PHILADELPHIA -- Early maturity and Brix for Spanish clementines are better than normal, according to Bill Weyland, director of imports for Seald Sweet International LLC in Vero Beach, FL. The pre-Thanksgiving clementine varieties were developing internally at a faster rate than in 2005. With another shipload of clementines arriving in early December at Philadelphia's Tioga Marine Fruit Terminal, the citrus continued to look very good.

Most major players in the southern Texas produce industry are almost by definition importers of Mexican product.

"I do not know of a major [Rio Grande Valley] Texas shipper that isn't working both sides of the border," said John McClung, president of the Texas Produce Association.

Before the current National Football League season got underway, who would have predicted that the 2005 Super Bowl Champion Pittsburgh Steelers would have compiled such a losing record thus far this year? Hard to believe, isn't it? It's amazing how professional sports teams can be so highly victorious one year and fall flat on their backs the next. It's a whole lot easier becoming number one than it is to remain number one.

This year's Chilean Hass avocado season is in full swing with a crop expected to provide the retail community with a consistent supply of fruit supported by an aggressive communications campaign.

VISALIA, CA -- Some 400 peach, plum and nectarine growers and shippers who gathered here for the California Tree Fruit Agreement's annual dinner bid farewell to Blair Richardson, who is stepping down after five years at the organization's helm, and welcomed the new president, Sheri Mierau, who has been serving as vice president of marketing.

WASHINGTON -- The E. coli outbreak that has sickened 71 people on the East Coast is over and it appears that the suspected lettuce is no longer being served, according to the Food & Drug Administration.

This is good news for Taco Bell, which has been running ads to lure customers back to the embattled fast-food chain. "We are pleased this outbreak is over, and we look forward to serving our customers at all our restaurants," said Greg Creed, president of Taco Bell Corp.