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NEWS ROUNDUP

Methyl Bromide Effort Backed ce Marketing Association here donated $20,000 to the Crop Protection Coalition, in support of the coalition's efforts toward finding a solution to the methyl bromide issue.The coalition is a diverse group of agricultural production and marketing organizations active in the current regulatory debate surrounding potential effects from the phaseout of methyl bromide, according

Methyl Bromide Effort Backed

ce Marketing Association here donated $20,000 to the Crop Protection Coalition, in support of the coalition's efforts toward finding a solution to the methyl bromide issue.

The coalition is a diverse group of agricultural production and marketing organizations active in the current regulatory debate surrounding potential effects from the phaseout of methyl bromide, according to PMA.

Methyl bromide, which is used as a soil fumigant and post-harvest fumigant, has been called an ozone-depleting substance. It is scheduled for domestic phaseout under the Clean Air Act, and for international phaseout under the Montreal Protocol.

"With marketing at the heart of our mission, PMA understands that if there is no product to market, the whole industry will suffer," said Warren Hutchins, PMA chairman and vice president of purchasing and distribution for The Ground Round, Braintree, Mass.

Grape Box Weight Scaled Down

FRESNO, Calif. -- California table grape growers will be packing fewer grapes in plain-packed boxes this season, in an attempt to minimize damage and deliver better products to consumers.

According to the California Table Grape Commission here, the weight change came about due to findings from a University of California research project. "The research focused on reducing bruising, shattering and splitting of the product," said Bruce Obbink, president of the commission. "The results clearly showed that grapes arrive at their destination in better condition when the weight of the box is lowered by 2 pounds."

Grapes packed in the Coachella Valley will be shipped in 20-pound boxes, and grapes packed in the San Joaquin Valley will be shipped in 21-pound boxes, the commission said.

The new boxes will facilitate shipping product on 48 by 40 pallets, a size the industry has been working to standardize.

Cryovac Film Line Wins Award

DUNCAN, S.C. -- Cryovac here received a Top Packaging Award from the Flexible Packaging Association for a line of produce packaging film.

The award went to Cryovac's PD 900 Family of Produce Packaging, which is being used by Mann Packing in Salinas, Calif.

The packaging, which was introduced last year, features a range of controlled permeability that allows different types of fresh-cuts to breathe at correct rates.

The packaging also has an antifog option, according to the company.

The FPA awards are an annual event that is open to all U.S.-based converters of flexible packaging.

New Containers Are Offered

PURCHASE, N.Y. -- International Paper here has introduced a new dividerless corrugated strawberry box that is designed to let fruit cool more quickly and improve pallet utilization. On the standard 48- by 40-inch pallet, the new boxes fit nine to a layer, and can be stacked 14 layers high. This represents a 12.5% capacity increase over earlier containers, according to the company.

The container is designed to meet the objectives of the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Project MUM, which stands for mobilization, unitization and metrication, said International Paper.