TAMPA, FL - Grower-shippers and retailers alike are missing out on opportunities for business from new markets and media, as a series of workshops at the Southeast Produce Council's 2010 Southern Exposure expo, held here March 4-6, revealed.

New opportunities representing hundreds of millions of dollars in new revenues exist from expanding WIC produce voucher programs, trending consumer interests, and industry utilization of social media like Facebook and Twitter.

PHILADELPHIA - After a five-day labor strike that ran from March 1-5, management from the Philadelphia Regional Produce Market along with members of the Teamsters Local 929 announced March 8 that they reached a settlement.

The groups held a joint press conference outside the market on the morning of March 8 after reaching an agreement on the evening of March 5.

In a subsequent interview with The Produce News, Sonny DiCrecchio, executive director of the market, said that he didn't expect the strike and was very happy that it was over.

California Giant Berry Farms in Watsonville, CA, will run a 30-second television commercial in 26 U.S. markets on March 19 heralding the first day of spring.

In three of the last four years, the Mexican mango deal has gotten off to a fast start with at least some shipments in early February, and some marketable volume by the end of the month. Last year, shipments began in January and were quite heavy by the end of February.

Officials from Washington's apple industry are pleased with an early March announcement by the Mexican government that a tariff in place for more than a decade was removed. The 47 percent duty added approximately $10 to each box of imported Red Delicious and Golden Delicious apples.

A coin toss put Dante Galeazzi in McAllen, TX as regional sales manager for C.H. Robinson Worldwide Inc. What makes that even more interesting is that Mr. Galeazzi's great-great-grandfather, a farmer, held that coin four generations ago in northern Italy.

At the grim dawn of fascism and the reign of Benito Mussolini, the Galeazzi family knew difficult days lay ahead for Italy. But the family could only afford to send a lone representative to a new life in the United States.