Chile's clementine traders are keen to place their fruit for the first time this year in the U.S. market, hopeful that their fast-growing clementine deal will be as well received by U.S. consumers as it has been by European consumers. Chiles record harvest is set to begin in mid-May, with the United States targeted as the market of choice for the early part of the deal.

Produce Safety & Security International Inc., based in Toronto, announced that it has reached a marketing agreement with O.H. Trading Corp. for fruits, vegetables and olive oil from South America, South Africa, Europe and New Zealand.

The 2005 California cherry crop is expected to be "lighter by 10 to 20 percent" compared to 2004, said Jim Culbertson, executive director of the California Cherry Advisory Board in Lodi, CA.

In speaking with The Produce News on April 18, Mr. Culbertson said that the state produced the equivalent of 6 million 18-pound boxes of cherries in 2004. I'm baffled by the crop size, Mr. Culbertson said. Im surprised the crop is as light. The state is on a growth curve with cherry acreage, and the states maximum potential is 8 million boxes of cherries, he said.

Family-owned produce processor Verdelli Farms Inc., announced the promotion of 15-year company employee Kathi Metzger to sales manager.

Ms. Metzger, who joined the Harrisburg, PA-based company in 1990, previously served as Verdelli's customer service manager and has played a significant role in Verdelli's growth and success.

Fruit fly larvae were found in two different shipments of Texas citrus at a California/Arizona border agricultural inspection station in late April, triggering immediate suspension of shipments from the shippers in question and a new protocol for other shippers.

CIUDAD OBREGON, SONORA, MEXICO - The Sonora agricultural community convened for an unprecedented summit April 19-21, here, at the Hotel Grande Valle Obregon to explore ways to better work together to promote Sonoran agriculture products on both a national and international level.