The U.S. Department of Agriculture's monthly forecast of the 2013-14 Florida orange crop inched up 300,000 boxes to 110.3 million boxes.

Early-mid varieties accounted for the full increase, coming in at 53.3 million boxes. Valencias remained at 57 million boxes.

Maglio & Co., a regional distributor, repacker and fresh-cut processor of produce, has contributed $5,000 to the Let’s Move Salad Bars to Schools campaign. This donation will fund the equipment for a salad bar in two Wisconsin schools: the Academy of Excellence in Milwaukee and Black Hawk Elementary School in Sauk City.
 

As producers move into the 2014 cherry production season in the Pacific Northwest, they will concern themselves with protecting the precious fruit from rain and the damage that can be done to ripe cherries. Domex Superfresh Growers provides some insights as to how this protection is accomplished.

With the new-crop onion season on track for a mid-June start with Walla Walla Sweets, Bill (Sweet Willie) Brownfield, sales manager for Sweet Clover Produce in Walla Walla, WA, said supplies of the trademarked sweets are expected to be steady through the end of August.

This season, The Onion House LLC, in Weslaco, TX, has totally transitioned its harvest protocol from sacks to bins.

Don Ed Holmes, owner of the firm, said the switch to plastic bins brings a better onion into the packingshed. “The switch has cut way back on bruising and allowed us to deliver a higher-quality onion to our customers with better shelf life.”

Emphasis on an integrated logistics network continues to drive watermelon category sales for C.H. Robinson Worldwide Inc., headquartered in Eden Prairie, MN. Category Manager Josh Knox spoke with The Produce News to talk about the importance of a superior transportation network, and the ways in which the company responds to customer requirements.