The U.S. Department of Agriculture has released its January orange crop forecast for the 2008-09 season, reducing its earlier estimate by 3 million boxes, to 162 million boxes.

"This is a manageable crop, and hopefully the reduced production will spur higher prices to growers because right now they are facing very high input costs associated with disease pressure and fertilizer prices," Michael W. Sparks, executive vice president and chief executive officer of Florida Citrus Mutual, said in a press release. "We are in the middle of a very challenging season."

A consumer research project conducted by agribusiness marketing students at Cal Poly for Duda Farm Fresh Foods has resulted in new packaging and product promotion for the company's clementines, the easy-to-peel, fresh citrus that is especially popular with children.

Among its longtime customers, Moorpark, CA-based Muranaka Farm Inc. has a reputation as a "good, quiet company," according to John Killeen, vice president of sales and marketing for Muranaka.

"We've done what we said we were going to do," said Mr. Killeen, who joined the company in June.

But Mr. Killeen concededthat he has reached out to folks who didn't know that the grower-shipper is one of the larger shippers of bunched green onions in the United States.

The United Fresh Produce Association has opened registration for its United Fresh 2009 show, which will be held April 21-24 in Las Vegas, NV.

One of the event highlights will be the keynote address delivered by Steve Forbes, president, chief executive officer and editor-in-chief of Forbes magazine. People interested in attending the show and Mr. Forbes' How Capitalism Will Save Us keynote address may register on-line at unitedfresh.org or contact United Fresh at 202/303-3400.

MONTEREY, CA -- The Culinary Center of Monterey, here on Cannery Row, has plans for expansion that would open itself even more to the fresh produce industry.