Following a light, late-starting grape season in 2006, California grape growers are anticipating a 2007 season that more nearly mirrors 2005 although not quite matching 2005's record volume. California shipped around 96 million boxes of grapes in 2005. The California Table Grape Commission is estimating the total 2007 crop to be a little less than that, possibly somewhere in the low 90s. While the crop will be larger than last year, "I haven't heard anybody say it is going to be massive," said Jim Howard, communications director for the commission. John Pandol of Pandol Bros. in Delano, CA

California's garlic harvest is now underway in the Coachella Valley, and preparations were being made for the harvest in the San Joaquin Valley when The Produce News talked with some garlic growers and packers on Monday, June 18. "The California crop looks good this year," with "nice size" and "about average" yields, said Kelly Marione, division manager for Orlando-based Spice World at the company's Coalinga, CA, plant. "We already started cutting on the early garlic this week," he said. Windrowing will follow, and the packing will probably start the second week of July, depending on how hot

GLOUCESTER CITY, NJ -- The season's first break-bulk refrigerated ship carrying South African citrus lifted pallets onto the dock of Gloucester Terminal LLC, here, June 19. The ship carried fruit for seven importers, according to Tom Mastromarco, director of fruit marketing and customer service at the Gloucester Terminal. Among the brands represented in the terminal's warehouse were "Unifrutti," "Darling Clementine" and "Seald Sweet." Importer Marc Solomon, president of Fisher Capespan USA LLC, which is housed a few blocks down the Delaware River from Gloucester Terminal, returned June 14

A very public fight has erupted in the usually polite regulatory world as the president of Whole Foods Market has taken on the Federal Trade Commission because it opposes the acquisition of Wild Oats Markets by the country's largest natural foods retail chain. Whole Foods, which has a policy against talking to the trade press and is typically quiet about its operations, has launched an all-out attack on the FTC through a blog written by President John Mackey and available on the company's web site (www.wholefoods.com). The FTC recently received a temporary injunction stopping Whole Foods from

Canada imposed import requirements on the eight California counties where the light brown apple moth has been spotted and identified in the United States. The requirements went into effect June 25. The import requirements will involve only product destined to British Columbia and will include inspections and phytosanitary certification demonstrating that the moth is absent from a long list of agricultural products. The phytosanitary certification involves federal parameters. The requirements call for a 2 percent inspection, meaning that two cases out of every 100 of a product will be inspected

Chef Emeril Lagasse, Pride of San Juan and The Produce Exchange have restructured the "Emeril's Gourmet Produce" line so that The Produce Exchange is the exclusive sales, marketing and distributing agent for the brand. The Produce Exchange, based in Livermore, CA, will lead new product development of the brand. Pride of San Juan will continue to manage the primary farming operations, and Mr. Lagasse will oversee the brand, new products and recipe development. "From the very start, this venture has been about our passion for quality produce and to make it available to folks at home," Mr