In a Jan. 12 letter to Rayne Pegg, administrator of the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Agricultural Marketing Service, the congressional delegation of the state of Idaho urged consideration of a request for the "purchase of fresh potatoes under your authority to remove surplus products under the Section 32 program." "The growing conditions for the 2009 Idaho potato crop were almost perfect, resulting in record yields and excellent quality," the letter said. "Therefore, the percentage of saleable potatoes is above average this year, and currently Idaho potato stocks on hand are nearly 13.5

Supplies of jumbo and colossal Sweet Clover sweet yellow onions will be "excellent" through March, and the famed Red Wing single-center variety of red onion will also be plentiful through May, according to Sweet Clover Produce Sales Manager Bill Brownfield. From his office in Walla Walla, WA, Mr. Brownfield told The Produce News that quality is also very good, and the third-party audited onions are tested and guaranteed to be sweet. In addition, the farms and facilities are certified for Good Importing Practices and Good Agricultural Practices. "Right now, the yellow market is up and demand is

Aid for survivors of the Jan. 12 catastrophic 7.0-magnitude earthquake that devastated Haiti is pouring in from around the world, including from the food industry. On Jan. 14, Wakefern Food Corp. in Elizabeth, NJ, announced in a press release that on behalf of its ShopRite and PriceRite stores, it will donate $250,000 to the American Red Cross to assist in the relief efforts for earthquake victims in Haiti. "Lending a helping hand to the communities we serve is at the heart of our business," Joseph Colalillo, chairman of the board and chief executive officer for Wakefern, said in the press

DETROIT -- The economic challenges of 2009 were more than many businesses could bear, but Detroit wholesalers found success among the obstacles and have a positive outlook going into 2010. "It was a good year," Dominic Riggio, president of Aunt Mids Produce Co., here on the Detroit Produce Terminal, said of 2009. "Package count on a lot of items is up. We have been able to maintain a lot of things and grow a lot of things. And - obviously in a down economy - we are doing pretty good." At Ben B. Schwartz & Sons Inc. on the terminal, Nate Stone, chief operations officer, said of 2009, "We didn't

Brooks, OR-based Curry & Co. announced in a Jan. 13 press release that produce industry veteran Cameron Low recently joined the company and will focus on Curry's year-round sweet onion program for both domestic and imported sweet onions. Mr. Low started his career in 1990 with Sysco Foodservice in California and then moved to Hollister, CA, joining Denice & Filice Packing in 1992. He took on the position of sales manager in 2000, working closely with peppers, onions, garlic, corn, melons and cherries. Denice & Filice was acquired by Tanimura & Antle in 2004 and became Denice & Filice LLC. In

Some fruit and vegetable producers in subtropical Florida, which extends from the northern edge of Lake Okeechobee south through the Florida Keys, took a hard hit to their crops from the freeze that lingered over the state during the first and second weeks of January. Others, however, were more fortunate. Duda Farm Fresh Foods, a division of Duda, headquartered in Oviedo, FL, experienced minimal effects in its vegetable crops in Belle Glade, FL. Susan Howard, director of corporate communications for Duda, told The Produce News Jan. 19 that the lowest temperature recorded in the area during the