Fruit World, a family-owned, flavor-focused grower-shipper of organic and conventional fruit, enters their 2020 citrus season with bold, new recyclable packaging and increased availability of 100% California-grown organic and conventional mandarins, along with organic oranges, grapefruit, lemons, and sweet limes. “We’re really excited about our new fun and colorful conventional mandarin packaging design, especially because it’s fully-recyclable,” said Bianca Kaprielian, …

A total of $45 million in funding for citrus research during the 2020-21 fiscal year was awarded by the United States Department of Agriculture National Institute of Food and Agriculture (USDA-NIFA) Emergency Citrus Disease Research and Extension (ECDRE) Program. The ECDRE Program addresses priorities identified by the Citrus Disease Sub-Committee of the National Agricultural Research, Education, Extension, and Economics (NAREEE) …

California Avocado Commission — Microirrigation systems (microsprinklers, drip emitters and drip tape) tend to provide better distribution/emission uniformity than other irrigation methods. However, the miniscule flow passages in these systems can become clogged and thus disrupt the uniformity of water applied to a crop. Late fall and winter are an ideal time to review irrigation systems for needed repairs or …

Mark Sievers of Il Fiorello Olive Oil Company was elected to serve as new Chairman of the Olive Oil Commission of California’s Advisory Committee. The Advisory Committee is made up of seven members who are appointed by the Secretary of the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA). It serves to make sure olive oil producers with less than 5,000 …

The California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) is currently accepting proposals for its Request for Proposal for a contractor to serve as the Riverside County grower liaison. Proposals must be received by Nov. 18. Responsibilities may include conducting outreach directly to growers in Riverside County, providing them up-to-date information on the latest industry news or updates, staying engaged in …

Dr. Timothy Artlip, a Plant Physiologist with the USDA-ARS Appalachian Fruit Research Station in Kearneysville, WV, was recently interviewed in the USDA-ARS Under the Microscope publication regarding the future of apple breeding. His work encapsulates efforts to improve the breeding and cultivating of apples through genomics research, and he is bullish about the future.  Read the following Q&As from the Under the Microscope (UM): …

Beginning September 28, 2020, the U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council (USHBC) and North American Blueberry Council (NABC) appointed Jennifer Sparks, a longtime marketing professional for the floral industry, as vice president, marketing and communications. In her new role as part of the USHBC/NABC executive team, Sparks will manage various advertising agencies and marketing partners, and oversee all aspects of the marketing …

California Department of Food & Agriculture — Prunes produced by handlers in 2019 totaled 9,791 tons, down from the 10,728 tons reported in 2018. This figure does NOT include prunes purchased from other handlers or producers. The total 2019 prune crop purchased from producers, for whom pricing had been finalized, reached 38,336 tons at an average price of $1,456 per ton, down significantly …

The total cherry production forecast in Turkey in Marketing Year (MY) 2020/21 is 918,000 metric tons (MT), which is 72,000 MT more than MY 2019/20. The peach and nectarine production forecast for MY 2020/21 is 870,000 MT, 40,000 MT more than MY 2019/20. Stone fruit exports are increasing due to abundant production and strong demand from the Russian and EU …