The Produce Marketing Association Foundation for Industry Talent has recently announced the third annual Tip Murphy Scholarship for Leadership Excellence recipients for 2013. Tony Harmon of Nathel International and Juliette King of Nielsen Perishables Group were selected by the PMA Foundation and the Scholarship Selection Committee. The scholarship is part of the PMA Foundation’s initiative to establish a workforce with the diverse skills necessary to meet the complex demands of business.

Ayco Farms has hired Dale Chase as executive vice president of sales and marketing with the objective of transforming the company’s current retail dynamic and diversifying retail sales and foodservice programs.

Chase is tasked with leading and directing the sales department in an effort to enhance buyer relations, strengthen category management support and expand business solutions.

In mid-January, Michael Warren, president of Central American Produce in Pompano Beach, FL, told The Produce News that the company was currently importing papaya, green onions, leeks, radicchio and bunched radishes from Guatemala.

“Our okra program from Honduras is also running,” said Warren. “Cantaloupes, honeydew melons, seedless watermelons, specialty melons, butternut squash, spaghetti squash and acorn squash are coming in from both Guatemala and Honduras.”

Central American is also moving pineapples from Costa Rica.

Having just returned from his association’s 52nd annual U.S. Sweet Potato Convention, on Jan. 24 Charlie Walker, the executive secretary of the U.S. Sweet Potato Council Inc., reported his board’s decisions on promotions for the coming year.  

The meeting was held Jan. 19-22 in New Orleans.

Walker, whose office is in Columbia, SC, reported that his board has elected to continue its participation of the American Heart Association’s “Heart-Check Mark” campaign.  

Kids of all ages and skill levels will have additional opportunities to participate in events making up the new Hy-Vee Kids Fit program, which supports wellness and the fight against childhood obesity.

Hy-Vee’s goal in creating this fun, accessible and fitness-friendly initiative is to help fight childhood obesity one community at a time, getting children and families active and outdoors. Whether a child is new to exercise or is training for the triathlon, Hy-Vee Kids Fit has an event for every skill level.

Richard Matoian, executive director of American Pistachio Growers, said the pistachio industry was set to reach 1 billion pounds of nuts between 2018 and 2020 until the current extreme drought situation struck California. Experts are calling it 400-year drought and the highest 2.5-year cycle since 1895.