When a commodity such as apples experiences large national volumes, it typically means lower prices. But reports from across the country indicate that apples are enjoying strong movements both domestically and to foreign markets, and prices are holding. "Last year, Washington shipped a record 102 million boxes of apples," said Todd Fryhover, president of the Washington Apple Commission in Wenatchee, WA. "The November 1, 2009, crop report showed a 5 percent reduction from last year. Having less fruit is a good thing, as it helps with supply and demand. We're happy to say that the crop is moving

WASHINGTON -- A Senate committee unanimously passed its version of a food-safety bill Nov. 18 in less than two hours, clearing the way for it to reach the Senate floor. The bill "recognizes that preventive controls are an essential means to improve food safety, and it addresses the need to enhance surveillance, improve emergency response coordination, and heighten the scrutiny of imported foods," Tom Harkin (D-IA), chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor & Pensions Committee, said during the less than two-hour markup. "Importantly, it also recognizes that, while changes to our system

WASHINGTON -- Some $49 million was doled out last month for specialty crop block grants, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture will soon be inviting applications for fiscal 2010 grants aimed at boosting the competitiveness of specialty crops. States are rolling out the farm bill money to fund projects to support specialty crops: fruits, vegetables, dried fruit, tree nuts and nursery crops. On Oct. 15, USDA awarded 55 grants totaling $49 million to help support the competitiveness of small producers and promote or create direct-marketing opportunities for specialty crop producers. Projects are

Weather-related tomato shortages in some areas of North America, combined with seasons winding down or yet to start in others, have resulted in some of the higher tomato prices in history. The buzz around the East Coast Nov. 18 was that bulk boxes of vine-ripened tomatoes were commanding $35-$40. Jeff Ornstein, co-owner of Eli & Ali's in Brooklyn, NY, told The Produce News that prices spiked during the preceding couple of weeks due to shortages. "It's a pretty volatile market at the moment," said Mr. Ornstein. "We are also hearing that there may be a backlash from this. People don't want to

Maui Land & Pineapple Co. Inc. in Kahului, HI, announced Nov. 3 its intention to restructure the business, ending 97 years of pineapple cultivation on the Valley Isle. The company's two subsidiaries are the Maui Pineapple Co. Ltd., which grew Maui Gold pineapples on 2,000 acres, and the Kapalua Land Co. Ltd., which operated the Kapalua Resort in west Maui. In all, approximately 300 workers are expected to be laid off. In addition to these holdings, the company owns the Pu'u Kukui Watershed Preserve, the largest private nature preserve in Hawaii, and the 3,307-acre Honolua- Mokule'ia Marine

Litehouse Inc., headquartered in Sandpoint, ID, continues to innovate with a variety of value-added products. Paul Kusche, director of marketing and innovations, said that the firm's new cider showcases several of the premier apple varietals for which Washington is known. "These are variety-specific blends," he said of the cider line. The program was initially launched as Washington Galas were coming into production during September. "Now we have a Honeycrisp blend, and then we will be going to a Fuji blend [in January]." Mr. Kusche said that Litehouse looked around produce departments and saw