NOGALES, AZ — A four-part Los Angeles Times exposé in December ripped Mexican produce growers and their distributors in Nogales.

The report included photos and video of very bad field worker living conditions. The fact that the reporter did not include the countless socially responsible growers and distributor-partners raised the question of the reporter’s motives.

Nogales distributors by and large felt burned by the LA Times.

HERMOSILLO, SONORA — With the leadership of Mexico’s table grape industry believing in the need for growers to be connected with the world’s most advanced technicians, the industry has presented national growers with a technical production seminar.

For the second time, starting in 2013, Asociación Agricola Local de Productores Uva de Mesa Frutas y Hortalizas, based here, presented the Feb. 5-6 conference at a modern, Tuscany-style convention center in Hermosillo.

HERMOSILLO, SONORA — Alan Aguirre, director general of Grupo Alta, headquartered here, is very highly respected in Mexico and the Nogales produce circle. Aguirre acknowledged that he is best known as a strict perfectionist.

A Feb. 4 tour of two of his many Mexican horticultural ranches showed what can be accomplished with such perfectionism.

NOGALES, AZ — The Mexican tomato industry is into its second full shipping season of working under the United States’ price floor for Mexican tomatoes.

Voicing concern against this agreement is one of the largest shippers of Mexican tomatoes, Alejandro Canelos, director of Apache Produce Imports LLC, which ships the “Plain Jane” brand.

RIO RICO, AZ — Good communication between growers and distributors, atop stable markets for consumers, are good for business, in the view of Jose Luis Obregon, president of IPR Fresh, which is based here.

Obregon said Mexican grower communications with Nogales-area distributors such as IPR have improved. “If people are informed, they are planning better.”

Generally, he said, “The market is very informed. There are more sources of information now.”

This spring he expects the markets to be stable.

RIO RICO, AZ — This October will mark the 30th anniversary of Rio Rico-based P.D.G. Produce, Inc., which was launched by Paul Guy in 1985.