Produce

The National Peanut Board, a farmer-funded research and promotion program for USA-grown peanuts, will conduct an agencies review of its advertising/marketing and public relations campaigns this summer in Atlanta. The Board has a comprehensive approach to providing the most beneficial opportunities for USA peanut growers to succeed in domestic and global markets, supported by their brand, “The Perfectly Powerful Peanut.” …

New research presented at the 2015 Experimental Biology meeting expands on the current body of evidence suggesting that eating dried plums may offer benefits ranging from supporting bone health in post-menopausal women to helping to reduce inflammation in smokers. …

APHIS is advising the public of our decision to authorize the importation into the continental United States of fresh figs from Mexico. …

The Board of Commissioners for the Mississippi State Port Authority (MSPA) has approved the execution of a lease with Dole Fresh Fruit Company which provides the company with terminal space in Gulfport for up to 23 years, or through 2038. Construction on the terminal is expected to be complete by the end of 2016 and the result will be a state-of-the-art facility that will double the amount of container storage spaces, while also providing for future expansion potential. ! …

Kentucky strawberry lovers may be able to buy locally grown berries as early as May, thanks to a new variety that is showing great potential for commercial growers. University of Kentucky College of Agriculture, Food and Environment horticulture specialists regularly perform variety trials on a number of crops to see what works best for the state’s growers, climate and consumer tastes. …