Diverse apple varieties, top quality and impressive product movement are signs of the times for Stemilt Growers Inc. in Wenatchee, WA.

“Apple movement has been outstanding. Gala, Honeycrisp, Fuji and Piñata are some of the shining stars so far,” Director of Marketing Roger Pepperl told The Produce News. “There are lots of promotions and good sales at retail.”

A record cold snap in China along with a reduction in acreage will have ginger in short supply with higher prices, according to a leading importer of the product.

Unlike garlic, there are no official statistics kept on the planting area and yield of China's ginger crop, so the total yield is hard to estimate, according to Jim Provost, president of I Love Produce in Kelton, PA.

TRENTON, NJ — The second annual New Jersey Agricultural Convention & Trade Show is scheduled to take place Feb. 5-7 at the Trump Taj Mahal in Atlantic City, NJ.

The two groups — the New Jersey Department of Agriculture and the Vegetable Growers Association of New Jersey — held their annual gatherings concurrently for the first time in 2012, garnering a strong response.

Gourmet Trading Co., based in Los Angeles, announced that Luciano Fiszman has been promoted to procurement manager during the company's Chilean blueberry season.Luciano Fiszman

On Dec. 27, the Chilean Blueberry Committee, an organization linked to the Chilean Fresh Fruit Exporters Association, headquartered in Santiago, Chile, issued its week 52 crop report, which stated that exporters there were recovering from their export target levels during week 51.

WASHINGTON — Just weeks after suffering the latest disappointment in passing a 2012 farm bill extension, the produce industry is set to take on an ambitious list of priorities from immigration reform to food safety in 2013.

“Immigration reform is at the top of the list,” said Mike Stuart, president of the Florida Fruit & Vegetable Association, based in Maitland, FL. “Following the election last fall, there is renewed interest in pursuing immigration reform.”