Wisconsin’s storage potato season is progressing smoothly.

“Things are moving pretty well," said Dave Cofer, owner of Farmers Potato Exchange Inc., located in Antigo, WI. "It’s a decent crop. We have high quality and movement has been pretty good.” He expects his firm to have supplies until the first of April.

Michael Gatz, new business director of Bushmans' Inc., which is headquartered in Mukwonago, WI, was also positive about this winter’s Wisconsin potato deal.

Westmoreland Sales Group, a leading Canadian greenhouse vegetable grower, has signed a two-year contract with IFCO Systems, a global provider of reusable packaging solutions for fresh products. Westmoreland is now shipping "Topline" brand tomatoes, peppers and cucumbers from its distribution centers in Ontario and Michigan to retailers across North America in IFCO RPCs.

NOGALES, AZ — Alberto (Beto) Maldonado Guerra, general manager of Apache Imports LLC, here, and a longtime veteran of the produce industry, died Jan. 17. He was 81.

To promote focused, proactive dialogue between regulators and industry, the Fresh Produce Association of the Americas will hold its annual Spring Policy Summit March 3-4.

COLUMBIA, SC — The South Carolina Watermelon Association's annual meeting here set a marketing plan for 2015, crowned a queen, heard research reports on grafting and other topics, reviewed culinary trends, set an increased effort to brand watermelon as a sports enhancer and raised $233,000 for its operations in the year ahead.

COLUMBIA, SC — About 150 watermelon growers and suppliers attended the Jan. 16-18 South Carolina Watermelon Association annual meeting here. The association set a marketing plan for 2015 and crowned a queen, as well as set an increased effort to brand watermelon as a sports enhancer and raised $233,000 for its operations in the year ahead.