Louis Hymel, director of purchasing and marketing for Orlando, FL-based Spice World Inc., is upbeat about his company's garlic program.

"So far, the California crop looks nice but is a little late because of cooler- than-normal weather," Mr. Hymel told The Produce News June 11. "I believe that the market should remain strong as supplies coming from China will remain tight again this year, especially for big garlic, as they did during 2009 and the first half of 2010."

Central California's summer non-storage onion production total for 2009 was slightly more than 7.3 million fiftyweight bags, down from slightly more than 8.2 million fiftyweight bags in 2008.

The fiftyweight bag tally for 2007 was more than 8.8 million fiftyweight bags, said Wayne Mininger, executive vice president of the National Onion Association.

The sliding production totals correspond with a drop in onion acreage under production. In 2009, Central California had 6,500 acres in production, compared with 7,800 acres in 2008 and 8,800 acres in 2007.

Spice World has introduced a new squeezable garlic product that it said is the next generation of garlic packaging, representing a new level of value-added convenience and usage.

Packed in convenient 9.5- and 20-ounce squeezable bottles, the new product eliminates waste, mess and cross-contamination, and removes the labor-intensive tasks of cleaning, peeling and mincing fresh garlic.

Spice World, which is based in Orlando, FL, has built a new state-of-the-art facility with the latest technology for processing and packaging.

The Indiana Department of Agriculture has made great strides in not only promoting state-produced foods, but in bringing consumers and producers together.

Tony Hahn, deputy director of the department, headquartered in Indianapolis, said that the agency's web-based Indiana Agritourism and Farmers' Market Online Directory is a new program now accessible at www.in.gov/apps/isda_farmersmarket.

WATSONVILLE, CA -- California Giant Berry Farms is heading to New York City to join other partners in bringing the complete Wimbledon experience to Rockefeller Center.

Throughout the week of June 21, partners in the promotion will give fans a taste of all the tournament has to offer, including the famous tradition of enjoying fresh strawberries and cream.

WASHINGTON -- One of the larger organic certifying companies was banned from operating in China June 14 after the U.S. Department of Agriculture found that the company used inspectors employed by the Chinese government for third-party inspections.