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Johnston Farms, Edison, Calif., is adding capacity to pack more satsuma mandarins during the peak season, said Derek Vaughn, citrus sales manager.

The Fresno, Calif.-based California Table Grape Commission has hired Jodi Devaurs as director of trade policy.

Mexican table grape production is down this year compared with 2019 but promotable volumes will start earlier.

Good growing conditions should result in plenty of high-quality vegetables out of the California desert this winter, grower-shippers say. But rain in Yuma, Ariz., could affect early iceberg lettuce volume.

Grape buyers don’t need to hit the panic button. California grape holdings are down compared with a year ago, but promotable fruit volumes will be shipped through early January.

Mexico’s share of the U.S. mango market will increase dramatically through the spring and into the summer.

The best consumers of fresh mangoes in the U.S. are younger Hispanic and Asian shoppers on the West Coast, according to results from The Packer’s Fresh Trends 2020 survey.

California’s avocado crop is expected to rebound in 2020, with the state’s growers shipping 369 million pounds — about a 70% increase over last year — according to the Irvine-based California Avocado Commission.

The California Strawberry Commission has been working with field workers through its bilingual outreach and training team to provide training during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Six studies from U.S. universities found positive effects of strawberry consumption.