Agriculture Secretary Tom J. Vilsack has appointed six members to serve the National Mango Board. The appointees include four new members and two returning members, who will serve three-year terms beginning Jan. 1 and ending Dec. 31, 2017.

The new board members are domestic producer Philip W. Barton of Pescadero, CA, along with importers Greg Golden of Mullica, NJ, Michael Shawn Allen of Sugar Land, TX, and Joella Shiba of San Diego, CA. Also appointed were foreign producers Enrique Sanchez Ramirez of Nayarit, Mexico, and Oscar Orrantia Morla of Guayas, Ecuador.

As the Mexican avocado season moves into its peak production period with a significant volume increase anticipated in the U.S. market for 2014-15, West Pak Avocados Inc. in Murrieta, CA, which has its own sourcing team in Mexico as well as its own packinghouse and distribution facilities, is positioned to enjoy the benefits of that growth in helping customers boost their avocado category sales.

When Paramount Citrus Cooperative in Delano, CA, launched “Wonderful Halos” as a new brand last year, “we committed the largest marketing campaign to date in the citrus industry — a record $100 million in the brand’s first five years, with $20 million spent the first year,” Jasmine Hodari, vice president of marketing for Paramount Citrus, said in a written statement to The Produce News.

“In just our first year, we became the No. 1 selling Mandarin brand,” she said.

The makers of Wonderful Pistachios, POM Wonderful and Wonderful Halos are bringing its newest and sweetest sensation — Wonderful Sweet Scarletts Texas red grapefruits — to produce aisles nationwide.

The Western Growers Association held its 89th Annual Meeting in Las Vegas Nov. 2-5. 2014 Chairman of the Board Bruce Taylor of Taylor Farms California passed the gavel to incoming chairman Vic Smith of JV Smith Cos.

LAS VEGAS, NV — Vic Smith of JV Smith Cos. in Yuma, AZ, was elected chairman the board for the next year at the 89th Western Growers Annual Meeting, held here Nov. 2-5.

Other highlights of the event including Gary Pasquinelli of Pasquinelli Produce Co. being presented with the group's prestigious Award of Honor, and outgoing Chairman of the Board Bruce Taylor of Taylor Farms California Inc. in Salinas, CA, challenging grower-shippers to be more collaborative and stop beating each other up over a nickel.