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Reinforcing its focus on frozen cut vegetables and fruit, Monterey, Calif.-based Growers Express has opened a 24,000-square-foot frozen storage facility in San Luis, Ariz.

Houston-based MountainKing expects strong quality for its fall harvest of fresh potatoes in Colorado’s San Luis Valley.

Monte Vista, Colo.-based Farm Fresh Direct expects more yellow potato production this year from its San Luis Valley farms, said Matt Glowczewski, sales manager.

Colorado’s San Luis Valley potato shippers look for a good crop of fresh potatoes this season, with some estimates calling for slightly reduced output compared with a year ago.

Monte Vista Potato Growers Co-op Association expects a strong quality crop of San Luis Valley potatoes, said Jason Tillman, sales manager.

Growers Express, which sells cut vegetables under the Green Giant Fresh brand and has seen demand rise “significantly” over the past year for its Veggie Meal Bowls and its Fresh brand Little Gems lettuce hearts.

The 2018 watermelon season in Delaware, Maryland and the Eastern Shore of Virginia may see reduced volume and possible supply gaps this summer.

Annual volumes of Peruvian avocados exported to the U.S. have trended upward — from 20 million pounds in 2011-12 to a peak of 142 million in 2014-15, with record volumes expected this season.

Exports account for a significant amount of Northwest cherry volume.

With no severe frost or winter damage, growers of New Jersey blueberries expect a good crop for 2018, with harvest start dates lagging a little from a year ago.