ICEBERG LETTUCE

The Iceberg lettuce transition from Salinas to Huron was not seamless initially, and the market advanced the week of Oct. 17 because several shippers were not able to begin their Huron harvest until Monday, Oct. 24.

Initial quality from Huron has largely improved over the last fields from the Salinas Valley. Quality reports indicate that several Huron lettuce fields have puffy, misshaped lettuce and below-normal carton weights. Despite the light weight, Huron lettuce should offer good shelf life after arrival.

Jose Luis Obregon

As Jose Luis Obregon, managing director of the Hass Avocado Board, cleared out his desk and prepared for

WASHINGTON — Leaders of the House and Senate Agriculture Committees are drafting the tenets of a farm bill they plan to submit by Nov. 1 to the Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction, condensing into weeks a process that usually takes months to complete.

Rick Paul

Sun World International LLC in Bakersfield, CA, which has a diverse citrus program consisting of such products as Nave

WASHINGTON -- The produce industry welcomed news that Mexico formally lifted tariffs that have amounted to more than $900 million of U.S. agricultural products since 2009, settling a costly dispute over a Mexican trucking pilot program.

Mexico, the third-largest trading partner for the United States, imposed the tariffs after years of squabbling over a provision in the North American Free Trade Agreement that allowed Mexican long-haul trucks to enter U.S. highways in 2000. Congress blocked funding for the program, which set off a political dispute between the two countries.