AmericanHort has launched HortCred, a new micro-credentialing program designed to help horticulture professionals quickly develop and demonstrate job-specific skills. The flexible, competency-based initiative supports workers at every career stage while helping employers build a stronger, more capable workforce.

Zespri’s counter-seasonal Zespri Global Supply program is underway, with about 33 million trays, or 118,800 tons, expected this year from orchards in France, Italy, Greece, South Korea and Japan.

That includes nearly 26 million trays of Zespri SunGold kiwifruit, or 93,600 tons — a 30 percent increase from last season — along with 7 million trays of procured Zespri Green kiwifruit from Greece and Italy, totaling 25,200 tons.

There are as many as 600 varieties of oranges worldwide, but five dominate supermarket produce departments: clementines, navels, Cara Caras, blood oranges and Minneolas.

The Hass Avocado Board announced that total avocado volume in the U.S. market was on track to exceed 3 billion pounds in 2025 — a historic milestone that underscores the fruit’s growing popularity and the strength of the industry’s supply chain.

Plant Grow Harvest, a vertically integrated grower, packer and shipper of fresh potatoes with farms across the United States, participated in the New York Produce Show held Dec. 2–4. As the company continued expanding its potato portfolio and year-round fresh supply, PGH used NYPS as a platform to showcase its newest brand developments, merchandising solutions and advancements in proprietary seed breeding.

Andrew M. Pollak, CEO and owner of ADS Management, the parent company of Hapco Farms, Freshouse, Barnwood Valley Farms, MR Farms and Northwest Wine Services, died Dec. 7 at age 65 after a short illness.