HURON, CA -- The plight of farmers and farmworkers on the west side of the San Joaquin Valley, where hundreds of thousands of acres of agricultural land have been taken out of production due to federal water cuts, received national media attention Tuesday, Aug. 11, when Fox News Channel aired a live interview with Latino comedian Paul Rodriguez in a dead almond orchard, here.

Fox's Sean Hannity interviewed Mr. Rodriguez, as well as U.S. Rep. Devin Nunes (R-CA) live via satellite from New York.

The United Fresh Produce Association, in partnership with the Canadian Produce Marketing Association, will host a special educational session Friday, Sept. 11 at the Canadian embassy in Washington.

As one of three concurrent field educational sessions during this year's Washington Public Policy Conference, the embassy visit will give attendees the opportunity to meet with Canadian agricultural officials and discuss trade matters between the two countries. CPMA Chairman Adrian Abbott of B.C. Tree Fruits Ltd. will welcome attendees and moderate the event.

WASHINGTON -- President Obama pledged to resolve the Mexican trucking dispute when he met Aug. 9 with Mexican President Felipe Calderon in Guadalajara, but advocates for lifting the hefty tariffs say that more needs to be done.

President Obama committed to resolve the issue and to address safety concerns about the trucks raised by the U.S. Congress, an administration official told Bloomberg News after the two leaders met during a summit of North American leaders.

Eurofresh Farms has redesigned package labels for its fresh tomatoes and cucumbers to inform consumers about growing practices, care and handling tips. The "Fresh Idea" labels will also help retailers notify consumers about the best uses for each variety.

The Peruvian Asparagus Importer's Association has indicted that asparagus production in Peru is forecast to increase by 10 percent this year, and the association expects that exports to the United States for the 2009-10 season will also increase.

Many importers said that their own volumes are expected to increase fairly significantly and backed up this viewpoint. Most importers are anticipating a 5-15 percent increase in total volume, but many said their own firms will see their individual volume increase more than that.

Alexander Ott, executive director of the California Apple Commission, said that the state's apple producers are anticipating a quality crop for the 2009 season. "Size looks good, and the crop looks clean," he told The Produce News in late July.

Last season, growers experienced very favorable conditions, with the 2008 crop exceeding industry expectations. This season, growers and handlers are cautiously optimistic. "We're projecting near to where we were last year," Mr. Ott said. "We're being conservative right now."