Food safety in the produce industry continues to be top of mind for consumers and industry leaders in 2012. Recognizing that ensuring consumer confidence in produce is crucial to building greater consumption, the Produce Marketing Association announced the donation of $900,000 to the Center for Produce Safety over the next two years. With this contribution, PMA continues to reinvest in the future of its members and ensures that all other funds provided to the Center go directly to fund research.

The Avocado Producers & Exporting Packers Association of Michoacán, known more commonly by the acronym APEAM, has appointed Eduardo Serena as the new interim marketing director for Avocados from Mexico, a post previously held by Emiliano Escobedo, who has accepted a new position as executive director for the Hass Avocado Board.

The U.S. apple industry is reacting with strong negativity to the news that the U.S. Department of Agriculture would not issue an August apple crop report in 2012 due to budget constraints.

In response to the announcement, Nancy Foster, president and chief executive officer for the U.S. Apple Association, issued a letter to U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Thomas Vilsack Jan. 6 stating that the association was “greatly surprised to learn that USDA’s annual forecast of the U.S. apple crop contained in the August crop report would be discontinued.”

The Wisconsin potato crop has segmented well, and Bushmans’ Inc. will have ample supplies and sizes available to its customer base this season.

“What we like to see is a good mix,” Chief Executive Officer Mike Carter told The Produce News Jan. 13.

This year’s Wisconsin potato season has been one marked with superlatives for Spud City Sales LLC, headquartered in Stevens Point, WI. “Quality has been exceptional this year,” President and Owner Tom Lundgren told The Produce News Jan. 10.

With more national carriers entering the produce transportation sector, and some improvement in the economy, an expert for Lange Logistics expects that there might be an easing of the transportation situation in this coming year.

“I think independent owner-operators have given way to large national carriers, both assets based and lease operated,” said Wally Lampertz, vice president of sales for the firm’s Nashville, TN, division.