Lack of volume has created a demand-exceeds-supply situation for California cherries, which is expected to remain the case until shippers from the Golden State finish up their crop around June 10 and Washington shippers enter the deal.

WASHINGTON — First Lady Michelle Obama blasted lawmakers May 27 for "playing politics with kids' health" after some members of Congress voted to roll back the school nutrition guidelines.

A House subcommittee approved its U.S. Department of Agriculture spending bill that would allow schools that demonstrate economic hardship to apply for waivers from the new standards during the 2014-15 school year.

Most everyone seems to agrees that the winter-spring lime market that reached dizzying heights was quite possibly a once-in-a-lifetime event that won't soon reappear.

Punctuating that fact is the current lime market, which has the smallest fruit — 230s to 250s — selling for $8-12 per carton, which is just a small fraction of the price they bought during the height of the shortage.

There is still a shortage of the largest fruit — 175 per carton and larger — but that market is still in the more normal $20-40 range.

Mission Produce Inc., based in Oxnard, CA, is under way with the construction of its new packing facility in Oxnard.

The new building will serve as Mission's avocado packing facility as well as a ripening and forward-distribution center. By the end of 2014, the site will feature 180,000 square feet of new construction including 40,000 square feet of conditioned production space. The facility will have the capacity for more than 6,000 high cube pallets with segregation capabilities by temperature or commodity.

Founder of  Denver-based Krivanek Consulting, considered the top strategic planning firm for the fresh produce industry, Julie Krivanek has a concise formula for business success: Hang out in the future.

“We are proud to announce that we have a newly introduced version of a squeeze garlic, called ‘Easy Squeeze Garlic,’ made with 100 percent California garlic for the retail sector,” said Anthony M. DeAngelis, director, Northeast division, for Christopher Ranch LLC, headquartered in Gilroy, CA.