LOS ANGELES -- Nick Rendon, sales manager of the Nogales division of the Giumarra Cos., announced Oct. 31 that Giumarra will be offering a line of organic products from Mexico this fall.

"We have worked with the Llano family from Guaymas, Sonora, for many years, and they have consistently supplied us with high-quality green peppers, colored bell peppers, cucumbers and cantaloupes," Mr. Rendon said in a statement. "In response to demand from our customers and consumers, Mr. Llano is now producing cantaloupes and shadehouse grown organic vegetables.

One of the older and more respected tomato firms in Florida has apparently decided it can no longer overcome the many challenges the industry now faces to bring a product to market.

Taylor & Fulton Inc., based in Palmetto, FL, did not return calls from The Produce News seeking comment, but Jay Taylor, president of the company, told the Sarasota Herald-Tribune, "We have months ahead of us, but we are preparing to change direction. We're not ready to say yet. It's a little too early."

As Sunkist's John McGuigan aptly put it, the devastating effects of the January 2007 freeze are now, thankfully, "in the rear view mirror," so far as most California citrus items are concerned. Navel oranges have rebounded with good volume, good quality, a generally good size structure, an early start and virtually no residual effects from the freeze, as have other citrus varieties with one exception.

The exception is lemons, which continue in tight supply and are expected to remain tight and high-priced through the end of the year.

HOUSTON -- Mexico Calidad Suprema is a program that was initiated by the government of Mexico to assure that product bearing the program's logo meets rigid standards with regard to quality and safety.

Initially, certification requirements were established to include compliance with U.S. protocols for Good Agricultural Practices and Good Manufacturing Practices.

HOUSTON -- Complementing its existing line of specialty melons, Dulcinea Farms has tested and will be introducing a new melon to the marketplace in summer 2008.

HOUSTON -- Although it's been 14 years in the making, Sun World's new grape variety is paying dividends, and company executives believe they have hit a home run with the new Scarlotta seedless variety.

The late-season variety produced 250,000 cartons this year and there are expectations for volume to increase for the next several years until it surpasses the 1 million-carton level. Increases after that will depend upon how many new acres are planted. Like other grape varieties, it takes three years from first planting to produce a commercial crop.