WASHINGTON -- Fifteen years after the last Perishable Agricultural Commodities Act increase went into effect, the U.S. Department of Agriculture is proposing to nearly double the annual license fees, starting Oct. 1.

Francis Perry Murphy, 84, died peacefully March 13 at his home in Pearland, TX. The cause of death was not given.

Along with his father and brother, Mr. Murphy started O.P. Murphy Produce Co. Inc. over 60 years ago. The company is still a major factor in growing and shipping tomatoes to Texas and the rest of the nation. Its success fulfilled a lifelong goal for Mr. Murphy of establishing successful tomato businesses in Texas and California, according to a company press release.

WASHINGTON -- If Brazil joins Mexico in levying retaliatory trade tariffs on U.S. pear producers, it would cut 50 percent of total exports, according to Jeff Corea, international marketing director for the Pear Bureau Northwest.

The Center for Produce Safety at the University of California-Davis announced that it will host a Produce Research Symposium on Wednesday, June 23, at the Mondavi Center for the Performing Arts on the campus of the University of California-Davis. The format of the symposium will allow for open dialogue between research scientists and produce industry leaders looking for real-world applications to food safety issues. Results of 11 CPS-funded research projects will be showcased throughout the day.

With a projected crop of California avocados for 2010 that is two-and-a-half to three times the size of the 2009 crop, the California Avocado Commission is supporting that large volume of fruit with a strong marketing campaign that will kick off in earnest in April and continue through September, coinciding with what are expected to be the heaviest volume periods for the crop.

With spring just around the corner, the Pear Bureau Northwest and Epic Roots have announced a partnership designed to bring excitement to produce departments and consumers alike. A special retail promotion taking place through April will give retailers a chance to showcase a new Epic Roots Mâche and U.S.A. pear salad. The recipe features Green Anjou pears and Mâche Rosettes in a salad that includes other springtime ingredients.