Traffic was strong both days at the United Fresh 2013 trade show, held Tuesday, May 14 to Thursday, May 16 at the San Diego Convention Center in San Diego. Attendees had a chance to view the latest offerings from around the world.

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Since fall 2004, Paramount Citrus Cooperative in Delano, CA, and Sun Pacific Marketing Cooperative in Pasadena, CA, have been involved in a joint venture to market clementines under the "Cuties" brand.

The United Fresh Foundation announced the 12 members of the 2013-14 United Fresh Produce Industry Leadership Program. Presented through the Foundation’s Center for Leadership Excellence and sponsored by a generous grant from DuPont Crop Protection, this program was launched in 1995 and more than 200 program participants have graduated.

The Produce Industry Leadership Program welcomed the following professionals to its 19th Class:

With demand for fresh figs on the increase and existing production levels not keeping pace, Western Fresh Marketing in Madera, CA, has new fig orchards planted, some of which will be in production this year.

“We have 40 acres in the [California] desert that will be coming into commercial production this year,” said George Kragie, president of Western Fresh. “We have an additional 40 acres in Chowchilla that should see a limited but commercial production by the end of the season.”

With young acreage coming into production, demand strong and good crops on the trees, there is an on-tree potential for an increase in fresh shipments of California figs for 2013 — but it is a potential unlikely to be realized because several other factors influence the amount of fruit that gets shipped fresh.

With temperatures in the mid- to high 80s, good irrigation and a knowledgeable grower base, Walla Walla Sweets from Sweet Clover Produce have been “growing like gangbusters” and could even ship a bit early this season.

Bill (Sweet Willie) Brownfield, sales manager for the Walla Walla, WA-based Sweet Clover operation, said that his shipments of the official Washington state vegetable could begin mid-June.