Research is the fuel that drives the watermelon industry, and funding that research is a key component of the National Watermelon Association’s mission. The organization recently announced funding for a half-dozen significant new projects.

Each year, the NWA reviews proposals from educational institutions and research organizations around the country and funds a handful of the most promising. Typically, projects most pertinent to resolving problems from the previous season move to the top of the list.

As harvesting of new potatoes in California’s Kern County moves into peak production, the marketing outlook is strong — at least for red, whites and yellows.

Several growers and shippers began digging during the week of May 6, with virtually everyone joining the party by the following week. By the week of May 20, it was predicted that most sheds would be ramping up to full production. Typically, shipments of fresh potatoes from the southern region of the San Joaquin Valley go into early July.

Giumarra Wenatchee will bring a new pear to the market by becoming the exclusive North American supplier for the Angélys pear, grown in New Zealand by Freshmax.

Giumarra will market limited supplies of Angélys this summer, with initial availability in mid-June. The pear has strong consumer appeal, with a sweet, bold flavor profile, according to a company press release. Its smooth, bronze skin has a unique pink blush.

Bob Mast, president of Columbia Marketing International, said he expects the company will supply approximately 11 percent of cherry volume coming from the Pacific Northwest this season. The company is headquartered in Wenatchee, WA.

Statewide trends show that 2013 cherry volume will return to more typical levels following the 2012 record-setting crop. He said crop reductions in the early districts are expected to be between 30 to 40 percent.

Return bloom, he went on to say, was lower. “We probably cropped some trees too heavily last year,” he said.

Oneonta Starr Ranch Growers, headquartered in Wenatchee, WA, is counting down the days until its first shipments of Northwest cherries move into the pipeline. “Other than some cool days that hurt pollination in some areas, the weather has been really good,” said Marketing Director Scott Marboe. The heat wave in early May helped spur growth.

Oneonta projects marketing 2 million packages of cherries this season. “[This is] about the same as last year in total packouts,” Marboe commented.

Despite spates of cool, wet weather, which can give the Northwest cherry industry reason to suffer a little heartburn, Rainier Fruit Co. has moved into June and the beginning of its 2013 cherry season on a positive note. “We’ve had a fairly warm spring, which led to good crop development,” Director of Marketing Suzanne Wolter told The Produce News. “In the earliest blooming districts, we did get some frost damage, and a few areas experienced less-than-stellar pollination conditions, which could result in somewhat lighter supplies right out of the gate.