It’s no surprise that the education session on the tomato suspension agreement at this year's Viva Fresh Expo was a packed house, given the extensive discussion recently over its future.
Distributors of Mexican tomatoes say the Florida Tomato Exchange’s claim that Mexican tomato imports suppressed U.S. grower prices over the winter is off base.
Nature Fresh Farms' Hiiros tomatoes have been named “Best Snacking Tomatoes” in the Powerhouse Produce category of Good Housekeeping's 2024 Best Snack Awards.
The bio-engineered purple tomato from Norfolk Healthy Produce will soon reach retail shelves, says Harold Paivarinta, senior director of sales for Red Sun Farms.
The proposed rule that would raise the assessment rate for tomatoes grown in Florida from 2.5 cents to 3.5 cents per 25-pound carton. Comments on the proposal can be submitted until April 8.
The Kingsville, Ontario, Canada-based greenhouse grower said it will debut its Original Cherry Tomatoes on the Vine at the Southeast Produce Council’s Southern Exposure event, set for March 7-9 in Tampa, Fla.
Rio Rico, Ariz.-based SunFed expects to move slightly more Mexican produce in 2024 compared to last year, despite weather challenges early in the year.
Imports of Mexican tomatoes through all U.S. ports totaled $2.49 billion from January through November 2023, up 1% from calendar year 2022 imports of $2.48 billion, up 5% from $2.38 billion in 2020.
Scientists at the USDA’s Agricultural Research Service and the Ohio State University have been working to investigate how tomatoes may be imparting health benefits in a recently published study.
As importers argue for its preservation, Florida Republican Sen. Rick Scott has reiterated his request for the immediate termination of the 2019 tomato suspension agreement.
Using duties to replace the suspension agreement that regulates U.S. imports of Mexican tomatoes would make things far worse for the U.S. tomato market, says Javier Badillo of the FPAA in this guest column.
An upcoming webinar from the Fresh Produce Association of the Americas aims to help U.S. importers of Mexican tomatoes to better understand the implications of a potential termination to the 2019 suspension agreement.
U.S. imports of Mexican tomatoes through all ports in 2022 totaled $2.48 billion, and this Texas port district accounted for 57% of all Mexican tomato value.
In Mexico, "growers throughout the country use greenhouses, shade houses, high-tunnel systems, and other climate-control technologies to supply the U.S. market year-round,” the report said.
U.S. imports of Mexican fresh vegetables enjoyed a strong year in 2022-23, however, USDA numbers say the value of U.S. imports of Mexican fresh fruit was flat compared with 2021-22.
Availability of water in growing regions is one concern for Mexican produce growers and distributors this season, says Lance Jungmeyer, president of the Fresh Produce Association of the Americas.
Year-round programs, snacking commodities, organics and flavor are all trends for Mexican produce — and all are important to the Divine Flavor brand, says Michael DuPuis, quality assurance manager.
The Ontario-based greenhouse grower is expanding production to the West Coast, partnering with grower Millennium Pacific to bring California-grown Hiiros Tomatoes to market.
It’s not easy being a tomato farmer in Florida, but even as their numbers dwindle, enough die-hard farmers remain to earn Florida the No. 1 ranking for the value of fresh-market tomatoes in the U.S.
The state's 2023-24 tomato acreage should be similar to last season’s, but volume should be up because Hurricane Ian put a damper on production last year, said Michael Schadler of the Florida Tomato Exchange.
U.S. distributors of Mexican tomatoes are pushing hard to blunt the effort by domestic producers to terminate the 2019 Suspension Agreement between Mexican tomato producers and the U.S. Commerce Department.
Responding to changes in Central America’s competitive landscape and market potential, the vegetable breeding company says it plans to integrate its operations in the region.
San Antonio-based NatureSweet is warning that ending the U.S.-Mexico Tomato Suspension Agreement could add tariffs of more than 20% on the imports of fresh tomatoes into the U.S.
A study recently cited by the Fresh Produce Association of the Americas is designed to “distract from Mexico’s record of dumping tomatoes,” the Florida Tomato Exchange says.
A 10-page economic study from Arizona State University says ending the U.S.-Mexico suspension minimum price agreement for tomatoes would raise consumer prices by as much as 50%.
The indoor grower is expanding its snacking tomato portfolio, adding Cherub, Glorys and Constellation brand tomatoes for foodservice and piloting two restaurant programs.
Blue Road Capital is acquiring the greenhouse grower from its venture-capital parent company, Silver Venture, and aims to expand the company through increased vertical integration, innovation and distribution channels.
With the aim of providing the Midwest with a steady supply of fresh greenhouse-grown tomatoes, Pure Flavor has acquired MightyVine, a controlled environment agriculture tomato grower in Rochelle, Ill.
The USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is seeking input on how the agency should handle the Tomato brown rugose fruit virus (ToBRFV) in fresh tomatoes and peppers.
While heirlooms can be more challenging to grow in the field, North Carolina-based Happy Dirt farmer-owner Sanford Fishel has found a way to defy the odds.
Village Farms is growing over a million pounds of fresh produce a year in the inhospitable Big Bend region of Texas thanks to innovative, greenhouse growing methods and knowledgeable farmers like Abby Lange.
NRGene and Philoseed are among seed companies reporting major progress toward widespread commercialization of a ToBRFV (Tomato Brown Rugose Fruit Virus) high-resistance trait in tomatoes.
A recent public filing could cause the indoor grower to default on its Richmond farm facility and trigger a domino effect, leading to additional farm foreclosures.
The USDA’s annual report on Mexican tomatoes forecasts Mexico’s 2023 fresh tomato production at 3.87 million metric tons, a 2% increase compared with 2022.
Arkansas is known for its tasty field-grown tomatoes, and grower-shippers say this year’s crop should put a smile on the faces of produce buyers and consumers alike.