More Matters countdown to liftoff

It was a good morning of of sessions talking about the Monday launch of the Fruit and Veggies: More Matters campaign today. Elizabeth Pivonka of PBH said that better than 60% of retailers and fresh produce suppliers have already signed license agreements to use the brand.

PBH will focus on implementation of the brand and fundraising this year, and a special committee will be appointed later to look at building the revenue stream to support the outreach to GenX moms.

Pivonka said this campaign doesn't need hundreds of millions of dollars to be effective, as the dynamics of the campaign, she believes, are close to pushing it over the tipping point. Obviously, the country's obesity epidemic should be favorable to the success of the campaign. Gen X moms will be targeted through cost-effective new media like the Internet. The support of federal and state agencies will be invaluable, and the trade is getting behind the program.

Much work has gone into the planning and now the implementation of More Matters. I only wish that more money could be devoted to it. If PBH had a promotion order like dairy, just dream of what could be done. This campaign may not need a couple of hundred million to succeed, but it couldn't hurt.

Coverage of the launch is popping up everywhere: Here is a link to activity in Rhode Island. Here is a link to the launch of the campaign in Nebraska.

What about onions?

White hot prices, that's what. The USDA reported March 16 white onions from Mexico's Tampico region were a record $55 per 50-pound bag in south Texas; the previous high for Mexican white onions was reportedly $40 in 1998. Mexican yellow jumbos were $35 per 50-pound bag on March 16, up from the $30 per bag historic high in March and April of 2003.`The USDA reports that total onion shipments the week of March 4-10 were 17% lower than the same week last year. and Mexican imports were off 29%.

Rain in Mexico is one reason that prices have moved higher, along with reduced acreage compared with a couple of years ago.`More to come? Texas spring onion acreage is rated at 12,000 acres, down 32% from last year's area of 17,700 acres.

Comments and tips welcome

I have received a couple of comments and questions through the new anonymous "tips form" on the blog. One note said that the reader has enjoyed the blog and the links. "This has changed the way I get my information in a quick and straightforward manner."

Another comment I received just today referred to a question from a farmer wondering about how to deal with a difficult situation relating to irrigation water and E. coli levels. I will try to refer his problem to an expert that could give him technical advice.

Thanks for any input and questions you have as together we try to make the blog more interactive....

More Matters

I made it to San Francisco in time to attend the PBH Board of Trustees reception Friday evening. (As an aside, for anyone traveling to S.F., I took the BART train in from the airport to the Montgomery Station stop, and the fare of $5.50 probably saved $40 or so compared with a taxi.)

It was good to see familiar faces and meet a couple of new personalities at the reception.

Lorelei Di Sogra thanked me for the Packer 25 profile, recently published. I told her that the experience was very enjoyable and memorable for me. My hope is that readers can also sense the passion and energy that I felt from the 11 people I interviewed for the special section.

Mike O'Brien, vice president of produce for St. Louis-based Schnuck Markets Inc. - and also profiled for the Packer 25 this year by Jim Offner - is incoming chair of the PBH board. He will take the gavel from Jan DeLyser for the business meeting on Sunday following St. Patrick's Day.

That's going above and beyond the call, for sure. The PBH board meeting usually concludes Saturday night with the Celebration of Life and Dinner Auction on Saturday, but the More Matters launch on Monday rejiggered the meeting to include Sunday business this year.