A California private investigator who said that he has been hired by unnamed people in the tree fruit and grape industries in the San Joaquin Valley has placed ads in various trade industry publications, including The Produce News, asking for information with regard to buying practices within the industry.

Scott Nelson of S.K. Nelson & Co. in Fresno, CA, said that the people who hired him have "some evidence" of practices that are "unethical and possibly criminal."

As the American palate matures and continues to look for new flavors and healthier foods, endive is well positioned to continue its growth in retail and foodservice markets.

California Vegetable Specialties, based in Rio Vista, CA, which said that it is the only endive producer in the United States, is entering its 30th season growing the product and is a leading worldwide producer of red endive. Current production is about 4 million pounds annually.

The recent freeze in Chile will have no effect on Hass avocado imports to the United States for the 2011-12 season, according to Xavier Equihua, executive director annd chief executive officer of the Chilean Avocado Importers Association.

When the California Table Grape Commission released its preseason estimate on the 2011 fresh grape crop, there appeared to be a good possibility that the state could ship more than 100 million boxes of fresh grapes this year, for the first time ever.

The industry came close to that in 2010, with the final tally hitting 98.3 million boxes, or 97.7 million in 19-pound box equivalents. The 2011 estimate called for a record 99 million boxes, close enough to the 100 million-box threshold to be almost statistically insignificant. It could easily have happened.

Over the last year, Yerington, NV-based Peri & Sons Farms has invested more than $5 million in its onion-packing facility in Firebaugh, CA, adding a new cold storage shed, automated pallet-builder weigh station and other efficiency-driven improvements to handle anticipated growth in the coming years.

In a July 7 press release, Alex Barry, general manager of the Firebaugh site, said, “The improvements and

Stemilt Growers is taking Rainier cherries to an even higher level with a new, state-of-the-art optical sizer and in-line cluster cutter. The new equipment allows Stemilt to size large-sized Rainiers with precision in order to deliver a premium pack to the marketplace.