Morada Produce Co. LP in Linden, CA, has made “a lot of changes” to its cherry packing facility during the off-season, according to Michael Jameson, marketing director and export salesman for the company. The biggest change has been the installation of “the largest optical cherry sorter in the world,” he said.

The new sorter is manufactured in Italy by Unitec and “can sort fruit for firmness, for color, for size, for defects, for double and spur recognition. So it is a huge advancement to our company this year,” Mr. Jameson said.

Daily Fresh Distributing LLC in Nogales, AZ, has “some new vineyards that we are going to be breaking into this year” in Sonora, Mexico, which will give the company a modest increase in volume for the 2013 Sonora grape season and a greater increase in future seasons, according to Paul Bachelier, who founded the company in September 2011.

CMI, a Washington state grower-shippers of premium-quality conventional and organic apples, pears and cherries, has started its import season for the exotic KIKU® apple variety. Once the imported KIKU® apples are gone, customers will have to wait until the new domestic crop is available next fall.

All the signs point to good volume and quality for California’s blueberry producers. “We’re hunkering down for a good blueberry season,” said Alexander Ott, executive director of the California Blueberry Commission. “Overall, the season has been really good.”

Bruce Turner, a produce industry veteran with more than 25 years of experience in shipping, packing, marketing and retail, has joined Curry & Co. as director of sales and business development for berries.

Baloian Farms, based in Fresno, CA, opened a new office in Nogales, AZ, that will be headed by industry veteran Luis Corella in a move toward becoming a year-round player in the pepper category.