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Santa Paula, Calif.-based Calavo Growers, through its Renaissance Food Group subsidiary, has signed a definitive agreement to acquire SFFI Co. Inc., also known as Simply Fresh Fruit.

Patagonia Orchards LLC has added a second grower to boost its output of organic citrus.

This will be an exciting year for San Diego-based Organics Unlimited, said Mayra Velazquez de León, president and CEO.

Sage Fruit Co. LLC has introduced a new line of 3-pound pouch bags for its organic apples with a 2-pound bag for the Honeycrisp variety

Dole Food Co. has discontinued its line of Dole Organic Salad Kits to concentrate on the development of other organic products.

Apple marketers see the Cosmic Crisp as not only a new star on the business horizon, but also as a variety with other-worldly profit potential.

Sales weren’t the problem for organic apples in 2019, but markets were, said Addie Pobst, organic integrity and logistics coordinator with Mount Vernon, Wash.-based Viva Tierra Organic Inc.

For apple marketers, “buy local” isn’t just a quaint trend; it’s a key to success, even if the definition of “local” varies from market to market.

Fresh apple holdings on Dec. 1, 2019 totaled 118.3 million bushels, or 15% higher than a year earlier.

The Commerce Department’s decision in May to withdraw an agreement suspending an anti-dumping investigation on Mexican tomatoes entering the U.S. set off a contentious debate on imported tomatoes in 2019.