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The volume of bagged avocados continues to increase every year as consumers seek convenience and/or value options, and retailers discover another way to merchandise avocados and drive sales of multiple pieces of fruit.

Fair Trade-certified bananas are arriving at Earl’s Organic Produce in San Francisco more quickly this year than they had previously, said Rodrigo Velasquez, banana specialist.

Oke USA Fruit Co./Equal Exchange Produce has intensified its consumer-focused marketing efforts on behalf of the three grower cooperatives with which it works in Ecuador and Peru.

Demand for the traditional orange-fleshed sweet potato during holiday dinners may be a constant, but disruption is creeping into this category.

Good weather in South America has compensated for cool temperatures in Mexico to stabilize banana volume for the North American market heading into spring, marketers say.

In the banana business, process is almost as important as product, according to some marketers. Organic bananas continue to gain market traction, marketers point out.

Just as demand for conventional avocados continues to climb, so does demand for their organic counterparts.

While world headlines are fixed on the coronavirus COVID-19, the banana industry is concerned, as well, about stopping the spread of Fusarium Wilt tropical race 4 — commonly called TR4 or Panama disease.

Hass is by far the most popular avocado variety gown in California, but consumers who crave other kinds of avocados have a number of options available from the state’s growers.

The 2020 domestic watermelon harvest was expected to be underway by the second week of April, according to the Winter Springs, Fla.-based National Watermelon Promotion Board.