Aneberries President Miguel Ángel Curiel says Mexico's berry industry is positioned for continued growth despite ongoing trade tensions and market challenges, arguing the country will keep consolidating its standing as one of the world's top berry suppliers.

Mexico is the dominant year-round source of strawberries, raspberries, and blackberries for the U.S. market. After a strawberry season that came in 14% below expectations due to weather, and with trade uncertainty still hanging over the broader U.S.-Mexico produce relationship, this kind of industry-level assessment carries weight — though it should be read as a stakeholder perspective, not a neutral forecast.

For buyers managing berry programs, Mexico's long-term supply commitment is reassuring, but the near-term story is more complicated. Watch for how trade policy developments and San Quintín Valley water constraints evolve — both could test the industry's stated resilience.

The ProduceIQ Index is telling a counterintuitive story: despite factors that would normally push produce prices up, markets are running cooler than expected heading into peak summer demand.

This kind of broad-based softness during dog days is unusual and worth paying attention to. It likely reflects a combination of solid supply across multiple categories and demand headwinds — including the ongoing consumer pullback tied to Cyclospora concerns and general grocery spending fatigue documented in recent weeks.

For buyers, soft markets can mean short-term opportunity on pricing, but the underlying demand weakness is worth monitoring. Category managers should watch whether this softness holds through mid-August or snaps back as summer promotions ramp up.

Avocado producers in the State of Mexico have completed four years of sanitary preparation and certifications and are now waiting on U.S. authorization to begin exporting to the American market. The region is positioned and ready — the only remaining step is regulatory sign-off from U.S. authorities.

This matters because it would open a new source of Mexican avocado supply beyond the traditional Michoacan base. Diversifying the supply base has been a long-standing goal for the industry, particularly as concerns about single-region dependency and logistical concentration have grown. Adding the State of Mexico as an approved origin could eventually affect both volume and pricing dynamics.

The timing of U.S. authorization is the key unknown. Worth monitoring for anyone managing avocado programs — approval could come with relatively little warning and shift sourcing conversations quickly.

Meijer has launched a six-week promotional campaign offering discounts on a rotating selection of more than 1,000 popular grocery items, running through September 8, 2026. The move puts the Midwest retailer squarely in line with a broader trend of chains using aggressive pricing to retain value-conscious shoppers.

This is the latest in a string of major retailer discount campaigns Ripe has tracked this season. As consumers pull back on spending, grocers are competing hard on price — and fresh produce often anchors these promotions given its role as a traffic driver. For suppliers and salespeople working with Meijer, understanding which categories rotate into the promotional window matters.

Six weeks of sustained discounting through early September covers back-to-school and late summer — two high-traffic periods for produce. Worth monitoring how other Midwest retailers respond to match or counter Meijer's move.

Kroger has launched a new AI-powered tool across its online platforms, building on technology already embedded in more than 2,000 store locations through its Flashfood integration. The move represents a continued push by the country's largest traditional grocery chain to make its digital shopping experience smarter and more personalized.

For the produce industry, Kroger's digital investments matter because online grocery — especially for fresh categories — is increasingly where shopping decisions get made before a customer ever sets foot in a store. AI-driven recommendations and inventory tools can influence which produce items get surfaced, promoted, or flagged as near-expiry.

As Kroger deepens its tech stack, suppliers selling into its system should be thinking about how their items show up in algorithmic recommendations and whether their data — pricing, availability, freshness windows — is optimized for these tools.