Continuing to promote its more than 100 varieties of spuds during its Five Distinct Potato Seasons campaign, the Colorado Potato Administrative Committee has launched the "Spring Ahead" season for March through May.

Prime Time International and Vantaggio Farming Corp. have formed a strategic marketing alliance whereby Prime Time will be the exclusive marketer of Vantaggio's line of fresh produce items, including cucumbers and four varieties of hard squash.

Louis Hymel, director of purchasing and marketing for Spice World Inc., headquartered in Orlando, FL, told The Produce News that the company will be showcasing its full line of garlic products with a highlight on its “Grill Garlic-Q” barbeque sauces at the upcoming Southern Exposure Retail & Foodservice Conference & Expo at the Caribe Royale Resort & Conference Center in Orlando, FL, on Feb. 28-March 2.

Greenpoint Distributing LLC in Nogales, AZ, lost “probably over 300 hectares” or around 750 acres of sweet corn in the freeze that hit northern Mexico in mid-January, resulting in the loss of “over 300 truckloads of corn that we would have been receiving in the spring,” said Rick Burkett, sales director for the company.

But apart from that, the company’s other spring crops should be at normal production or better, Mr. Burkett said Feb. 8.

Nonpareil Farms, a Blackfoot, ID-based grower-packer-marketer of fresh potatoes, has entered into a letter of intent for the sale of its dehydrated potato business to Basic American Foods.

Nonpareil said the sale would enable it to focus on its rapidly growing fresh produce brand.

Both Basic American Foods and Nonpareil Farms are working toward negotiating the various agreements involved in the transaction and anticipate the process to take eight to 10 weeks to conclude and finalize the documents.

Two leading Canadian greenhouse growers were among Canada's Best Managed Companies, a national awards program recognizing Canadian companies that have implemented world-class business practices and created value in innovative ways.