TAMPA, FL -- While January and February are typically boom months for Florida strawberries, this year's abnormal weather patterns continually pushed back harvesting and maturation so that the bulk of the Florida crop is just coming to market in mid-March. The bad news is Florida growers lost two prime months of a market window they usually have to themselves. The good news is the crop that is coming on now is abundant and of very high quality. Many growers have announced plans to extend the season, and some have told The Produce News they will be doing Easter ads, an uncommon opportunity for

After 75 years as a leader in Florida agriculture and at one time considered the nation's largest pepper grower, Dubois & Son in Boynton Beach has filed for bankruptcy protection. The company filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy protection March 10 in U.S. Bankruptcy Court, Southern District of Florida, listing $27.3 million in liabilities against $627,616 in assets, which are mainly comprised of trucks, equipment and machinery. Following the death of patriarch Robert M. (Bobby) DuBois Sr. in September at age 68, the company was owned by Robert M. (Robby) DuBois Jr., with a 66 percent share, and his

"Our international promotion efforts are ongoing," said Sue Johnson- Langdon, affectionately known as "Sweet Sue," the executive director of the North Carolina Sweet Potato Commission, in Smithfield, NC. "We participated at Fruit Logistica in early February in Berlin through a company in the Netherlands that imports North Carolina sweet potatoes. Through this same company, we will be conducting sweet potato samplings in one of the smaller chain retailers in Germany." Ms. Johnson-Langdon said that sweet potato demand continues to grow in Germany, and Scandinavian countries have expressed

Following a nearly devastating 2009 sweet potato harvest caused by heavy rains, producers in Mississippi are putting the past behind them and gearing up for the future. The state says it will be down by as much as 75 percent, depending on how packouts unfold. "We're in a comeback mode," Benny Graves, executive secretary and treasurer of the Mississippi Sweet Potato Council in Mississippi State, MS, told The Produce News. "Our focus is on sourcing financing, which is a national issue because loans are tight. We're also ramping up the Evangeline variety. It tends to hold up well in wet weather."

After years of looking for an animated character with which to partner to promote sweet Vidalia onions, the Vidalia Onion Committee in Vidalia, GA, finally found the right match with the hugely popular Shrek character, and excited retailers are poised to reap the benefits. "This is probably the biggest marketing campaign the Vidalia Onion Committee has ever done," said Wendy Brannen, executive director of the committee. "We do have industrywide participation. Every major grower- packer is on board in some way, shape or form with the program, which is fantastic for all of us." Shrek, a gentle

WILMINGTON, DE -- Taylor Farms has announced that it is increasing its contribution commitment to the Produce for Better Health Foundation with a $250,000 pledge over the next five years. Taylor Farms joins other longtime $50,000-plus annual PBH donors, including Paramount Farms, Stemilt Growers and Syngenta, which have been at or above the $50,000 level for several years. "In the course of our industry conversation about the merits of a National Promotion Board for Fruits & Vegetables this past year, we were again impressed with the mission and the effectiveness of PBH," Bruce Taylor