SANTIAGO, CHILE -- Since the U.S. Department of Agriculture approved Navel orange imports from Chile last year, that country's ample crop has helped to increase imports of all oranges by the United States 35 percent this season to date, according to USDA Market News in early November.

Future shipments of Navels from Chile are expected to account for 25 percent of orange imports by the United States. Other countries that help make up the remainder of the import volume are Australia, South Africa, Spain, Mexico and the Dominican Republic.

PHILADELPHIA -- In the specialty produce business, certain exotic commodities -- figurative bricks in the road to success -- sometimes may not be huge-volume sellers. They may be so expensive that the distributor is unable to convert them to large-profit items. But such items give customers - - and customers' customers -- a big reason to keep buying from the supplier, according to John Vena.

Orlando, FL-based Intelligent Global Pooling Systems announced Dec. 8 that Dole Fresh Fruit, a subsidiary of Dole Food Co., will begin utilizing iGPS's all- plastic pallets with embedded radio-frequency identification tags in the shipping of some of its products within North America this month.

Some 100 leaders will get the chance to work with four top marketing experts on ways to turn the 2009 sour economy into fresh opportunities at the Jan. 13-15 Leadership Symposium, sponsored by the Produce Marketing Association.

The Dallas event is a good opportunity to "recharge and look at the big picture, which I think a lot of people are ready to do after the year we've had," said Nancy Ferguson, PMA's public relations manager.

George E. Boyhan, professor at the University of Georgia's Department of Horticulture & Extension in Athens, GA, issued a report Dec. 1 stating that Vidalia onions continue to be the greatest revenue generator among vegetables in Georgia, totaling almost $140 million in 2008.

WASHINGTON -- New enforceable safety standards for fresh produce are due out next October, the Food & Drug Administration announced Dec. 7.

FDA plans to propose regulations for fresh produce safety at the farm and packinghouse based on lessons learned from Good Agricultural Practices and the July 2009 commodity-specific guidance documents.