The Western Watermelon Association, which was formed just two years ago, held its annual convention Jan. 15 this year at the Treasure Island Resort in Las Vegas.

"I felt we had a great turnout from the industry," said Brent Harrison, president of Al Harrison Co. in Nogales, AZ, and vice president of the association. He estimated that more than 150 people attended.

A combination of factors -- some but not all of them weather related -- have caused the 2011 strawberry season in California to get off to a slow start. Shipments to date from the Oxnard district as of Saturday, Jan.

WATSONVILLE, CA -- California Giant Berry Farms has hired a general manager for their blueberry packing operations. Evan Pence was hired Feb. 1 to fill the newly created position that will direct and coordinate blueberry packing operations and work with a variety of managers-supervisors on a daily basis, expanding the company's position in the blueberry industry.

His initial focus will be overseeing the blueberry packing operation in Oregon, working with the existing team of Patrick Garrison and Silverio Ramos in that growing region.

Three leading California stone fruit grower-packers will soon be growing and marketing new plum, peach, nectarine and apricot varieties developed by Sun World International LLC under a licensing agreement with the Bakersfield, CA-based fruit marketer. Sun World has issued stone fruit licenses to California-based Wawona Packing Co. Inc. in Cutler, Enns Packing Co-Wespak Sales in Dinuba and Sunwest Fruit Co. in Parlier.

The California Strawberry Commission in Watsonville, CA, has "a team of three category development managers" who “spend most of their time going out and calling on all of the major retail chains and presenting category business reviews,” Chris Christian, vice president of marketing for the commission, said in a Jan. 26 interview with The Produce News.

U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced Feb. 4 that a total of $15 million is available to domestic asparagus producers to compensate them for marketing losses resulting from imports during the 2004 through 2007 crop years. Affected producers may apply for compensation beginning on Feb. 7.