Over the last several years, California has continually enacted stricter emission standards for trucks in an effort to have cleaner air in the state.

Delbert Bland, owner of Bland Farms LLC in Glennville, GA, gets much credit as the marketer who made Vidalia onions famous. What most people don’t know is that his father, the late Raymond Bland, actually helped launch the Peruvian sweet onion industry.

“We are returning to market with another nice crop this year,” Brenda Briggs, vice president of sales and marketing for Rice Fruit Co. in Gardners, PA, told The Produce News. “The crop size is similar to last year, but perhaps down just a smidge. We’ve had very nice weather conditions during the growing season. We’ve enjoyed nice rainfall, but no adverse weather. We anticipate being within five percent of last year’s crop.”

The rapidity with which the Autumn King green seedless grape has gone from its release by the U.S. Department of Agriculture in 2005 to its present position as the dominant green grape variety for the late season, is something of a phenomenon.

IFCO Systems announced that Wolfgang Orgeldinger would become Chief Executive Officer of the company, succeeding Karl Pohler, who is retiring to pursue other interests.

Orgeldinger will also succeed Pohler as group president of the Reusable Plastic Crates segment of IFCO's parent company, Brambles Ltd.

Market Fresh Produce, based in Nixa, MO, has acquired West Central Florida Produce, located in Tampa. The acquisition was completed on Aug. 11.

"This is an exciting time in the life of our company," Steve Phipps, owner and chief executive officer of Market Fresh Produce, said in a press release. "Having a repacking and distribution facility located in Florida really strengthens our go-to-market strategy, not only in Florida, but in many areas outside of the state."

West Central Florida's shareholders will remain minority partner in the company.