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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.

U.S. fresh market apple holdings on Jan. 1 totaled 103.97 million (42-pound) bushels, according to the U.S. Apple Association.

If California has a “nutty” reputation, it’s very well deserved. Nearly 100% of the three major U.S. tree nut crops — almonds, walnuts and pistachios — are grown in the Golden State.

The Fresh Energy brand from Bakersfield, Calif.-based Atlas Produce and Distribution Inc. now offers an organic option for all of its varieties, said sales representative Luke Fountain.