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How close are robotic apple harvesting machines to commercial deployment?

The Washington Apple Education Foundation has awarded 310 students more than $1 million through its scholarship program.

As of the first week of June, strawberry movement was on track to beat last year’s 202 million trays by a little over 16 million, according to the Watsonville-based California Strawberry Commission.

A fruitful season should be in store for the summer berry categories, as grower-shippers report ample supplies of good-quality fruit.

A lingering cold and rainy season had grower-shippers in Michigan waiting a little longer than normal this year to get their summer deals going.

Apples are on a roll, and that momentum should continue nicely into August and the new crop.

Blueberries continue to attract a strong following in the U.S. They’ve shown the third-highest rate of growth in the fruit category, after raspberries and blackberries.

Raspberries and blackberries were the fastest-growing fruit categories in the produce department during the period from 2006-08 to 2016-18, based on average annual per capita consumption.

What started out as a way to reduce the use of chemical pesticides and ensure a quality berry pack has resulted in a sustainable, environmentally friendly and profitable program for Oxnard, Calif.-based Bobalu Berries.

Buyers can expect ample onion volumes out of Washington and Oregon this year, suppliers say.