WASHINGTON -- The U.S. Department of Agriculture has announced that it will send Idaho nearly $11 million to eradicate the potato cyst nematode, an announcement that came just days after Mexico agreed to reopen its market to Idaho potatoes. Mexico joined a handful of other countries in suspending imports of Idaho potatoes after PCN was detected for the first time in a soil sample collected from an Idaho processing facility in April 2006. Since then, studies found PCN in seven fields within a one-mile radius. Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns said that USDA was sending nearly $11 million in

SALINAS, CA -- As of June 15, NewStar Fresh Foods, based here, will focus its attention and energies fully on its green onions, asparagus and spinach value-added line. The company no longer will be involved with Iceberg lettuce, Romaine, leaf lettuces and celery. About a year ago, NewStar got out of broccoli and cauliflower. Its transition out of its commodities business is a positive and proactive step, said John Killeen, vice president of sales and marketing for NewStar. "We believe what's going to set us apart is our complete focus on core items and improved quality and service on top of

PALM SPRINGS, CA -- Competition for the consumer's retail food dollar is still intensifying as the lines continue to blur between various retail sectors. At least that is the view of retail expert Ed McLaughlin, director of food industry management at Cornell University, who gave the keynote address at the United Fresh Produce Association's FreshTech conference, held here April 25-28. Dr. McLaughlin set the stage for his talk by comparing the U.S. retail food sector with food retailing in other countries. While food retailing is increasingly becoming international as the giant retailers ignore

PALM SPRINGS, CA -- There is no doubt that improved food safety measures are being used by most companies since the spinach crisis of last September. The big question, however, relates to whether there should there be a mandatory, government-regulated component to the food safety issue. This theme surfaced time and time again at the FreshTech conference, held here April 25-28. The United Fresh Produce Association, which hosted the FreshTech event and the accompanying Produce Safety Summit, has gone on record supporting a mandatory, federal program, and United President Tom Stenzel reiterated

WASHINGTON -- Spinach producers may not see the $25 million bailout money, but farmers are hopeful that more than $3 billion in disaster assistance will be part of the next Iraq war supplemental bill. On May 1, President Bush vetoed the latest bill that would have funded troops in Iraq and Afghanistan, saying it would mandate an artificial date for troop withdrawal and was "loaded with billions of dollars in non-emergency spending that has nothing to do with fighting the war on terror." Stripped from the final bill was an amendment that would have allowed $25 million for spinach producers

PARLIER, CA -- The California Tree Fruit Agreement is projecting a combined crop of 50.5 million boxes of California peaches, plums and nectarines for the 2007 season, up from 47.5 million boxes in 2005. Estimated starting dates for each variety are a week earlier than last year, which was later than normal. The crop estimates were released at the CTFA spring meetings held here on May 1 upon their approval by the respective commodity committees, which are administered by CTFA. The Nectarine Administrative Committee approved an estimate of 19 million boxes for the 2007 California nectarine crop