Cold, rainy weather patterns that beset the Pacific Northwest in May have finally broken, and while the region's cherry producers are in the process of assessing actual damage done to early-season varieties, growers and officials are voicing cautious optimism about the overall 2010 season.

James Michael, promotions director for the Washington State Fruit Commission and Northwest Cherry Growers, said June 22, "This has been one of the cooler Mays in the past 50 years. We lost a little of the crop to rain, but overall industry volume is good."

Roger Mix, president of the National Potato Council, said that this year's summer meeting, held June 15-18 at The Inn of the Rio Grande in Alamosa, CO, was a success.

"We had 136 registrants," Mr. Mix told The Produce News.

Two important NPC priorities were discussed during the meeting. According to Mr. Mix, attendees were given a status report on the council’s data- collection project. Growers have been contacted to find out what kinds of pesticides they are using to bring in their crops.

Weather in the Pacific Northwest has been particularly finicky this blueberry season. But the bouts of warm weather in February, unseasonably cool spring weather and a mid-June warm-up have not deterred producers.

Former Peruvian Minister of Agriculture Ismael Benavides sees a very bright future for his country's citrus exports.

Peru is already building its citrus industry with greater technology, new varieties and better growing techniques, Mr. Benavides said. With this "Peru has a great potential for growth," he told The Produce News. "We are going in that direction."

California Vegetable Specialties Inc. has the majority of U.S. production of Belgian endive all to itself.

"Several other companies have tried over the years, but as far as I know -- and I think I'd know -- I am the only producer in the country," said Richard Collins, owner and president of the firm, which is located in Rio Vista, CA, about 45 minutes south of Sacramento on that city's namesake river.

Sundia Corp. announced that Mark Sherburne, a veteran of the value-added produce industry, has joined the Oakland, CA-based company as vice president of sales, a new position.

Mr. Sherburne will have responsibility for Sundia Corp.'s distribution channels and strategies worldwide.

"Sundia has been growing so quickly that we now need someone of Mark's caliber to guide us through the company's next stages of growth," Dan Hoskins, general manager and chief operating officer of Sundia, said in a press release.