WOODCLIFF LAKE, NJ -- New Jersey Secretary of Agriculture Charles M. Kuperus led a delegation of produce specialists to the June 13 meeting of the Eastern Produce Council, updating EPC members on how the state's crops were looking as the 2006 season was ramping up.

In summary, the season for most items started a bit early, quality on the early vegetables has been very good, and the forecast for later vegetables and all fruit items is for continued excellent quality and sizing.

Bengard Ranch, a leading provider of premium vegetables based in Salinas, CA, announced that it has hired Jesse Gomez as executive vice president of sales and marketing. He will be responsible for managing the daily sales and marketing functions of the company and will be charged with leading Bengard Ranch to a stronger national position across various segments of the industry.

Watermelons, cantaloupes and Delaware and Maryland truck crops were generally looking good late this spring, as the Laurel Farmers' Auction Market in Laurel, DE, was anticipating a normal opening around July 7.

Auction manager Tom Wright said that most growers in his region have irrigation that has overcome very dry production weather. But one precipitation matter that cannot be solved by irrigation is the local wild and commercial bee population.

The numbers say that the volume of Mexican mangos being sent to the United States is up, but many mango importers who were interviewed in late May and early June cited lower-than-expected supplies and a strong demand for the fruit.

Duda Farm Fresh Foods Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Oviedo, FL-based A. Duda & Sons Inc., has named two new directors to its fresh produce sales team. Ed Scurich has been hired as director of foodservice sales, and Bill Munger is now director of fresh-cut sales.