The 2010 California Hass avocado crop was the fourth largest on record, at around 530 million pounds. By contrast, the 2011 crop is estimated to be about half of last year's crop or a bit less, in the area of 250 million pounds, according to the California Avocado Commission.

Harvest had begun in a light way as of mid-March, but shippers did not expect to see significant volume until around mid-April, with most of the crop coming off between then and August.

RUTHVEN, ON -- Chris Jacobs, president of Clifford Produce, announced in mid-March that the greenhouse grower

Americans really do want to eat more fruits and vegetables, and making them taste better is a key factor toward achieving that goal, according to a February workshop held at the University of California-Davis.

Sponsored by a grant to UC Davis and the University of Florida from the U.S. Department of Agriculture Specialty Crops Research Initiative, a workshop titled Delivering More Flavorful Produce, led by Beth Mitcham of UC Davis and Jeff Brecht of the University of Florida, covered a variety of in-depth topics on how to increase flavor quality of produce.

SHERMAN OAKS, CA -- "For more than 117 years, Sunkist has been providing consumers worldwide with premium citrus," Sunkist President and Chief Executive Officer Russ Hanlin said in a mid-March press release. "This year, we will also be providing premium ‘Sunkist’-branded table grapes."

Aftershocks, both physical and psychological, continue to be felt around the world following Japan’s devastating earthquake March 11. The quake was classified as a magnitude 9.0, making it the most powerful in the nation’s history.

Dave Martin, export sales manager for Stemilt Growers in Wenatchee, WA, was in Kobe, Japan, on March 14, traveling to Tokyo later that day. He provided The Produce News with poignant comments about the situation, and put a human face and perspective upon the tragedy.