D’Arrigo Bros. Co. of California, Mission Produce, Grimmway Farms and Rainier Fruit Co. have all made significant sustainability improvements that have strengthened the companies, their products and decreased their consumption of natural resources.

The National Mango Board will host a virtual industry outreach meeting via webinar on Wednesday, Dec. 4, at 4 p.m. (EST). During the webinar, NMB staff will navigate through the industry section of mango.org, highlighting the various resources and tools available to better support mango industry members and grow the mango business.

As a California-based year-round supplier of avocados, Calavo Growers Inc. in Santa Paula, CA, as with many California avocado companies, relies heavily on imported fruit to meet the growing demand from its customers, particularly during times of the year when domestically produced avocados are out of season or in light supply.

The importance of Mexico as a supplier of avocados to the U.S. market is enormous. As demand for avocados in the United States has grown, Mexico’s exports to the United States have kept pace, accounting for roughly two-thirds of the total volume in the market.

The Mexican program is similarly important for Mission Produce in Oxnard, CA, which has long had its own packinghouse in Uruapan, Michoacán, Mexico and last year added a second packinghouse in the avocado grove-covered hills of the state of Michoacán.

"Wonderful Halos" Mandarins, a palm-sized sweet, seedless and easy-to-peel fruit, launched Nov. 11.

Grown exclusively in California, "Halos" Mandarins are filled with “pure goodness,” are non-GMO and perfect for kids of all ages, the company said in a press release.

The National Potato Council unveiled a new commodity-specific food-safety guide that NPC President John Keeling says will help maintain the commodity's safety record for those growers who follow the new template.

"We have a very good food-safety record," Keeling said, announcing the new, 67-page commodity-specific food-safety guidelines for the production, harvest, storage and packing of potatoes, during a Nov. 8 webinar.