MONTREAL -- Trade between Mexico and Canada increased 21 percent in 2006, thanks in large part to the agricultural products that Mexico sends to its northern neighbor.

Tanimura & Antle is hoping consumers step up to the plate with a fork instead of a baseball bat, but with baseball and fathers -- and the company's Iceberg lettuce -- in mind.

The Salinas-based lettuce giant is introducing its "Hit A Home Run This Father's Day" retail promotion with Iceberg lettuce wrapped in a baseball theme. The idea is for T&A to stake a marketing claim to Father's Day as its own. It may be an easy fit for a company looking for a holiday and a holiday in need of a commodity.

The California Tree Fruit Agreement announced that Sheri Mierau, president, would accompany California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger on his trade mission to Canada on May 29-31.

While in Canada, Ms. Mierau will join other agricultural representatives in promoting California agriculture in Canada, which has been the top trading partner for the California peach, plum and nectarine industry for more than 20 years.

Canada accounts for over half of the total peach, plum and nectarine exports and approximately 10 percent of total annual packout.

WASHINGTON -- With the future of immigration reform hanging by a thread, 160 growers and producers descended on Congress May 16 to warn of the dire circumstances to an industry unable to find a legal workforce.

"There are consequences to you, the country, if Congress does nothing," warned Monte Lake, a legal advisor to the Agriculture Coalition for Immigration Reform and an attorney with McGuiness & Williams.

Mr. Lake said that agricultural lobbyists should make Congress understand the impact of job losses if businesses fail due to labor problems.

Los Angeles-based Harvest Sensations and Brentwood, CA-based Frog Hollow Farm have entered into a national distribution agreement for all of Frog Hollow's fresh fruit and value-added fruit products, including purees, individually quick-frozen fruit slices and conserves.

Frog Hollow Farm grows multiple varieties of stone fruit including peaches, nectarines, plums, apricots, pluots and cherries.

After reviewing studies on Fit fruit and vegetable wash, the U.S. Army has approved it as an alternative sanitizer for fresh fruits and vegetables used by the military, a move that may clear the way for the Fit manufacturer to market the antibacterial product to government installations.

"We were approached by the manufacturer and found it worked," said Alphonso (Rick) Byrd of the Army Center for Excellence, Quality Assurance Division. The group, based in Fort Lee, VA, is in charge of providing food- safety advice for the military's worldwide foodservice program.