DNE World Citrus Sales in Fort Pierce, FL, had an excellent first half of its season and is now looking for a post-holiday surge for its grapefruit and other midseason citrus varieties, according to Florida Citrus Sales Manager Kevin Swords.

Ciruli Bros. LLC in Nogales, AZ, has increased production in two areas in its vegetable program over the last couple of seasons, according to Chris Ciruli, chief operating officer.

One area of increase is in bell peppers, he said. “We are seeing really good demand on hothouse red peppers, and we have backed that up with mixing in open field Le Rouge reds. That will put us in [the market] with more red peppers in a little bit different style. It seems like red peppers are a very hot item whether it be foodservice or retail.”

Jef Pryor has joined the Idaho Potato Commission's foodservice marketing team as promotions director for the Southeast. Working closely with Don Odiorne, vice president of foodservice, and the other regional foodservice promotion directors, Mr.

The Reinvestment Fund, a national leader in financing neighborhood revitalization, has provided BrightFarms Inc. with $1.26 million in senior debt capital for its Pennsylvania greenhouse farm.

BrightFarms’ 53,000-square-foot greenhouse, under construction in Bucks County, PA, will grow up to 500,000 pounds of fresh produce per year, create up to 10 jobs and increase access to flavorful, healthy vegetables.

WASHINGTON — The top House and Senate Agriculture Committee leaders met Dec. 4 in a sign that progress is being made in hammering out a five-year bill, but the farm bill’s future appears tied to the outcome of high-stakes tax and budget negotiations.

Politico reported that Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), Sen. Pat Roberts (R-KS), Rep. Frank Lucas (R-OK) and Rep. Collin Peterson (D-MN) met “amid real signs of progress in resolving their differences over the commodity title.”

WASHINGTON — If produce companies were questioning whether the Food & Drug Administration would use a new enforcement tool and shut down a food plant under the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act, ask nut processor Portales, NM-based Sunland Inc.

Sunland became the first business to have its food facility registration suspended by the FDA, thereby shutting it down, after its testing records showed it shipped Salmonella-positive products, the FDA said in a Nov. 26 letter from Commissioner Margaret Hamburg to Sunland President Jimmie Shearer.