One of the older and more respected tomato firms in Florida has apparently decided it can no longer overcome the many challenges the industry now faces to bring a product to market. Taylor & Fulton Inc., based in Palmetto, FL, did not return calls from The Produce News seeking comment, but Jay Taylor, president of the company, told the Sarasota Herald-Tribune, "We have months ahead of us, but we are preparing to change direction. We're not ready to say yet. It's a little too early." He added in the Herald-Tribune article that the company would grow tomatoes until March or April, and that will

As Sunkist's John McGuigan aptly put it, the devastating effects of the January 2007 freeze are now, thankfully, "in the rear view mirror," so far as most California citrus items are concerned. Navel oranges have rebounded with good volume, good quality, a generally good size structure, an early start and virtually no residual effects from the freeze, as have other citrus varieties with one exception. The exception is lemons, which continue in tight supply and are expected to remain tight and high-priced through the end of the year. A number of growers began packing Navel oranges and Satsuma

HOUSTON -- Mexico Calidad Suprema is a program that was initiated by the government of Mexico to assure that product bearing the program's logo meets rigid standards with regard to quality and safety. Initially, certification requirements were established to include compliance with U.S. protocols for Good Agricultural Practices and Good Manufacturing Practices. In 2006, the Mexico Calidad Suprema program achieved equivalence with the EurepGAP (now GlobalGAP) standards, according to Lizeth Quintero, director general of Mexico Calidad Suprema A.C., a private industry association that works with

HOUSTON -- Complementing its existing line of specialty melons, Dulcinea Farms has tested and will be introducing a new melon to the marketplace in summer 2008. Speaking with The Produce News during the recent Produce Marketing Association exposition, here, General Manager Keith Kato said that the Dulcinea "Sweet 'n Crisp" Asian-style cantaloupe is so named because it is has a crunchy texture and was developed in China from the Hami melon. It has light-orange flesh and typically weighs between three and five pounds. Dulcinea is going to price it to compete as a mainstream melon, suggesting a

HOUSTON -- Although it's been 14 years in the making, Sun World's new grape variety is paying dividends, and company executives believe they have hit a home run with the new Scarlotta seedless variety. The late-season variety produced 250,000 cartons this year and there are expectations for volume to increase for the next several years until it surpasses the 1 million-carton level. Increases after that will depend upon how many new acres are planted. Like other grape varieties, it takes three years from first planting to produce a commercial crop. The Scarlotta variety was discovered in 1993

Although the f.o.b. prices for Iceberg lettuce that surpassed $35 in mid- October dropped considerably the third week of the month, the lettuce market remains strong, and experts said that the current conditions should hold for at least the next several weeks. Iceberg lettuce shippers have had a pretty good market since the beginning of October, with f.o.b. prices at least in the high teens. Rain in the California coastal production areas around Oct. 10 led to lighter supplies as much of the industry was in Houston for the Produce Marketing Association convention. By Monday, Oct. 15, demand