EDDYSTONE, PA " The Chilean fruit deal now has plenty of fruit to promote, according to Brad Cantwell, vice president of North American sales for the deciduous group of the Dole Fresh Fruit Co., based here. The deal started with high prices because of a fruit shortage in Chile?s northern growing areas. But situations have normalized, Mr. Cantwell said during a Feb. 15 interview with The Produce News. Also participating in the interview at the Dole offices, located near the Philadelphia International Airport, was Mike Schiappa, director of sales. ?We were down on grapes from projected volumes,"

The Southern Hemisphere pear season is shaping up well for The Oppenheimer Group, one of the industry's larger marketers of Argentine pears based in Vancouver, BC. According to David Nelley, Oppenheimer?s pipfruit category director, the company represented nearly 20 percent of Argentina?s apple and pear exports to North America in 2004, and the company expects to increase that proportion in 2005. ?The market is very encouraging," Mr. Nelley said. "We believe a great opportunity for pears from Argentina exists this year. The season is well-timed to dovetail into retail programs as supplies of

Matthew Harris joined the Moses Lake-based Washington State Potato Commission Feb. 17 as the new director of trade. Previously he was an account executive for Ag Management in Kennewick, WA, where he administered event management, database development and regulatory compliance for agricultural commodity organizations. Mr. Harris held similar positions at the Maurer Christensen Co. and Far West Spearmint Oil, both also in the Tri-Cities area. He holds a bachelor?s degree in agricultural economics from Washington State University. ?With Matt?s knowledge of Washington agriculture, marketing

VISALIA, CA " The mission of Sunkist Growers Inc. " to provide the highest returns possible for quality California and Arizona citrus growers " has not changed in over 100 years, Jeff Gargiulo, president and CEO of Sunkist, said at the organization's annual meeting. Speaking to more than 800 growers attending the citrus cooperative?s 111th annual meeting here on Wednesday, Feb. 16, Mr. Gargiulo and Sunkist Chairman David Krause, president of Paramount Citrus Association in Delano, CA, outlined several key building blocks to improved grower returns. Among them were industry unity, Sunkist

MONTEREY, CA " If Bruce Peterson, senior vice president of perishables for Wal-Mart, is correct, then radio frequency identification technology has so far just scratched the surface of its potential. ?The ultimate applications to RFID have yet to be thought about," Mr. Peterson told the audience gathered for the RFIDretail conference held Feb. 10-11 at the Monterey Marriott, here. The first day featured speakers from various industries, and the second day involved a field trip to the RFID cold-chain produce testing center at nearby NewStar in Salinas. Sausalito, CA-based QLM Consulting is the

Cincinnati-based Chiquita Brands International Inc. announced Feb. 23 that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire the Fresh Express unit of Richmond, VA-based Performance Food Group for $855 million in cash. The move marks the latest " and largest " development in Chiquita?s resurgence after its 2001 bankruptcy filing. In March 2002, the company announced that it had emerged from its pre-arranged Chapter 11 restructuring "as a healthy company with a solid financial structure." Subsequent to that announcement, Chiquita pared its operations to eliminate its non-core business