WASHINGTON " A new report by federal disease investigators on last year?s Salmonella outbreak at Sheetz convenience stores raised more questions than it offered answers about how tomatoes may have sickened 561 people in 18 states.

Year-to-date, the Florida tomato industry is behind by about 6 million boxes from previous years. Approximately 5 million of that figure is directly attributable to crop damage and losses that resulted from the four hurricanes that hit the state in August and September of last year. But the remaining 1 million-box decline is being blamed on spring shortages due to unusually bad weather in the state during the current growing season as well as some sporadic disease problems.

Dick Keim, director of sales for Prime Produce International LLC in Lake Forest, CA, has left Prime Produce and will be opening a Southern California office for an existing produce company whose name is yet to be announced.

The latest version of the Sonora Spring Grape industry's exclusive GrapeTRAX category trend study was discussed at a meeting of about 70 growers and shippers in Hermosillo, Mexico, the first week in April. Hosted by the Sonora Grape Growers Association (AALPUM) in partnership with its Nogales, AZ-based distributor members of the Fresh Produce Association of the Americas, this was the second year the industry has reunited prior to the season.

WASHINGTON " More than 50 groups rallied on Capitol Hill, along with Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns, to urge approval of the Free Trade Agreement with Central America and the Dominican Republic, known as CAFTA-DR, as Congress began hearings on the controversial trade pact.

Now in its eighth year, the merchandising and promotion program for Sonora Spring Grapes has been highly successful, resulting in broader acceptance of Mexican-grown grapes by U.S. retailers, according to Veronica Kraushaar, president of Vanguard Marketing Strategies.

Those programs, which initially focused on major chains, are now being expanded to regional chains and even to smaller ethnic groups.