Lawyers for Salyer American Fresh Foods in Salinas, CA, were expected to be in court June 5 to ask the judge to remove the court-appointed receiver that has been running the firm for the past month. In early May, Steve Franson, the receiver, took control of the grower-shipper operation, which owed lenders more than $34 million and had informed its growers to quit planting crops for future harvest. At the time, Salyer American reportedly agreed to the appointment, but it has since had a change of heart. When Mr. Franson was named the receiver, Salyer American officials continued to publicly

NEW YORK -- Food, including produce, from the province of Quebec took center stage at a private event held May 28, here, at Food Emporium's BridgeMarket on Manhattan's East Side, which kicked off the retailer's "Taste of Quebec" promotion. While Quebec is known for its French and European heritage, research by the provincial government's Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries & Food discovered that shoppers in the United States had little knowledge of the quality and variety of food products that are available from the province. The ministry recently developed a marketing campaign called the

WASHINGTON -- The Bush administration's changes to the H-2A program that went into effect in January and may have made it easier to hire agricultural workers have been suspended, according to the Labor Department. Instead, employers are left with a mid-season rule change that is likely to make an already complex program even tougher to navigate this year. The H-2A rule took effect Jan. 17, just days after the United Farm Workers union and other worker rights groups sued to stop the rule. Soon after Labor Secretary Hilda Solis was sworn in, she announced that the Department of Labor would

WASHINGTON -- A Mexican trucking association is suing the U.S. government for more than $6 billion in the latest saga over Washington's decision to not allow Mexican truckers on U.S. roads, according to a Reuters report. Mexico's National Cargo Transportation Association said that the U.S. government violated the North American Free Trade Agreement by not letting Mexican trucks use U.S. highways. Mexican truckers are tapping an arbitration clause in the trade agreement that allows parties to sue for trade agreement violations. A federal pilot program, the Cross-Border Trucking Demonstration

TEANECK, NJ -- The National Mango Board held the fourth in a series of 15 outreach meetings that it will conduct this year in the United States, Mexico, Central America and South America on June 2, here, at the Marriott at Glenpointe. The meetings, which are held in different major importing and production areas, are designed to inform the trade on how the Orlando, FL-based organization, which is charged with increasing mango consumption in the United States, is using assessment monies and how that investment is being utilized to better and strengthen the mango industry, according to William

The 2009 produce season is underway and should be highlighted by good quantities of high-quality produce. So far this year, the weather has had a mild impact on New Jersey produce. Early warm and dry spring conditions quickly yielded to overcast and rainy weather which slowly warmed the soil. This resulted in later plowing and planting as well as more gradual growing conditions and bee pollination. The weather has continued to be very seasonal in nature, leaving us slightly behind a normal production schedule at this time although unusual future weather could always affect the eventual harvest