Cool weather around the country has led to an early end to some of the local colored bell pepper deals and is resulting in a strengthening of the market, which could remain hot for quite some time.

Mike Aiton, director of marketing for Prime Time Sales LLC, told The Produce News Sept. 22 that the market took a strong turn upward in the last week or so as these local deals saw their supplies dwindle.

"It's definitely been good for California," he said.

Oro Loma Ranch, a grower-packer-shipper of premium pomegranates and arils, has formed a new sales company called Ruby Fresh.

With about 4,000 acres of pomegranates, Ruby Fresh is one of the larger pomegranate shippers in the United States. The company, a subsidiary of Oro Loma Ranch, will handle sales of arils and fresh pomegranates, which will be marketed under the "Ruby Fresh" label.

City of Hope, a leading research and treatment center for cancer, diabetes and other life-threatening diseases, will honor two members of the retail community at its Harvest Celebration Ball Oct. 9 in Portland, OR.

It's a common misconception. Dates are often grouped together with such products as raisins and prunes as common examples of dried fruits. Raisins, of course, are dried grapes, and prunes are dried plums. To make that point clear -- and avoid the negative connotation some consumers have of associating prunes with a geriatric diet -- the California Dried Plum Board (as it is now called) now markets its products not as prunes but as dried plums.

San Antonio, TX-based Desert Glory Ltd. filed a lawsuit Sept. 20 in a federal court in Tucson, AZ, alleging that a competitor copied packaging it claims to be unique and distinctive.

The lawsuit claims trademark infringement and unfair competition by Ag-Mart Produce Inc., a Florida-based distributor of fruits and vegetables doing business as Santa Sweets Inc., with packing and distribution facilities in Nogales, AZ, and elsewhere.

Naples, FL-based Naturipe Farms LLC will have limited supplies of blueberries from Argentina in September, with volumes expected to surge around early November. Brian Bocock, vice president of sales for Naturipe, told The Produce News Aug. 30 that blueberry prices likely will be high through October. Peak blueberry volume from Argentina should be from mid-November through Thanksgiving, he said. "Argentina winds down hard in December and gets into January," Mr. Bocock said.