Two well-known Florida citrus growers are launching a branded tangerine product aimed at getting healthy snacks to children while saving an endangered species.

Lake Wales growers Vic Story and Marty McKenna have created the "Legend of Sun Lion Florida Tangerines" brand for the 2012-13 season. The new venture is pledging 10 percent of company net profits to Florida panther conservation efforts.

Domex Superfresh Growers lent a helping hand at the 108th annual meeting of the Washington State Horticultural Association, which was recently held in Yakima, WA, Dec. 3-5. It provided speakers and panelists for four of the education programs in addition to sponsoring the social and cocktail hour Monday evening and the cherry educational session on Wednesday morning.

"MamaMia Produce has a new state-of-the-art bagging machine, and retailers are liking it a lot," Joe Sferrazza, sales manager for the East Rutherford, NJ-based company, told The Produce News Dec. 11. "We have had it running for about two weeks, and we could not be more pleased with how it has already increased our efficiencies and volumes."

The bagging machine, he added, took the company about a year to find because they wanted it to specifically match its product line of avocados and citrus. And it is in keeping with the growing consumer demand for bagged items.

If there were a horoscope specifically for the produce industry, the stars would be in perfect alignment this year for Ecoripe Tropicals.

The Medley, FL-based company enjoyed a highly successful PMA Fresh Summit, where it showcased its new one-pound clamshell of “Lafinita” brand rambutan, in addition to sampling the product to visitors. The product is packed fresh from Global Good Agricultural Practices-certified orchards, and is marketed under the “Lafinita” brand.

According to a 2011 report from the Produce Marketing Association, 4 percent of U.S. fruit imports each year come from Peru.

In the report, which was written about in PeruthisWeek.com on Sept. 29, 2011, Nancy Tucker, PMA’s vice president of global business development, stated that mangos, grapes, bananas, avocados, asparagus and artichokes are the most popular Peruvian produce items purchased by U.S. consumers.

In 2005, Green Tree International Inc. was founded in Visalia, CA, to represent Golden State growers. After further expansion in the West, in 2011, the company recognized the same business model and commitment to quality it has established in California would work well in Texas and a Dallas operation was opened.