Melones Internacional, whose greenhouse vegetables from Sinaloa, Mexico, were formerly packed in the "Chiquita/ABC" brand and marketed through Chiquita Frupac Inc., are now being packed in a new label, "Plain Jane," just launched by the company.

Melones Internacional, whose founder and chief operating officer is Alejandro Canelos, has corporate headquarters in Culiacan, Sinaloa, and in Phoenix, AZ. Distribution of the products is handled through Apache Produce Co. Inc. in Nogales, AZ, according to a company fact sheet.

Widespread media reports are indicating that U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Mike Johanns would resign his post to seek an open seat in the Senate from his home state of Nebraska. Chuck Hagel (R-NE) said earlier this month that he would not seek re-election to a third term.

Mr. Hagel had apparently met with Mr. Johanns Sept. 18 and encouraged him to run for the seat, according to media reports. Mr. Hagel would not confirm Mr. Johanns' candidacy, but said that the agriculture secretary would make an announcement soon.

New York Bold LLC announced a new partnership with Keystone Fruit Marketing Inc. that will bring "America's Cooking Onion" to consumers across America.

Watsonville, CA-based Driscoll Strawberry Associates Inc. has announced that Steve Trede has joined its category management team as category development manager.

Mr. Trede has worked in the produce industry for more than 25 years for companies such as Desert Glory, Del Monte Fresh Produce and the California Strawberry Commission. A food technology graduate of Iowa State University, Mr. Trede most recently worked selling tomatoes for Desert Glory.

Watsonville, CA-based Driscoll Strawberry Associates Inc. is anticipating a bumper crop of strawberries and raspberries carrying into the fall months.

In strawberries, the abundance is coming from all of the company's growing areas in California. The surge in strawberries includes a big comeback crop in the Watsonville-Salinas and Santa Maria areas, as well as a fall crop in Oxnard, CA, for which volumes will be ramping up soon, said Tim Youmans, Driscoll's national retail sales manager.

The late-August arrival of the first charter shipment of Chilean avocados assured Henry Avocado customers that their late summer and fall promotions around the country would not be affected by the widely reported mid-July freeze in Chile.

On hand to inspect the first charter arrival Aug. 30 at the port of Los Angeles, Phil Henry of Henry Avocado Corp. said that while the volume of the Chilean imports would be lower than last year due to the freeze, he expected adequate, promotable volume similar to the 2005 season.