Unifrutti Group, one of the leading global players in the production, marketing and distribution of high-quality fresh fruit, has acquired a 92 percent stake in Oranfrizer, Italy’s leading producer of blood oranges, sold as fruit or in juice.

Oranfrizer supplies markets worldwide, including Japan, China, the United States and the European Union and it generated $55.55 million in revenues in FY 2019.

With a record turnout, the Fresh Produce & Floral Council held a socially-distanced golf tournament in the Northern California town of Pleasanton on Thursday, Oct. 30. The Castlewood Country Club served as the venue as scores of golfers teed off in a scramble format. The record crowd and mask-wearing environment spoke to both the industry’s need for in-person contact and the seriousness of the novel coronavirus pandemic.

An iceberg lettuce market with an f.o.b. price in the low $30s is greeting the transition of production from coastal California to the winter vegetable districts in Arizona and California. With Salinas, Santa Maria and Huron districts quickly running out of production with the dawn of November, shippers are or will be transitioning to the desert districts over the next couple of weeks.

Applewood Fresh, a premier produce brand and fourth-generation grower-packer-shipper-marketer of Michigan apples, and The Produce Moms, one of America’s most trusted fruit and vegetable influencers, have launched a co-branded apple package just in time for fall and the holiday baking season. The new co-branded apple bags start shipping Nov. 9.

With the start of the holiday season and Thanksgiving fast approaching, Jacobs Farm del Cabo’s holiday herb program is in full swing. In preparation, the company is now shipping its popular organic Poultry and Holiday Herb Mixes and their full line of fresh, organic, culinary herb packs.

For perhaps the first time in five years, the retail produce industry has an almost endless opportunity to promote one of its most popular items to its shoppers at very favorable prices.

In a series of interviews, virtually every shipper said a version of the same thing: big supplies from Mexico have lowered the f.o.b. price on avocados to a point where very aggressive promotional prices are available and should be well into 2021.