WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Commerce's International Trade Administration said Aug. 21 that it is taking the next step in reviewing a request to terminate the tomato suspension agreement with Mexico.

The agreement sets a minimum price that Mexican producers-exporters can sell their fresh and chilled tomatoes to eliminate damaging effects of exports on U.S.-grown tomatoes.

Farmer’s Fresh Fruit Co. in Reedley, CA, is a relatively new company, now in its second year in business, but some of the growers whose grapes are handled by Farmer’s Fresh have been working with Randy Garrett, the company’s general partner, for nearly 20 years, according to Peter Vallis, partner and chief financial officer.

Mr. Garrett was a founding partner of New Leaf Grape Co. and subsequently (in 2002) founder of Selma Fruit Co. LP.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Animal & Plant Health Inspection Service is working to provide data to officials in South Korea that it hopes will result in a reversal of a decision to ban potato exports from Oregon, Washington and Idaho.

Henry DeBlouw lets out a stifled chuckle when he says, “I’m Henry the Fifth,” but his job as vice president of operations for Mike Pirrone Produce Inc. is a serious matter.

His father, Henry IV, is known by his nickname, Butch. The DeBlouws bought Mike Pirrone Produce this past winter from Joe Pirrone, whose father founded the Capac, MI-based operation in 1951.

Avenal, CA-based Keenan Farms Inc. announced the hiring of BETH SEQUEIRA to its sales and marketing team on July 24. In her new position at the company, Ms. Sequeira will work to expand domestic and export sales of Keenan pistachios.

“We’ve got new products in our guacamole category,” said Tracey Altman, vice president of brand marketing for Fresherized Foods Inc. in Saginaw, TX, in an interview with The Produce News July 25. Fresherized is the manufacturer of “Wholly Guacamole, rated by Nielsen as the leading guacamole brand in the United States.

The new guacamole products are a home-style guacamole and a new Avocado Ranch-style snack pack.