Everyone agrees that the fresh produce business operates on a supply-and-demand basis. The problem is that there are many factors that affect both the supply volumes and the demand trends. Mother Nature is included in the nearly unending list of issues. And she proved her power in the two previous hurricane seasons. According to retail market surveys conducted by the Florida Fruit & Vegetable Association in Maitland, FL, the price of a pound of peppers last June at a Foodtown store in New York retailed for $1.49. On Nov. 16, one pound of peppers cost $2.49. However, a pound of green peppers at

Put a watermelon seed on your forehead and make a wish before it falls off. Make a wish on the first star you see at night. Make a wish on a wishbone with another person. Make a wish before blowing out the candles on a birthday cake. Making wishes is nothing more than a superstition, but it is still entertaining and fun. One of the more popular wishing mechanisms is the wishing well. Wishing wells have been around for many centuries. It has been said that if you walk around a well three times while whispering your wish, it will come true. Of course, your wish must be accompanied by a monetary

Novazone, a leading provider of ozone-based solutions that improve the freshness and safety of food and water, has announced the appointment of Patrick Whalen as vice president of worldwide sales. In his new position, Mr. Whalen is responsible for all aspects of sales and field application engineering. Reporting to Paul White, Novazone's president and chief executive officer, Mr. Whalen will be located at the company's headquarters in Livermore, CA. Mr. Whalen brings a wealth of knowledge and talent to Novazone, which stems from his background of over 20 years of sales and management

Sysco Corp., one of North America's larger foodservice marketers and distributors, announced that Catherine Kayser has been promoted to president and chief executive officer of Sysco Food Services of Seattle Inc., a Sysco subsidiary located in Kent, WA. Ms. Kayser, who is currently executive vice president of the Seattle operation, will assume her new duties Jan. 1. She succeeds current President and Chief Executive Officer Robert M. Jenson, who will retire at the end of the calendar year following a distinguished 33-year career in the foodservice industry. Ms. Kayser has been involved in the

The agricultural community was encouraged by President Bush's push for immigration reform the last week in November, as he once again endorsed the concept of a guest worker program. In a swing through Texas and the Southwest, President Bush called for increased measures to secure the borders including the end to the "catch-and-release" program, which he said would be replaced with a "catch-and-deport" effort. But while he wants the United States to close its border to illegal immigrants, during a Nov. 28 speech in El Paso, TX, the president said, "We're also a compassionate nation. We've got

While this year's Peruvian asparagus deal is in full swing and by most accounts has been a good season overall, the volume shipped to the United States is not as high as in past years. "Volume has increased about 1 to 2 percent this year, where in past years it has increased by 12 to 14 percent a year," said John-Campbell Barmmer, director of marketing for Chestnut Hill Farms, a division of Bounty Fresh LLC, and co-chair of the Peruvian Asparagus Importers Association. "Production in Peru has increased 12 to 15 percent over last year, but product is going toward new and different markets in