Watermelon demand in April was surprisingly strong, as Florida production was up over a year ago and Mexican production was also meeting demand. Growers expect domestic volume to be down this summer. "The watermelon deal now could be better than last year," said Michael DeBerry, the sales comptroller for Borders Melon Co. Inc., which is based in Edinburg, TX. Borders' melons are grown in Mexico and Texas. "The fruit has been tremendous and the market has been 22-24 cents. Everything is good. The market, I anticipate, should hold at least through Memorial Day." Brent Harrison, president of Al

Fresh King, based in Homestead, FL, announced its new "Drippy Elbow Mango" program aimed at providing consumers with a superior-eating mango and retailers with sales not yet experienced in this category. "We have partnered with mango growers in South America, Central America, the Caribbean and south Florida to provide mangos so juicy and delicious, the juice runs down your elbow," Peter M. Leifermann, president of Fresh King, said in a press release. "We have never lost sight of the key ingredient for sales - taste. This mango has the potential to revolutionize what retailers think of the

California Giant Berry Farms and the Tennis Channel have developed a national co-branding effort that will coincide with the television network's first-time coverage of Wimbledon, one of the sport's more prestigious tournaments. The partnership, named The Sweetest Match includes a national retail campaign, multimedia outreach and sweepstakes offering a chance to win a trip to Wimbledon 2009. The promotion opens May 9 and runs through the conclusion of this year's competition, set for June 23-July 6. Playing off Wimbledon's traditional strawberries-and-cream answer to a baseball game's peanuts

Nearly two months after New Jersey Gov. Jon S. Corzine proposed eliminating the state department of agriculture to help reduce the state's huge budget deficit, the fate of the department now appears a bit brighter. While nothing is official until the state budget is completed by July 1, the Assembly speaker, Joseph J. Roberts Jr., said that legislative leaders and Mr. Corzine had reached a general consensus to ease some of the proposed cuts in the $33 billion budget, The New York Times reported April 17. Mr. Roberts was quoted as saying in that article that the governor was "now open to saving

The Pear Bureau Northwest, headquartered in Milwaukie, OR, has been selected as this year's recipient of the Fresh Health Award. For 10 years, the Canadian Produce Marketing Association and The Produce News have recognized the achievements of one company to promote consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables in Canada. "The award acknowledges the organization's support of the 5 to 10 A Day program and focuses on some of the programs the organization has developed to support the 5 to 10 A Day message," said Ron Lemaire, CPMA executive vice president and director of marketing. This year's

Official estimates for the 2008 California peach, plum and nectarine crops werel set to be adopted April 29 at joint meetings of the Peach Commodity Committee, the Nectarine Administrative Committee and the California Plum Marketing Board. But industry sources suggest that overall crop volume for the three commodities combined will be similar to last year's 56 million boxes. Timing is also expected to be similar to last year, although temperature trends before harvest could adjust that by a few days either way. Perhaps the biggest difference between this year's crop and last year's is that