ATLANTA -- With President Bush's signature, which is expected shortly, the start date of mandatory country-of- origin labeling for produce will be officially extended to Sept. 30, 2008.

On Oct. 31, ASOEX, Asociacion de Exportadores de Chile (also known as the Chilean Exporters Association), asked the U.S. Department of Agriculture to extend the comment period for an effort by the Coachella growers, known as the Desert Grape League, to change the regulatory periods for grapes that they grow and also for table grapes supplied from Chile and Mexico. This is USDA's Marketing Order 925 and Import Regulation 4.

In early November letters to U.S. Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA) and Washington Gov. Christine Gregoire, Washington consultant Pat Boss asked the two political leaders to "urge [Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad] to immediately reinstate its dedicated refrigerated intermodal service in central Washington to avoid a potential crisis situation for perishable shipments to Seattle and Tacoma."

ATLANTA -- Standardization in evaluating mangos during inspection should help the industry move forward, according to Leanne Skelton, chief of the fresh products branch of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Ms. Skelton made her comments Nov. 6 to an assembled meeting of the National Mango Board during the Produce Marketing Association's international convention and exposition, here.

Albert's Organics announced the opening of its web-based Organic Produce College. The college is a series of 20 lessons on the care, handling, merchandising and marketing of organic produce. The program is designed as a service for independent natural foodstore owners, general managers and produce managers, but would be of benefit to any produce professional, particularly a conventional grocery store produce manager who is starting a new or expanded organics program.

The program can be accessed at Albert's Organics web site, www.albertsorganics.com.

By April or May, an innovative transportation option will be in place for Washington state's grower-shippers, allowing fresh produce to travel from that state to New York in five days by refrigerated rail car.

The new service, provided by Railex LLC, will move perishable commodities by a 55-car train. Each of the new 64-foot refrigerated boxcars will carry the equivalent of four truckloads, and the high-speed travel time will be achieved by keeping the train intact and moving non-stop from its loading point in Wallula, WA, to its destination in Albany, NY.