WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Agriculture is moving ahead with a new pilot program to test the impact of opening up the popular school fruit and vegetable program to canned, frozen or dried fruits and vegetables.

In December, the U.S. Customs & Border Protection successfully investigated a Chinese garlic dumping case, and ultimately stopped Jinxiang Hejia Co. from shipping the product into the United States.

Through its investigative work, Customs discovered that the firm was not just shipping its own garlic into the United States but that other Chinese producers who did not have duty-free or reduced-duty status and were illegally using the same packing codes for their garlic.

Market Fresh, based in Nixa, MO, announced the addition of BRIAN MORRIS to its corporate staff.

As a VMI/packaging specialist for Market Fresh Produce, Morris will be in charge of timely and accurate fulfillment of daily replenishment from customers, as well as handling packaging inventories, according to a company press release.

Baloian Farms has expanded its line of high-quality produce with the launch of its premium heirloom onion, Sophia la Rosa.

The supply of California avocados in the marketplace this spring and summer “is going to be significantly less than it was last year,” said Larry McDaniel, vice president of McDaniel Fruit Co. in Fallbrook, CA, in an interview with The Produce News March 24.

Florida Classic Growers of Dundee, FL, has long been known as a premium provider of Florida citrus. But the company was an early entrant in the burgeoning Florida peach deal and is excited about its 2014 crop, according to Vice President of Sales and Marketing Al Finch.