WASHINGTON -- If Brazil joins Mexico in levying retaliatory trade tariffs on U.S. pear producers, it would cut 50 percent of total exports, according to Jeff Corea, international marketing director for the Pear Bureau Northwest.

The Center for Produce Safety at the University of California-Davis announced that it will host a Produce Research Symposium on Wednesday, June 23, at the Mondavi Center for the Performing Arts on the campus of the University of California-Davis. The format of the symposium will allow for open dialogue between research scientists and produce industry leaders looking for real-world applications to food safety issues. Results of 11 CPS-funded research projects will be showcased throughout the day.

With a projected crop of California avocados for 2010 that is two-and-a-half to three times the size of the 2009 crop, the California Avocado Commission is supporting that large volume of fruit with a strong marketing campaign that will kick off in earnest in April and continue through September, coinciding with what are expected to be the heaviest volume periods for the crop.

With spring just around the corner, the Pear Bureau Northwest and Epic Roots have announced a partnership designed to bring excitement to produce departments and consumers alike. A special retail promotion taking place through April will give retailers a chance to showcase a new Epic Roots Mâche and U.S.A. pear salad. The recipe features Green Anjou pears and Mâche Rosettes in a salad that includes other springtime ingredients.

FirstFruits Marketing LLC and Broetje Orchards recently unveiled Opal, a new apple variety grown in Washington state.

This new apple variety is recognized for its bright yellow color with hints of orange blush, but its key attributes are its crunchy texture and sweet flavor with Brix of 15-18. These flavor and texture attributes come from its cross between a Golden Delicious and a Topaz apple. Other attributes include a medium-round shape, stem end russeting and resistance to oxidation after slicing.

Mangos come into the United States from half a dozen different companies and in even more different carton configurations. As a result pallet counts are all over the board.

"Most people use a nine-pound box but there are some bigger ones and smaller ones," said Bill Vogel, president of Tavilla Sales Co. in Los Angeles. "You might get a pallet with 180 cartons from one shipper and another pallet will have 204 or 210 or 216 or even as many as 240 cartons."