The California Tree Fruit Agreement in Reedley announced a new partnership with the California Pear Advisory Board to share its retail sales representatives for the 2005 season.

Except for a couple of light rain storms expected five to seven days out, a near-record onslaught of rainy weather in Southern California showed promise of coming to an end as what growers hoped would be the last major storms of the season moved out of the state on Tuesday, Feb. 22.

The latest series of storms dumped another eight to 11 inches of water on already soggy soil, causing additional damage to various crops and disrupting both planting and harvesting schedules and bringing rainfall totals year-to-date close to a record.

Growers Express LLC in Salinas, CA, has appointed Victor Feuerstein to the newly created positions of vice president of finance and chief financial officer, effective Feb. 16.

In his new role at Growers Express, Mr. Feuerstein will oversee all financial, accounting and budgeting operations. He will report to Growers Express President Randolph Breschini.

EDDYSTONE, PA " The Chilean fruit deal now has plenty of fruit to promote, according to Brad Cantwell, vice president of North American sales for the deciduous group of the Dole Fresh Fruit Co., based here.

The deal started with high prices because of a fruit shortage in Chile?s northern growing areas. But situations have normalized, Mr. Cantwell said during a Feb. 15 interview with The Produce News. Also participating in the interview at the Dole offices, located near the Philadelphia International Airport, was Mike Schiappa, director of sales.

The Southern Hemisphere pear season is shaping up well for The Oppenheimer Group, one of the industry's larger marketers of Argentine pears based in Vancouver, BC.

According to David Nelley, Oppenheimer?s pipfruit category director, the company represented nearly 20 percent of Argentina?s apple and pear exports to North America in 2004, and the company expects to increase that proportion in 2005.

Matthew Harris joined the Moses Lake-based Washington State Potato Commission Feb. 17 as the new director of trade. Previously he was an account executive for Ag Management in Kennewick, WA, where he administered event management, database development and regulatory compliance for agricultural commodity organizations.

Mr. Harris held similar positions at the Maurer Christensen Co. and Far West Spearmint Oil, both also in the Tri-Cities area. He holds a bachelor?s degree in agricultural economics from Washington State University.