Companies increasingly look to fruits and vegetables grown in other countries that provide ideal growing conditions and a year-round supply of fresh produce.

Weather has been a surprise this year, with California’s heavy rains and harvest delays putting demand pressure on alternative supplies from Morocco for the midwinter to late spring months on mandarins and oranges.

Farm Bureau’s Duvall says the rule puts farmers and ranchers in a position where they will have to hire lawyers and consultants to establish the boundaries of farming.

The Strengthening Organic Enforcement Final Rule, filed unofficially by the USDA on Jan. 18, represents the biggest update in the program’s history and bolsters organic integrity according to industry leaders.

Healthy eating continues to be top-of-mind for shoppers, and Sunkist citrus offerings are in a prime position to meet the demands of consumers, says Christina Ward, senior director of global marketing at Sunkist.

The 4,200,000 square feet of facilities in the Salinas Valley are an average 42 years old and are in desperate need of updates, according to the CEO of Growers Ice, a post-harvest real estate company.