TULARE, CA -- A total of 140 seminars on nearly every conceivable agriculture-related topic, from cooking demonstrations to dealing with an increasingly hostile business environment, were presented during the three days of the World Ag Expo held here Feb. 14-16 at the International Agri-Center. Among them was a series of international trade seminars that included three separate 90-minute-long sessions that addressed China.

Veteran California produce industry member Jim Llano has been named director of sales and marketing at Santa Maria, CA-based Bonipak Produce Co.

Mr. Llano joined Bonipak three weeks ago with a mandate to oversee and manage the Bonipak sales staff in the further development of retail and foodservice accounts.

Mr. Llano leaves a position at Wenatchee, WA-based Stemilt Growers Inc., where he handled California export sales. While at Stemilt, Mr. Llano introduced multiple-load volume of Stemilt apples and pears directly into Puerto Rico and Mexico.

More than 5,000 cartons of cantaloupes were shipped back to Costa Rica Feb. 2, resulting in a total loss because the pallets they were shipped on were not certified as pest- free.

The rejection was the first known case involving Phase 2 of the new standard for Imported Wood Packaging Material, published by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Animal & Plant Health Inspection Service and enforced by the Department of Homeland Security and its Customs & Border Protection Department.

Fyffes PLC, based in Dublin, Ireland, announced Feb. 7 that it has acquired 60 percent of Nolem, which is Brazil's largest melon producer and exporter.

Nolem owns 5,000 hectares of Brazilian farmland and markets 9 million boxes of melons per year.

The business will continue to be managed by Andre, Marcelo and Eduardo Gadelha. The Gadelha family will own 20 percent of the company.

For those who are eager to share berry important information, Watsonville, CA-based California Giant has added its own Cal Giant berry blog to its web site.

The blog is just one new element in the company's effort to offer useful, timely and new information for visitors to its web site (www.calgiant.com).

Mark Overbay, manager of communications for United Fresh Fruit & Vegetable Association in Washington has resigned from the association. His last day was Friday, Feb. 17.

Mr. Overbay, who joined the association in July 2004, "has played an important role in United's communications efforts for the past several years," United said in a statement. "For personal reasons, Mark is moving out of the Washington, DC, area, and will therefore be resigning his position."