Awe Sum Organics, a leading importer of organic apples and organic kiwifruit in North America, kicked off the second season of its exclusive organic Peruvian grape program.

Cool, wet weather in lime-growing regions in Mexico combined with a weather-related drop in export volume from Brazil has the current lime market in a state of flux.

Richard Ruiz, president of Ruiz Sales in Edinburg, TX, a leading importer and distributor of Mexican limes, said Nov. 20 that the current market is $22-24 for a carton, which is several dollars higher than this time last year. The 2014 lime market eventually soared to record levels, far eclipsing the $100 mark at periods during the spring.

The deadline to submit an application for the first round of funding under the farm bill’s Food Insecurity Nutrition Incentive Grant Program is Dec. 15. The program enables nonprofit and government agencies to partner with food retailers to stretch the food stamp dollars of recipients if they purchase fruits and vegetables.

The New Jersey Agricultural Society has elected new officers plus six trustees to its board.

Each year, River Point Farms, headquartered in Hermiston, OR, moves approximately 475 million pounds of onions. “We are mostly a ‘program’ or contract supplier to national account foodservice companies, industrial ingredient companies and national restaurant chains, in that much of our volume is contracted at set weekly volumes throughout the year,” President and Chief Executive Officer Bob Hale told The Produce News. “This makes our shipped volume mostly consistent throughout the seasons.”

Thanks to a good growing season in Chile, Miami-based Bayshore Produce is expecting excellent crops of good-quality Chilean stone fruit and grapes for the upcoming season.