U.S. mushroom growers are entering 2007 with a marketing situation not seen in many years as prices offered by processors are reaching last year's fresh-market prices.

Laura Phelps, president of the American Mushroom Institute in Washington, DC, released a report Jan. 8 titled 2007 Mushroom Outlook from the American Mushroom Institute.

One major area on which the California Tree Fruit Agreement will focus in the coming year, according to CTFA President Sheri Mierau, is food safety and the possibility of establishing an industry food-safety certification program.

Ms. Mierau, who was promoted to president effective Jan. 1, succeeding Blair Richardson, was previously vice president of marketing.

Recent news reports of problems with food-borne illness have highlighted the need for growers, packers and shippers in all commodities to be sure that the food-safety programs they have in place are adequate.

FRESNO, CA -- John Hein, who for the past 17 years has been director of marketing for Kingsburg Orchards in Kingsburg, CA, resigned Jan. 8 and accepted a position as marketing director for Crown Jewels Marketing & Distribution, here.

A written statement from Kingsburg Orchards said: "John has been a valued member of the Kingsburg Orchards sales team. We will miss him, and we wish him every continued success."

Kingsburg Orchards salesman Bob Maxwell said that an announcement would be forthcoming shortly regarding changes in staff assignments within the company.

The California Central Valley citrus industry has been devastated by a deep and prolonged freeze.

Without knowing the full details, citrus growers fear the worst -- that a substantial portion of the crop has been lost to the freeze. Growers will assess the damage again Monday, Jan. 15 and have a better idea as the extent of damage and loss.

Meanwhile, the weather forecast for Bakersfield, CA, predicts morning lows of 25, 25, 28, 27, 29 and 31 over the next six days.

The company that brought the original seedless oranges to North America over a century ago will introduce its latest sweet, juicy citrus variety to the U.S. market in mid-January.

Nour, a type of clementine indigenous to Morocco, is the newest addition to the Vancouver, BC-based Oppenheimer Group's citrus program. Nour clementines are produced in Morocco's premium orange-growing region, which is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea.

NEW YORK -- "Texas grows the reddest and sweetest grapefruit on the market today," Eleisha L. Ensign, executive director of TexaSweet Citrus Marketing Inc. in Mission, TX, said as she held a Rio Star variety high in the air to show off the good-looking fruit to an audience, here, Jan. 6, at the French Culinary Institute.

The event, a demonstration of dessert recipes prepared by Gotham Bar & Grill's pastry chef, Deborah Racicot, was co-sponsored by TexaSweet and PastryScoop.com, an on-line magazine and information site founded by the institute.