Apples, cherries on Canada's retaliation list over COOL dispute
WASHINGTON — Canadian trade officials released a wide-ranging list of commodities, including fresh apples and cherries, that may become the target of retaliatory tariffs if a dispute over country-of-origin labeling of livestock is not resolved.
The World Trade Organization found USDA's COOL program discriminated against imported livestock and gave U.S. authorities until May 23 to bring the COOL rule into compliance.
Senate passes farm bill in 66-27 vote; House likely to vote this month
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Senate voted 66-27 to pass the five-year farm bill, passing the baton to the U.S. House, which may begin debating the bill during the week of June 17.
The final vote came in the evening of June 10 after one amendment was approved (48-38) to set up a pilot grant program to expand high-speed Internet.
Interfresh to open Dallas office
Interfresh Inc., a national supplier of fruits and vegetables based in Orange, CA, announced the opening of a new field office in Dallas to be headed up by Frank Bonaparte, a long-time industry veteran.
Bonaparte's career spans some 27 years across many facets of the produce industry, and for the past several years he has serviced a customer base in California's Bay Area.
Mike Comazzi joins FreshPack Produce
Denver-based FreshPack Produce hired MIKE COMAZZI as vice president of procurement.
Comazzi has been working in the produce industry for a total of 31 years, first getting his start as a fuel jockey for an Orlando-based distributor in 1982. Prior to joining FreshPack, he worked for FreshPoint Inc. for 27 years.
In his spare time, Comazzi enjoys golfing, hiking and running. He currently resides in Littleton, CO, with his wife.
Atlantic’s Art Galletta sees strong volume, normal timing
HAMMONTON, NJ — With “very consistent” weather during the winter and spring months, Atlantic Blueberry Co. is looking for the 2013 New Jersey blueberry season to start pretty much on time with greater volume than last year.
Stemilt’s The Stem gives consumers something to chew on
Stemilt Growers LLC, headquartered in Wenatchee, WA, is lighting up the blogosphere with information that will help consumers sink their teeth into the finest fruit available from the Pacific Northwest.
“We started a real blog two months ago,” Director of Marketing Roger Pepperl told The Produce News on May 29.
SPC President Andrew Scott leaving post as sales manager at Atlanta's General Produce
After seven years as sales manager for Atlanta-based distributor General Produce Inc., Andrew Scott is leaving, effective June 12, to explore other opportunities in the produce industry.
Scott will continue in his role as president of the Southeast Produce Council, an organization he has served in a leadership capacity since 2004.
With a potential record crop on the vines, San Joaquin Valley looks at early start
There is often a bit of overlap between the end of the spring grape deals out of Sonora, Mexico, and Southern California's Coachella Valley and the start of the summer grape harvest in Central California's San Joaquin Valley. Sometimes the overlap is slight; sometimes there is virtually none at all, or even a gap.
Stemilt's apricot program centered on organics, flavor
Stemilt Growers, one of Washington state's larger apricot grower-shippers, is set to begin harvest of its 2013 crop June 24.
Central California onion production now under way, will continue throughout summer
Fresh-market bulb onions are produced throughout California, with the main production areas being the low desert, the San Joaquin Valley and the southern and central coast. Planting takes place from September through May, and harvesting “begins in April or May and is usually completed in September,” according to “Fresh-Market Bulb Onion Production in California,” a publication on the subject published by the University of California Research & Information Center