The Michigan Apple Committee will have “a great promotion this fall for all of the major retailers,” according to Diane Smith, the executive director of the organization, which is based in Lansing, MI.

By 2016, Riveridge Produce Marketing, Inc., headquartered in Sparta, MI, will be a supplier of Pink Lady apples.

Don Armock, president and partner of Riveridge, said Aug. 12, “We and our partners have started planting a strain of Pink Lady that matures three weeks earlier than the standard.”

The earlier strain apparently has all of the positive characteristics that have quickly brought Pink Lady to accounting for what Armock said is seven percent of national apple sales.

The Quebec Produce Marketing Association held its 67th annual convention in scenic Charlevoix, Québec, at the Fairmont Manoir Richelieu Aug. 21-24. Under the umbrella theme “People at the Heart of the Industry,” over 500 guests attended the banquet and attendees enjoyed networking events, business sessions, meetings and motivational speeches.

With fresh pomegranates expected to harvest about seven to 10 days earlier than normal this year, Simonian Fruit Co. plans to ship early-season varieties starting Sept. 1. Shipping under the "SIMCO" brand, Simonian is one of the more experienced pomegranate grower-shippers in the industry, with more than 35 years of handling the autumn fruit.

The first variety to ship will be the Urbanekgranate, a proprietary variety to Simonian. Other early season varieties include Smith and Early Wonderful. These will be followed by the most popular variety, Wonderfuls, later in the season.

The Idaho Potato Commission’s Big Idaho Potato Truck Tour has been so successful in generating favorable publicity for Idaho potatoes across the country during its first three years that the commission has decided to extend the campaign for another two years.

That announcement was made by Commission President Frank Muir in a presentation at a breakfast meeting Thursday, Aug. 28, during the 86th annual convention of the Idaho Grower Shippers Association in Sun Valley, ID.

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