Sweet Clover Produce began moving a good size mix of white onions out of the Pacific Northwest July 20, and Sales Manager Bill Brownfield said that reds would start shipping July 27. "The whites are grown by Grotz Bros. of Hermiston (OR)," Mr. Brownfield said July 10. "They are our summer growers and produce whites, reds, sweet yellows and yellows," he added. "The whites this year have a wide range of sizing, with pre-packs in mediums, jumbos and colossal.

Dominion Citrus Ltd. has sold two of its four stalls at the Ontario Food Terminal in Toronto.

The board of directors of Fruit Patch Inc. announced the appointment of Scott Wallace as president and chief executive officer, effective July 13.

Geno Valdes, president of Sunburst Farms 10 years ago, has returned to the Miami-based floral company, again as its president.

"I'm excited to be back and to work with so many good employees who were here when I left and know what it takes to achieve success in this industry," he told The Produce News.

Bashas', Arizona's largest grocery store retailer with 158 stores, filed for bankruptcy protection in mid-July and announced that it would close 10 stores by July 21.

The amount of produce debt covered by the PACA Trust amendment appears to be in the neighborhood of $5 million, and experts expect that it will be paid. In fact, Bashas' has informed its creditors that it hopes to reorganize and emerge from bankruptcy within three months.

The 2009 Northwest cherry season has not been without its challenges, with what one marketer described as a "barnburner of a crop."

By all accounts, the Bing crop is the largest on record, with June estimates from Northwest Cherries at 16 million to 18.5 million 20-pound equivalents. That number was significantly higher than the 2007 crop, which was itself a record at just under 15 million boxes.