Persistent rain in parts of the South has hampered sweet potato harvesting in Mississippi, Louisiana, Alabama and Arkansas, with growers in those states as of Oct. 9 seeing 20-30 percent of their harvest complete compared to 50-70 percent by this time in a normal year.

Researchers, members of the fresh fruit industry and governmental officials have created a task force whose focus is to take proactive measures to stave off the impact of the newest pest found in Oregon and Washington.

Bruce Pokarney, director of communications for the Oregon Department of Agriculture, said that drosophila suzukii - commonly known as the vinegar fruit fly - reared its head this past September in the Willamette Valley.

Jesse Driskill, who in March 2008 was named president for the Fresh Produce Association of the Americas in Nogales, AZ, announced his resignation in order to take a position with Meyer LLC in Nogales, effective Nov. 16, immediately following the FPAA convention.

"We wish him well. It is a great opportunity for him," Chris Ciruli, FPAA chairman and chief operating officer of Ciruli Bros. Inc. in Nogales, told The Produce News Oct. 16.

Mr. Driskill was out of the office and was not immediately available for comment.

The produce industry has long complained about competing Good Agricultural Practice audits, and now a new working group will meet next month to start hammering out a single standard for all third-party GAP audits by October 2010.

"We've created a monster allowing different standards to propagate," said David Gombas, project coordinator for the GAP harmonization effort and senior vice president for food safety and technology at the United Fresh Produce Association.

NEW YORK -- Ocean Spray Cranberries Inc. will celebrate its 80th anniversary next year and kicked off festivities with its Big Apple Bog, held here Oct. 6-8 at Rockefeller Center.

The nation's apple harvest is in full swing, and that means that National Apple Month has kicked off its fall display contest.

The retail display contest brings the apple industry's fall generic apple promotions front and center for all consumers to enjoy. For many consumers, the apple displays will be the next best thing to being in the orchard and selecting the fruit from the tree.