Focused upon strengthening and sustaining its thriving industry, the Mexican Association of Protected Horticulture, commonly known by the Spanish acronym AMHPAC, held its seventh annual convention.

More than 330 participants attended the Aug. 28-29 meeting, which was held in San Jose Del Cabo, Mexico, on the Gulf of California about 15 miles northeast of the famous resort town of Cabo San Lucas.

A Sept. 3 press release indicated that convention participants came from five countries, while domestic attendees came from 20 Mexican states.

Despite a late start to the season, the first Peruvian sweet onions from Glennville, GA-based Bland Farms LLC are already making their way to the U.S. market and the company believes it can transition smoothly from the end of its Vidalia storage deal into the Peruvian fresh market with little or no gap.

Jeff Danner, general manager of Eastern Propak LLC in Glassboro, NJ, told The Produce News that the company is one of premier repackers in the tri-state area today. The company handles domestic and a long and growing list of imported fruits and vegetables.

“Our growth in the past five to six years has been nothing short of dramatic,” said Danner. “As a result, we have made multiple expansions to our facility to accommodate the additional business.”

He noted its growth is due to the increase in demand for the services the company offers.

In the late 1990s, Reidsville, GA-based Shuman Produce Inc. dipped a toe in the Peruvian sweet onion market, looking to expand on the success it had found with its Vidalia sweets. What began as a test drive, soon grew into a significant part of the program and Shuman has become one of the larger Peruvian sweet grower-shippers in the United States.

From the moment you decide to enter the world of produce, you are being evaluated by someone. The boss, client, company and the customer all have a stake in your performance.

What is that individual’s opinion of you? Perhaps you are one of the brazen souls who believe it does not matter what others think of you. Nothing could be further from the truth. The future of the organization you represent hangs on the spirit you bring to it.

The National Mango Board has appointed Manuel Michel as its new executive director. William Watson will remain active executive director of the NMB until Dec. 31, working side by side with Michel as he becomes integrated into his new role.