With an all-time high of 37,914 planted acres of strawberries in California and with shipments by March 7 tracking ahead of last year, the 2009 season could be headed for another volume record for fresh California strawberries.

Strong volume is expected to come on in time for Easter promotions.

Statewide strawberry acreage for 2009 is up 3.8 percent over 2008 and up 16 percent over 2005, with steady increases each year.

WASHINGTON -- When President Obama spends a Saturday radio address talking about food safety, can federal legislation be far behind?

Legislation to modernize the U.S. Food & Drug Administration's food-safety authority got a huge boost March 14 when President Obama took the opportunity during his Saturday radio address to name the new FDA commissioner, criticize the current food-safety system and announce a new interagency working group to look at ways to improve the federal system.

BRONX, NY -- New York City and the merchants of the New York City Hunts Point Terminal Market have agreed on a plan to improve the market.

Based on interviews with market leaders, what follows is a basic description of the market as it stands today and how the market would be improved. The existing market has four rows, labeled A, B, C and D. Each of these docks is about one-fourth of a mile long. Row A is the first dock encountered upon entering the market.

David Charles Lenihan, the former controller of two Washington fruit warehouses, has been ordered to serve 21 months in prison and make restitution in the amount of $412,000 to Underwood Fruit & Warehouse Co. in White Salmon, WA.

The order was issued March 12 by U.S. District Judge Fred Van Sickle in Spokane, WA.

Mr. Lenihan was previously convicted in Yakima County Superior Court on felony theft charges. He was ordered to pay $66,000 in restitution and sentenced to five years in state prison.

WASHINGTON -- With produce suppliers being the constant target of costly and sometimes duplicative audits each year, the United Fresh Produce Association is hoping a two-day meeting next month will start the dialogue toward harmonizing audits with buyers.

At a recent meeting, the United Fresh Produce Association's Retail- Foodservice Board endorsed efforts to harmonize produce food-safety audits and urged produce industry members throughout the supply chain to participate in the April 24-25 Global Conference on Produce Food Safety Standards.

VIDALIA, GA -- Wendy Brannen, executive director of the Vidalia Onion Committee, here, has several new promotional programs planned to improve the consumer awareness of and dedication to the famous sweet Vidalia onion.

The committee has traditionally focused on national promotions, but "we are actually taking a different direction with our promotional programs" this year, Ms. Brannen said.