A September 2007 report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Economic Research Service, compiled by Sophia Huang and Kuo Huang, states that U.S. imports of fresh fruit and vegetables have increased substantially, particularly since the 1990s.

Dominant suppliers are the North American Free Trade Agreement region for fresh vegetables, the Southern Hemisphere countries for off-season fresh fruit and equatorial countries for bananas.

Longtime Los Angeles produce industry veteran Henry (Hank) Beyer died Nov. 25 at his home in Sherman Oaks, CA. He was 84.

For more than 40 years, Mr. Beyer worked on the Los Angeles Wholesale Produce Market, much of the time as a partner with Sam Perricone in Perricone Citrus.

On Nov. 15, or week 46 of the Chilean blueberry movement, the crop report issued by the Chilean Blueberry Committee, headquartered in Sonoma, CA, stated that the blueberry season was developing normally and without major weather issues affecting production. The report also indicated that more orchards in the country were being incorporated into the harvest to allow for higher export volume, resulting in a projection of greater shipments. It further stated that from week 48 onward, the projections were at over 3,500 tons weekly.

Ruben Shives, sales manager for the Edinburg Citrus Association and a former U.S. Department of Agriculture inspector in the Rio Grande Valley and a Safeway buyer and inspector in various locations across the country, died Nov. 20 following an illness. He was 55.

Mr. Shives began his sales career with ECA in 1995 and over the years was a driving force in the company, well known in the Rio Grande Valley of Texas and beyond.

Baloian Farms has partnered with Seminis Seed as the exclusive West Coast supplier of BellaFina baby Bell peppers.

“Consumer research often indicates that consumers are looking for more affordable, value-added and portion controlled products and BellaFina baby Bell peppers do just that by providing a more versatile bell pepper food experience,” Jeremy Lane, sales manager at Baloian Farms, said in a press release.

QPMA Executive Director Sophie Perreault and Sebastien Alix of Pommes Ma-