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The Packer is seeking input from California lettuce suppliers for the July 19 California lettuce and leaf special section.

California’s smaller avocado crop should see strong demand and good market conditions in 2021, especially up and down the West Coast.

Fallbrook, Calif.-based Del Rey Avocado will have good late-season volume of California avocados from its Morro Bay program, which has been part of Del Rey’s program for about eight years, said Bob Lucy, president.

Despite the lack of in-person events and other pandemic-related factors that limited marketing efforts, California avocado demand fared well during 2020.

California organic avocados have a strong presence at retail that runs above the category trend.

Shippers say California cherry crop prospects are bright for 2021 and no gap is expected between California and Northwest crops at the end of the deal.

California’s peach, nectarine and plums crop should offer good volume and strong quality this year, according to Levon Ganajian, retail relations director for Trinity Fruit Sales Co., Fresno, Calif.

Nash Produce LLC supplies sweet potatoes 52 weeks per year and the Nashville, N.C.-based company is preparing for the start of cucumber packing around mid-June, said Thomas Joyner, president.

North Carolina produce shipments dipped slightly from 2019, U.S. Department of Agriculture statistics reveal.

Overall cantaloupe and honeydew volume for Firebaugh, Calif.-based Westside Produce should be similar to recent years, said Garrett Patricio, president of the company.