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Watsonville, Calif.-based Lakeside Organic Gardens has entered its 26th year of growing solely organic vegetables, and strong demand is fueling continuing growth, said Marliese McWherter, marketing director.

It is hard to imagine now, but there once was a time when organic produce was not an established part of the modern produce department.

Though hot temperatures in Washington state orchards last summer held back organic output for the 2021 crop, Yakima, Wash.-based Sage Fruit Co. is planning for long-term expansion of its organic program.

The California Avocado Commission’s 2022 pre-season forecast projects a 306-million-pound crop, which is nearly a 15% increase over the last fiscal year.

Chile doubles volume to the U.S. and implements enhanced marketing campaign.

Country Sweet Produce’s Bako Sweet sweet potatoes are now certified by the American Heart Association just in time to celebrate American Heart Month and National Sweet Potato Month..

Atlanta, Ga.-based EarthFresh LLC is seeing good quality potatoes coming out of storage, said Libby Massey, marketing manager.

SYRACUSE, Utah-based Onions 52, has reached an agreement with Deming, NM and Hatch, NM-based growers, Cody Shiflett Produce and Hatch Valley Produce, to market their full line of onions for the 2022 summer season.

Import volume of U.S. conventional bananas declined 1% in 2021, while the volume of fresh organic banana imports rose 5%, according to the USDA.

As a new entrant in the North American market, Favorita has been focused on reaching out to customers in the U.S. and Canada, said Dionysios (Dennis) Christou, director of the U.S. Division for Favorita USA Corp.