Santiago, Chile-based Comite de Paltas de Chile estimated that the Hass avocado crop would be down 33-37 percent from last year's record production figures. The volume of Hass avocados that Chile will export to its international markets in the 2007-08 season - which runs from July 2007 to February 2008 - is between 230 million and 242 million pounds. The crop losses stem from a freeze that struck avocado-growing areas in Chile early in the week of July 10. The shortfall is expected to be felt most severely during late August and early September. Maggie Bezart, director of marketing for the

Bill Maker III, a salesman at Monterey, CA-based FoodSource, died Aug. 6 at age 45 of an undisclosed cause. He was a resident of Salinas, CA. Mr. Maker was born May 2, 1962, in Salinas. He left some impressive footsteps to follow for younger brothers Mike and Wyatt, the latter a commodity manager at Castroville, CA-based Ocean Mist Farms. Mr. Maker was an all-Monterey Bay League football player at North Salinas High. At Hartnell College in Salinas, he anchored two consecutive state football championship teams as an all-conference center. He then helped the University of Rhode Island to two

The Produce Exchange, based in Livermore, CA, has launched a web site for the "Emeril" brand line of products. The Produce Exchange is the exclusive sales, marketing and distributing agent for the brand. The web site is separate from the www.emerils.com site that Chef Emeril Lagasse uses for his overall business. Ease of navigation makes The Produce Exchange's site (www.emerilsproduce.com) the source and center for products, recipes and information on fresh produce. The site has several features for the "Emeril's" consumer that highlight the entire line of "Emeril's Gourmet Produce." The

Calavo Growers Inc. in Santa Paula, CA, announced Aug. 13 that it has entered into a marketing and distribution agreement with Agricola Belher, a major grower of tomatoes in Culiacan, Sinaloa, Mexico. The initiative will "further enhance" Calavo's "diversified fresh products business with the planned introduction of 'Calavo' brand tomatoes late this fall," the release stated. "In conjunction with the agreement, the Mexican company will be making substantial investments in infrastructure to support the new program." Calavo is not new to tomatoes, although the company has not previously put the

U.S. Secretary of Health & Human Services Mike Leavitt, FDA Commissioner Andrew Von Eschenbach and Associate FDA Commissioner Margaret Glavin toured the Del Monte Fresh port facility in Camden, NJ, Aug. 6 as part of a two-week tour of imported-food facilities around the country. "We were pleased to be able to show these top federal officials how fresh produce from around the world moves into the United States under rigorous security safeguards, with quality control an essential part of the total supply chain from farm to consumer," United Fresh Produce Association President Tom Stenzel said in

When shoppers enter the Porricelli's Food Mart in Old Greenwich, CT, the first thing they see is a display of fresh produce. This display, which changes every week, spotlights special promotional items as well as the most seasonal items available, inviting shoppers into the main aisles of the produce department. In mid- and late summer, fresh fruits and vegetables from the retailer's home state of Connecticut take center stage on both the opening display and in the rest of the expansive produce department. "People like to see homegrown items, especially corn. That's the best. Native