NOGALES, AZ -- "We have heard every bad economic piece of news that is to be heard. Some of them are even true, unfortunately," said John Pandol, vice president of special projects for Pandol Bros. Inc. in Delano, CA, and chairman of the grape committee of the Fresh Produce Association of the Americas, here, who moderated a retail and foodservice panel discussion held Nov. 14 during the 40th annual Nogales Produce Convention & Invitational Golf Tournament. "We read about stores doing better or doing worse" in today's economic environment, "but everyone has to adjust" to the changing situation

"PEI potato acreage is down this year," said Bob Harding, general manager of the Prince Edward Island Potato Board in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, Canada. "Acreage is reported at 92,500 this year, compared to 96,000 acres a year ago." Mr. Harding said that the reduced acreage is due in large part to higher input costs. "The matter of the business itself is that it requires a cost commitment," he said. "And some -- primarily smaller -- producers, have decided to exit the business. Unfortunately, we've had a few years of slim margins, and that takes a toll on growers." The 2008-09 PEI

The Sayre fire in Sylmar in Los Angeles County that began Friday, Nov. 14 destroyed a satellite office of the Los Angeles County Agricultural Commissioner's office. The county's pest management offices (trailers) there that housed activity for pest detection, pest exclusion, produce quality and pesticide regulation were destroyed, and a pesticide storage shed was gutted, according to Ken Pellman, a spokesman for the Los Angeles County Agricultural Commissioner's office. Numerous vehicles belonging to pest detection and pest management were damaged, in some cases severely, he said. Mr. Pellman

Texas Citrus Mutual, a non-profit trade association established in 1958 to represent the interests of Texas citrus growers, celebrated its golden anniversary with a gala event Nov. 15 at the John H. Shary mansion in Mission, TX. Mr. Shary, a native Nebraskan, became involved in the development and growth of the Rio Grange Valley region after a tour of a citrus orchard in 1912. Three years later, he moved from Corpus Christi to the valley and started his own venture by planting 360 acres of citrus trees in what is today McAllen. Over the years, Mr. Shary bought and subdivided over 50,000 acres

Bland Farms has opened a new facility in Donna, TX, that will enhance the Glennville, GA-based company's ability to service its customers. "The doors of our new Donna, Texas, facility opened the last week of October, and the first product moved through it on Friday, October 31," Michael Hively, chief financial officer and general manager of Bland Farms, told The Produce News. Construction of the building began in January, and the projected opening was slated for September. But some residual rains from the storms that hit the Gulf region in late summer held up some of the paving and other

WASHINGTON -- With the produce industry still recovering from the summer-long Salmonella outbreak, top leaders of the Produce Marketing Association and United Fresh Produce Association sat down with federal food-safety officials to come up with a plan to improve the outbreak response and communication system. Both groups requested a meeting with top administration officials in the midst of the Salmonella saintpaul outbreak after the produce industry became increasingly frustrated with the handling of the investigation. More than 1,400 people became ill in the Salmonella outbreak that spread to