TEANECK, NJ -- The National Mango Board held the fourth in a series of 15 outreach meetings that it will conduct this year in the United States, Mexico, Central America and South America on June 2, here, at the Marriott at Glenpointe.

CITRUSDAL, SOUTH AFRICA -- The season's first shipload of South African citrus sailed May 31 from Cape Town and is scheduled to arrive about June 24 on the Delaware River's Gloucester Marine Terminal in Gloucester City, NJ.

Many grower-packers throughout the Citrusdal shipping district interviewed by The Produce News May 27-29 indicated that the quality of their fruit is excellent. Several packinghouse tours verified the claims.

WASHINGTON  U.S. Rep. Henry Waxman (D-CA) circulated a draft food- safety bill May 26 that would levy new fees on all facilities registered with the Food & Drug Administration to pay for more frequent inspections and set new produce safety standards.

After months of speculation about food-safety legislation, a powerful House committee is scheduled to hold its first hearing on the bill June 3.

Almost one year after the debut of Six L's Vintage Ripe tomatoes, the new heirloom variety has found its stride with year-round production and increased acreage of nearly 25 percent.

The new Vintage Ripe tomato season kicked off June 1 with production coming from South Carolina. The deal then transitions to Virginia for the months of July through October before rounding out the season with Florida production November through May.

Cherry growers and shippers in the Pacific Northwest are starting to exhale as they prepare to move into production for this season's crop. Unlike 2008, the year during which frost severely damaged the annual crop, prospects for 2009 have the industry excited.