APTOS, CA -- With the close of 2009 bringing abundant, high-quality Chilean Hass avocados, U.S. retailers across the country are using the Chilean Avocado Importers Association's eye-catching, in-store promotional materials and comprehensive marketing program to drive increased sales in the produce department.

The United Fresh Research & Education Foundation is now accepting nominations for the 2010 United Fresh Retail Produce Manager Awards Program.

Established in 2005 by founding sponsor Ready Pac Foods Inc., the program will honor 25 retail produce managers at the store level and include their corporate produce directors in a formal recognition at the United Fresh 2010 convention to be held April 20-23 in Las Vegas.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture issued a study Nov. 24 indicating the level of success each state is attaining in reaching families eligible for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, formerly the Food Stamp Program.

The study stated that in years 2005-07, Arkansas, Illinois, Kentucky, Maine, Missouri, Oregon, Tennessee and West Virginia had significantly higher participation rates for all eligible people than two-thirds of the states in the nation.

Though one might have suspected that the hot lettuce market would cool down after the Thanksgiving weekend, that was not the case as the f.o.b. market on both Iceberg and Romaine lettuce remained above $30 Tuesday, Dec. 1.

Chilean blueberry volume "is less than forecast, but there will still be plenty of fruit around the marketplace for Christmas," according to Joe Barsi, vice president of business development for California Giant in Watsonville, CA.

Mr. Barsi told The Produce News Dec. 2 that Chilean blueberry fields "had some colder weather this year, so the harvest is two to three weeks behind schedule. Everyone is getting fruit now," but Chilean year-to-date blueberry volume was 51 percent below volume in the fall of 2008.

TAMPA, FL -- After a decade of unrelenting bad news, the Florida citrus industry finally has reason to celebrate this holiday season.

Since 2006, Florida has been unable to ship to other citrus-producing states and U.S. territories due to a virulent, once-fearsome canker that infected groves and resulted in slowly withering trees and blemished fruit.