MONTREAL -- The Quebec produce trade took time out at the Quebec Produce Marketing Association's 63rd annual convention, held here Aug. 19- 21 at the Fairmont The Queen Elizabeth hotel, to honor two industry veterans and the contributions they have made. At the industry brunch Aug. 21, the association paid tribute to Dan Dempster, president of the Canadian Produce Marketing Association, who will be retiring in March after almost 35 years at the association. Mr. Dempster, who was visibly surprised with receiving the honor, told those attending the brunch that "people are very lucky to be in

IRVINE, CA -- "Authenticity" has long been a watchword of the California Avocado Commission, and never more than with the inception of the California avocado grower marketing campaign. This season, California avocado growers have elevated their level of involvement in the consumer campaign by making personal appearances at retailer events and by interacting with consumers as well as the media to create personalized marketing experiences. "Grower appearances at consumer events provide important opportunities to bring the campaign to life and complement our traditional advertising with marketing

ORLANDO, FL -- The National Mango Board is reporting record-setting mango import volume from April 1 to Aug. 15. The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Market News database shows volume that's 15 percent higher than the same period in 2009 and higher than any year on record for the same period. Favorable growing conditions across multiple regions have contributed to the record-setting volume. The primary source of growth was Mexico, which increased its volume of mangos exported to the United States by 18 percent compared to 2009 for the same period. "The spike in volume, particularly in the

Nearly every commodity in California so far this year has started later than usual due to an unusually cool, wet spring, and peaches, plums and nectarines were among the items affected. But as the weather has warmed to near seasonal norms, in some commodities such as table grapes it now appears that the start dates for later varieties will be closer to normal. Not so for stone fruit. "The crop has shifted later," and for some inexplicable reason, the later varieties now appear to be even more delayed than the early varieties, according to Gary Van Sickle, president of the California Tree Fruit

CHICAGO -- The U.S. Department of Agriculture is forecasting the 2010 U.S. apple crop at 226 million bushels (42-pound equivalents), 10.4 million bushels fewer than last year's production and 3.7 million bushels below the five-year average. On a percentage basis, USDA is forecasting 2010’s national apple volume at 4 percent below last year and 1 percent below the five-year average. The USDA released its estimate Aug. 12 and was noted in literature distributed at the U.S. Apple Association’s annual Apple Crop Outlook & Marketing Conference, held here Aug. 19-20. One of the key aspects of the

The front end of the grape season in the San Joaquin Valley of California was slow to start, with early varieties, particularly Flame seedless, being not only delayed by the unusually cool, wet spring weather but beset with quality problems and packing out under estimate. Many growers said it has been a year like none they remember. But late-summer and fall varieties appear to be returning to a more normal timing and are expected to have much better quality and packouts. Opinions differ as to whether there will be a significant overlap as the later varieties come on strong while the delayed