LOG ANGELES — Things haven’t changed a lot in the past year at VIP Marketing Inc., here, and considering that things changed for the worse for a number of Los Angeles area produce companies over the last year, not much change can be considered a good thing.

Commenting July 18 on Oneonta Starr Ranch Growers' 2012 cherries, Marketing Director Scott Marboe said the season has reached the halfway point, and fruit from the high orchards is peaking.

He went on to say that weather has been a factor but added, "We are starting to get in to those orchards we were waiting for."

The question of how the chief executive officer of a new national fresh produce association would be picked proved to be the issue that doomed the merger talks between the United Fresh Produce Association and the Produce Marketing Association.

MCL Fresh Inc., a Los Angeles-based grower, packer and shipper of organic, conventional and specialty fruits and vegetables, announced that Sheri Normandin (formerly Sheri Mierau) has been named director of sales and customer relations.

Salinas Valley leaf lettuce shippers were seeing a substantial spike in demand. West Side melon shippers were experiencing strong early-season demand, while California and New Mexico yellow onion shippers are seeing steady and firm demand. Idaho russet shippers are experiencing modest carton demand.

TRANSPORTATION & FUEL

Demand for trucks and the cost of freight remain at peak levels and will continue as such through July.  

Because water is a wildcard for Colorado’s agricultural producers in 2012, companies like Fagerberg Produce will not delay harvesting of their crops. Sales Manager Alan Kinoshita said this year’s onion crop will come on earlier than it did in 2011. “Because of water, we will take the onions when they’re ready,” he said.