Southern Specialties announced that it is teaming with Northeast Produce Sales and Bob McGowan to further expand its presence in the New England area. The two companies will start working together by the end of January.

WASHINGTON — President Obama broke his silence on immigration reform Jan. 29, just one day after a group of senators outlined their own plan that recognizes the need for an overhauled agriculture worker program.

There’s a lot of news going on at Watsonville, CA-based Santa Cruz Berry Farming Co. LLC, but most of it relates to the northern districts.

In Southern California, the company’s strawberry program is very much like it was a year ago, according to Fritz Koontz, managing partner.

The company’s acreage in the Oxnard district is “about the same” as last year, Mr. Koontz said. The harvest there started in the latter part of December.

“Mostly, we have short day varieties, so our crop is going to be earlier than most down there,” he said.

For a variety of reasons, West Lake Fresh, a Watsonville, CA-based brokerage specializing in strawberries, is optimistic about the prospects for the 2013 season, but there are a couple of caveats — labor availability and truck availability.

“Our biggest concerns are pretty much labor availability at peak times and, this year in particular, availability of an adequate amount of carriers to haul the product,” said Vice President Louis Ivanovich.

The Perishable Specialist Inc., a customs’ brokerage firm in Miami is solely dedicated to the produce industry, and so its business is streamlined to handle perishables exclusively.

Owned by husband and wife team, Frank and Ana Ramos, The Perishable Specialist deals repeatedly with the government agencies and departments, vendors and the steamship lines.

In late January, Ms. Ramos said that imports were moving strongly.

Before the Produce Marketing Association’s Fresh Summit, The Produce News caught up with watermelon-smashing comedian Gallagher for an interview in a special section dedicated to the National Watermelon Association Centennial Celebration. A few weeks later, the NWA announced that Gallagher would be making a stop at the convention in San Antonio, TX, on what he has announced will be his final tour.