A lighter-than-normal garlic crop in China, said to be due to small sizes, is expected to result in a 30 percent reduction in Chinese garlic exports to the United States this year, and that should bode well for California producers, giving them the opportunity for better returns on this year's crops.

"The word is that China is short," said Paul Auerbach, president of Maurice A. Auerbach Inc., in Secaucus, NJ. "Being that it is a world market these days, and being that this market her has developed into a very heavily Chinese marketplace ... that is a very important factor."

NoKota Packers Inc. has joined Fresh Solutions Network LLC, a partnership of multi-generational potato and onion companies committed to driving profitable category growth through innovative marketing, category management and operational solutions.

Bland Farms Empire-Sweet onions are set to reach store shelves in the New York area and Northeast in the coming days, a July 27 press release stated. The sweet onion grower, a proud member of the Pride of New York Program, is very excited about enriching the lives of local neighbors and customers with this year's crop.

Omar Cruz, Bland Farms' director of farm production, said the Cato-based New York sweet onion looks great, "I feel very good about the crop. The quality is there and that makes me very happy — the crop overall will make good yields."

Estimates for the 2012-2013 Northwest fresh pear crop were revised by the Pear Bureau Northwest on May 31. According to the report, the region's producers expect a total crop of approximately 19.276 million boxes this season. While the volume will be down approximately 6 percent when compared to 2011, the 2012 crop is expected to be 2 percent higher than the five-year average.

Temecula, CA-based West Pak Avocado announced the hiring of JAIME RAMIREZ as its newest sales representative on July 10.

Mr. Ramirez has over 10 years of experience in the fresh produce industry, most recently with Ready Pac Foods.

Richgrove, CA-based Vincent B. Zaninovich & Sons will have its first commercial crop this year of a proprietary green seedless grape variety from International Fruit Genetics in Bakersfield, CA, called Sweet Sunshine.

“It is our second season” with the Sweet Sunshine “but our first real crop” said John Zaninovich, a salesman with the company. “We did pick some last year, but this is the first fully developed crop that we will harvest.” It is a variety he feels has great promise and one to which the company has made a substantial commitment.