which Ken Paglione, sales account manager, said lead the premium on-the-vine segment.
Paglione said Mucci Farms is now the largest greenhouse bell pepper grower with recent acquisitions.
The company has seen a resurgence in interest in its Midi sized cluster-on-the-vine, which offers sweeter flavor than traditional cluster tomatoes, which are a 52-week offering, Paglione said.
BrightFarms, which joined Cox Enterprises' portfolio in 2021, debuted the first joint booth of Mucci Farms and BrightFarms. Matt DiNitto, director of sales in the East for BrightFarms, said the investment from Cox Enterprises has allowed BrightFarms to build out its portfolio.
And with Mucci Farms, it's a one-stop shop for sustainably grown produce for retailers.
Visitors to the Sweet Seasons' booth wanted to learn about the wholesale produce grower and importer's product availability. The company offers more than 150 types of fresh produce, including avocados, exotic fruits, tropical fruits, vegetables, greens, herbs and more. Visitors also wanted to learn what seasons each offering is available in, said Luvier Lopez, salesperson with Sweet Seasons.
She said visitors also wanted to learn what pack sizes the company offers as well as the weights, containers and countries of origin.
Those who swung by the North Bay Produce booth learned more about the company's Sekoya blueberries and Erandy blackberries. Visitors wanted to learn about the seasonal transition.
“The quality is good,” Sarah Quackenbush, sales manager of North Bay Produce, said of the upcoming U.S.-based berry season.
Those who stopped by the Exp Group Viva Fresh booth talked about tariffs.
“People want certainty but are facing uncertainty,” said Antonio Serafino, president of Exp Group.
Serafino said any tariff will impact imports such as bananas, cassava, yuca, yams, chayote, plantains and more. He said the produce industry has realized the impact of the different affected commodities.
“People want clarity, and how do we communicate that to our clientele?” he said.
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