REEDLEY, CA -- A subcommittee of the California Plum Marketing Board, the Peach Commodity Committee and the Nectarine Administrative Committee, all of which are administered by the California Tree Fruit Agreement, here, are contemplating a recommendation to eliminate mandatory grade and quality inspections, according to CTFA President Blair Richardson. "This is one of the most significant things this industry has considered in many, many years," Mr. Richardson told The Produce News Monday, Sept. 19. Inspection and grade standards have been "a hot topic for the industry for over 50 years," he

ORLANDO, FL -- An already strong gathering of the Florida fruit and vegetable industry took on an even greater buzz as the top U.S. agriculture official paid a visit to the Florida Fruit & Vegetable Association convention, praising the hardworking members of the industry for their dedication and offering to be a sounding board for their concerns about the future of Florida agriculture. U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Mike Johanns was on hand at the 62nd FFVA convention, held here Sept. 25-27, to conduct a listening session in preparation for the next farm bill, which is scheduled to be in place

Ben B. Schwartz & Sons Inc. on the Detroit Union Produce Terminal has announced the addition of Armond Lonbardi to its staff, effective Sept. 13. Mr. Lombardi, 23, is joining the sales team at Ben B. Schwartz & Sons, and will also do some buying for the company, which handles a full line of commodities and was established in 1906. Mr. Lombardi has worked on the Detroit market in various sales capacities since 2001. At Ben B. Schwartz, he is joining his father, Matthew Lombardi, a sales representative and senior buyer for the firm. Mr. Lombardi Sr. started with Ben B. in 1980, according to Nate

Yakima, WA-based Pink Lady America is offering a marketing model new to the apple industry to the marketers of the "Pink Lady" brand apple. Called market segmentation, the plan was introduced recently to licensees of Pink Lady America. According to John Reeves, general manager of the operation, it is the goal of Pink Lady America to identify market segments that will provide the best sales opportunities. The three factors used to develop our market segments will be age, socio-economic status and geographic, Mr. Reeves said. The idea is to use these segments to build brand equity for the

Monterey, CA-based Pro*Act, a leading fresh produce supplier to the foodservice industry, has announced that Upper Lakes Foods Inc. in Cloquet, MN, has become the latest perishable specialist to join the company's growing distributor ranks. Upper Lakes Foods Inc. is among the United States larger independent broadline foodservice distributors. Founded in 1967 by Larry Sorensen, Upper Lakes is a family-owned-and-operated company with Steven Sorensen as its president. Upper Lakes has facilities in Rhinelander, WI, a sales office in Spring Lake Park, MN, and is headquartered in Cloquet. The

EVERETT, MA  Planning is underway to double the size of the Boston Market Terminal, here, in a $10.5 million building project. The board of directors of the BMT convened Sept. 13 to review blueprints to expand this market, which opened in April 1969. In a Sept. 16 interview in his office with The Produce News, Dana Hayes, BMT general manager, emphasized that all plans are preliminary and subject to change, but the owners on the market board all agree to the concept. The permit process for the building is underway, while the owners now fine-tune the plans. At the earliest, ground will be