YONKERS, NY - Merex Corp. is expanding its growing operations in the Dominican Republic to 52 hothouses from 28, and extending its product mix beyond colored bell peppers to include specialty tomatoes and cucumbers. During the 2004-05 growing season, Merex Corp., together with America Agricola, produced 150,000 exportable cases of Dutch-variety colored bell peppers. The expansion will double the yield for the coming growing season. "The issue of quality regarding hothouse growing in this Caribbean country is no longer a factor," Merex President Carmen Rosa said in an April 26 statement. The

Harllee Packing Inc. in Palmetto, FL, one of the older commercial tomato packers in Florida, is celebrating 70 years of packing under the "Harllee" brand. For the 70th anniversary of the brand, Harllee Packing is going retro with this year's label. The special anniversary label resembles the old-style lithograph label that the Harllee family used in 1935. The new Harllee label celebrates 70 years of outstanding product backed by a family who stands for timeless trust, integrity and knowledge, according to a company press release. The Harllee family began growing tomatoes commercially in

A ban imposed Dec. 21, 2004, on apple exports to Taiwan was lifted April 26, with exports from the United States approved to resume April 27. According to a letter from Francis K. H. Liang of the Washington, DC-based Economic Division of the Taipei Economic & Cultural Representative Office in the United States, the Taiwan Bureau of Animal & Plant Health Inspection & Quarantine "agreed [April 26] to resume U.S. apple imports into Taiwan April 27, 2005, and the phytosanitary certificate of apples should be issued on or after that date." The December ban was issued following the third instance of

Gahl Crane is a walking advertisement for Prime Produce International in Lake Forest, CA. The 23-year-old sales representative is a vegetarian who tends his own garden and eats three or four avocados - the company's exclusive product - a day. "It's absolutely my favorite food in the world," Mr. Crane said. "Being a vegetarian, I need its protein and vitamins to meet my dietary needs." Mr. Crane's father, Avi, an avocado veteran whose experience includes 10 years with the California Avocado Commission, six years at Chiquita Frupac and four years at Calavo, founded Prime Produce International in

Kingston Cos. in Idaho Falls, ID, announced that David J. Peterson has been retained as adviser to the president for the company's planned expansion into new markets and products. Initially, Mr. Peterson will advise on the companys entry into the sales and marketing of organically farmed fish. He will also help direct the companys servicing of the fresh produce retail and foodservice markets. Mr. Peterson has extensive experience in sales and marketing as well as farming and procurement operations supporting the fresh produce business. Most recently, he was the senior vice president of

In mid-April, with 200 loads of onions per day leaving the Rio Grande Valley of Texas, truck rates were skyrocketing and shortages were apparent. "Call me back later," Melinda Goodman of Four Seasons Trading Co. in Donna, TX, said Friday afternoon, April 15. I'm looking for trucks and I just cant find any. Two hours later, she said, Maybe you can e-mail me some questions and I can think about them over the weekend as I just have no time to talk right now. Trucks are really tight. Rates that were $3,200 are being quoted at $4,200 to $4,800. And there is no end in sight. Mike Martin of Rio