Relief may be on the way for U.S. produce companies hit hard by steep Mexican tariffs as the U.S. Department of Transportation on Jan. 6 released a "concept document," a first step in resolving the cross border trucking dispute.

Mexico placed $2 billion in tariffs on a range of U.S. products after Congress shut down the funding for a pilot program that allowed a small number of Mexican trucks to enter the United States. Congress since removed the funding ban but the tariffs continued as the Obama administration had yet to finalize a plan for a new pilot program.

APTOS, CA -- Entering the Chilean Avocado Lovers Club national random drawing gave Pueblo, CO, resident Jennifer Smith the hottest ticket in town: two tickets and an all-expenses-paid trip to the 2011 Tostitos BCS National Championship Game in Glendale, AZ.

The weekend of Jan. 8-9, Ms. Smith will head to Arizona to see the most talked-about bowl game faceoff featuring the top two teams in the nation: the undefeated Auburn Tigers vs. the undefeated Oregon Ducks.

Estimating that 69.6 million pounds of Hass avocados will be consumed during this year's Super Bowl festivities, the Hass Avocado Board is implementing a marketing campaign to further encourage consumer purchases of Hass avocados leading up to and during this key sales period. Building on the success of last year’s program, HAB has again tapped football legend Joe Montana to serve as the program’s spokesperson.

The Chilean fruit season hits full swing in mid-January.

Early grape harvest in the Copiapo growing district was delayed at least a couple of weeks, missing Christmas time sales opportunities, according to importers. But that volume was not lost, just delayed until January, when activity should escalate quickly.

TAMPA, FL -- Sub-freezing weather that blasted Florida over three weeks in December will cost growers at least $200 million in crop damages, with the full tally from citrus yet to be counted.

Record-setting cold hit the state the weeks of Dec. 6 and Dec. 13, and even colder temperatures followed Dec. 27-28. Temperatures across the state averaged more than 10 degrees below normal for the month, and during the three main cold snaps averaged 30 degrees or more below normal.

FRESNO, CA -- Harvesting of citrus in California's San Joaquin Valley and of strawberries and vegetables in the coastal areas of Southern California began returning to normal the week of Jan. 3, after being disrupted by unusually heavy rainfall during much of December.