California's berry harvest has reached peak production, with strong volumes across the category despite an unpredictable weather season. Raspberries are standing out as the clear growth leader, with notable shifts in varietal innovation also shaping how growers are approaching the category.

The timing matters: with BC blueberries facing pollination problems and Michigan yields down, California's strong berry output provides some supply-side relief for buyers managing the category right now. Volatile weather earlier in the season created uncertainty, but growers are delivering solid volumes.

For category managers, this is a window to move on California berries — particularly raspberries — while supply is strong and quality is holding. Worth monitoring whether the varietal shifts signal longer-term changes in what California is growing and how that affects procurement planning into next year.

The Hunts Point Produce Market in the Bronx, one of the most important produce distribution hubs in the United States, is navigating a period of significant change. The market supplies retailers, wholesalers, foodservice operators, and independent grocers across the entire Northeast corridor.

As buying patterns shift, e-commerce grows, and major retailers consolidate their supply chains, traditional terminal markets like Hunts Point face pressure to modernize operations, attract new business, and remain relevant to a younger generation of buyers who may never have set foot on a market floor.

For anyone sourcing product for the Northeast — especially foodservice and independent retail — understanding how Hunts Point is evolving matters. Changes to how product flows through this hub can ripple across the entire region's fresh supply chain.

New data from Numerator shows Kroger and Albertsons both lost grocery market share over the past year, while Costco, Amazon, and Walmart posted gains. The trend reflects a sustained migration of shoppers — particularly lower-income households — toward value-focused formats and e-commerce.

This is more than a data point. Two of the largest traditional grocery chains in North America are losing ground at the same time, which has real implications for the suppliers and distributors who depend on them for volume. For produce specifically, any shift in buying power or promotional investment at these banners affects the whole supply chain.

Watch how this reshapes category manager priorities at Kroger and Albertsons in the back half of 2026 — value positioning and promotional frequency on fresh produce could become more aggressive as both chains try to stop the bleed.

Earthbound Farm has introduced what it is calling the first salad greens to carry Regenerative Organic Certified (ROC) status. The certification goes beyond USDA Organic, incorporating soil health, animal welfare, and farmworker fairness standards into a single label.

This launch lands at a complicated moment for the leafy greens category — Cyclospora concerns have been driving consumers away from conventional fresh lettuce and mixed greens, and demand for greenhouse and alternative formats has spiked. A premium certification like ROC could help Earthbound differentiate at shelf while consumer trust in the category is under pressure.

For buyers and category managers, this is worth watching as a potential signal of where the premium organic greens segment is heading. How retailers position and price ROC-certified product against conventional and greenhouse alternatives will be telling.

C&S Wholesale Grocers has cut prices on thousands of products across its owned retail banners in the Midwest, including Family Fare, VG's Grocery, Martin's Super Markets, and Piggly Wiggly. Fresh meat and produce are specifically called out among the categories seeing reductions.

This move puts C&S squarely in the middle of a broader retail price war that has been building across grocery for months. Major chains from Giant Eagle to Walmart have been cutting prices as consumer spending pressure intensifies and lower-income shoppers continue trading down or defecting to discounters.

For produce suppliers and salespeople working with these banners, price-driven promotions may accelerate in the coming weeks. Watch for downstream pressure on margins as the Midwest competitive landscape heats up.

Lipman Family Farms has acquired Inland Premium Packers, a tomato repacking operation based in Riverside, California. The deal expands Lipman's footprint on the West Coast and adds local repacking capacity in a key distribution geography.

Lipman is one of the largest tomato growers and shippers in North America, and acquisitions like this are typically about tightening control over the supply chain — from field to shelf. Adding a SoCal repacking operation gives Lipman better proximity to major retail and foodservice customers in the Los Angeles basin and broader Southwest markets.

For buyers and category managers sourcing tomatoes in the West, this consolidation is worth monitoring. As major shippers vertically integrate repacking, it can affect pricing, availability, and the number of independent options in the market.