Before the Produce Marketing Association’s Fresh Summit, The Produce News caught up with watermelon-smashing comedian Gallagher for an interview in a special section dedicated to the National Watermelon Association Centennial Celebration. A few weeks later, the NWA announced that Gallagher would be making a stop at the convention in San Antonio, TX, on what he has announced will be his final tour.

The U.S. Department of Commerce, at the behest of U.S. tomato producers, is currently contemplating discontinuing an anti-dumping investigation suspension agreement under which the Mexican tomato industry has been operating since 1996. The Mexican government, on behalf of Mexican producers, has been attempting to re-negotiate the agreement to the satisfaction of all concerned. As of Feb. 5, a tentative agreement was in place that could take effect March 4 (see story on page 1).

Mastronardi Produce broke ground on a major expansion of its Kingsville, ON, distribution center last fall. Completion is expected by mid-spring 2013.

“This expansion of 72,000 square feet is needed to accommodate for the increase in demand for our greenhouse produce items,” said Chris Veillon, marketing manager for Mastronardi Produce Ltd., headquartered in Kingsville. “Mastronardi Produce will have an additional 100 acres in Ontario alone for 2013.

“The new addition also includes automation to improve packing and distribution efficiencies,” he said.

“We grow over 75 percent of what we sell in high-tech state-of-the-art facilities that we own,” said Douglas Kling, senior vice president and chief sales and marketing officer for Village Farms International, headquartered in Eatontown, NJ. “We currently grow tomatoes-on-the-vine, beefsteak, cherry, grape, Roma and heirloom tomato varieties.”

The company also has over 70 items in trial and development, most of which are on an exclusive basis with its global seed partners and geneticists.

BC Hot House Foods, a leader in hydroponically grown produce, will start its 40th year in business with a 13-percent increase in production for the 2013 season.

The overall growth is the result of Darvonda Nurseries joining BC Hot House as well as additional acreage from current grower members.

The largest increases will be in sweet Bell peppers and long English cucumber crops starting this spring.

Darvonda brings over 10 acres to BC Hot House as it continue to produce greenhouse cucumbers and tomatoes alongside its core base of floral production.

Eva Dawson, director of sales and food safety for Dawson Farms in Delhi, LA, told The Produce News that the company’s crop is great quality this season. “And we have nice volumes in storage,” she added. “We will be shipping from cured to cured this year.”