Todd Hultquist, director of communications and membership for the U.S. Apple Association in Vienna, VA, told The Produce News Aug. 12 that the organization received news that morning that this season's U.S. apple crop was predicted to be 240 million bushels. "It is one of the largest ever," said Mr. Hultquist. "And all growing regions are reporting that the quality and apple sizes are on target. As of today, production across the country is normal, and everyone is looking forward to a good year." Mr. Hultquist said that last year's apple crop totaled 230 million bushels, which was considerably

The Southeast Produce Council will celebrate its 10th anniversary during its annual fall conference, set for Nov. 5-7 at the Chateau Elan Winery & Resort in Braselton, GA. The conference is always a fun and informative weekend for attendees, but this year's event will be especially gratifying to all those who helped found the council and who have worked so hard since that time to make it a success. Following a board of directors meeting Thursday, Nov. 5, there will be a get- acquainted cocktail party from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at the resort, leaving plenty of time for attendees to enjoy dinner

The Quebec Produce Marketing Association will be "embracing a culture of change" at its 62nd annual convention, scheduled to take place Aug. 20-22 at the Fairmount Le Chateau Frontenac in Quebec City. Sophie Perreault, executive director of the association, told The Produce News that "the theme of 'embracing a culture of change' will include culture in all of its meanings, especially in business, where it is changing rapidly. We're mixing cultures and doing business with different cultures all over the world. "It has been a complete year, and a lot has been accomplished by our outgoing

Bob Meek, chief executive officer of Wada Farms Marketing Group, based in Idaho Falls, ID, calls sweet potatoes a "sleeping giant." Anthony Totta, a produce industry marketing expert, believes sweet potatoes "are an SKU that should be a category." It is this belief that sweet potatoes are an underperforming and underdeveloped produce item that has led Dole Fresh Vegetables and Wada Farms to make a major push to reinvent the sweet potato in the collective mind of consumers. This effort is being led by Mr. Totta, who is CEO of his own consulting firm, Grow My Profits LLC, and who is serving as

The discovery of a disease-carrying psyllid in Fresno, CA, has heightened concerns of California citrus growers that their groves are at risk from, and may soon be infected by, a devastating pest-borne bacterial plant disease known as citrus greening, or huanglongbing (which is known as HLB). Diseased trees also were recently discovered in Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula, and there is concern that the disease could spread rapidly across Mexico's citrus-producing areas and then up into the United States. The disease is harmless to humans but damages and eventually kills infected trees, and it ruins

WASHINGTON -- Businesses that handle leafy greens got a better picture of the proposed federal marketing agreement during an Aug. 19 webinar that trade groups hope gets the green light by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. In June, a coalition of produce trade groups asked USDA for a marketing agreement that would cover a wide range of leafy greens in hopes of putting industry "in the driver's seat" on how to farm safe products, Charles Hall, executive director of the Georgia Fruit & Vegetable Growers Association, said during the hour-long event. Handlers who sign onto the marketing agreement