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About one in three consumers say they have purchased sweet potatoes in the last year, The Packer’s 2022 Fresh Trends survey reveals.

Sand Candy Produce LLC will feature good volume of sweet potatoes during the 2022-2023 marketing season, says Delbert Bland, Sand Candy partner and owner of Glennville, Ga.-based Bland Farms owner.

Nashville, N.C.-based Nash Produce expects to have a strong sweet potato supply this year, says Thomas Joyner, president.

The Washington fresh apple crop is projected at 108.7 million standard forty-pound boxes, an 11.1% decrease from 2021’s 122.3 million boxes, according to the Washington State Tree Fruit Association.

Evans Fruit has remodeled its Yakima plant with a new 40-lane advanced packing line, said Scott Hennessey, sales representative for Evans Fruit, Yakima, Wash.

While the state’s 2022 fresh apple crop may be shorter than some years, the Wenatchee, Wash.-based Washington Apple Commission is gearing up for another big year of promoting fresh apple exports.

Oppy expects a good quality season for its proprietary apples, says Roger Aguirre, director of apples and pears for the Oppenheimer Group (Oppy).

Want to know what’s new in the fresh produce industry? Attendees of the SEPC’s Southern Innovations trade show and conference at the Gaylord Opryland Resort and Convention Center in Tenn., are about to see firsthand.

Rising costs and tight labor are two big challenges for strawberry growers, but marketers also see reason for optimism.

After a year of strong fresh potato prices, Washington potato marketers are looking at a favorable new crop outlook and strong demand for both processing and fresh potato supplies.