The projected volume of this year's West Side melon deal in California is 20 million 40-pound cartons, which closely mirrors last year's production of 20.7 million cartons.

The West Side deal covers Bakersfield and points north but not the Imperial Valley.

When the Cantaloupe Advisory Board met April 27, not all cantaloupes in the West Side deal had been planted, according to Jerry Munson, manager of the board.

The 2006 fresh-market tomato planting, growing and harvesting season in California and much of Baja California, Mexico, was marked by extremes of weather, ranging from an unseasonably cool and wet spring and early summer to an excessively hot late summer. Those vagaries affected the timing of the crop, the production curve and the quality, all factors that in turn triggered dramatic swings in market prices.

Margaret D'Arrigo-Martin, executive vice president of sales and marketing for Salinas, CA-based family business D'Arrigo Bros. Co. of California, has been named Ag Against Hunger's Ag Woman of the Year for 2007.

The award recognizes a woman who has contributed significantly to the success of the tri-county -- Monterey, Santa Cruz and San Benito counties -- agricultural industry. This year's 13th annual Ag Woman of the Year luncheon was held June 6 at Paraiso Vineyards in Soledad, CA.

The formalizing of the Arkansas Agriculture Department in 2005 was certain to help propel the state as an important produce source, and strides so far have been huge. Increasing numbers of industry professionals are recognizing what is already produced in the state, as well as the potential in the future.

The PACA branch of the U.S. Department of Agriculture has determined that electronic invoicing, with the proper verbiage, does protect a seller's rights under the Perishable Agriculture Commodities Act Trust Provision.

Saying that their livelihoods could be at risk due to the current labor situation, merchants on New York City's Hunts Point produce market are stepping up in support of immigration reform.

In a May 14 letter to U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer (D-NY), the merchants said that a "substantial portion" of business conducted on the market is "threatened by the fact that our suppliers in the U.S. produce market may not be able to bring their crops out of the field and orchard due to a shortage of farm workers to pick and harvest."