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We keep our readers informed about the ever-changing world of fresh produce.

04/09/2026

🫐🌍 Zimbabwean OZblu blueberries arrive in China for the first time.

The milestone expands OZblu’s global supply network and strengthens United Exports’ strategy of delivering premium blueberries to international markets throughout the year.

Zimbabwe’s production window is particularly important for China, helping extend availability when volumes from Peru are lower and premium-quality local supply may be more limited.

The brand already has an established presence in China, where varieties such as OZblu Magica have achieved premium prices.

The addition of Zimbabwe also opens further opportunities to extend supply into the UK and European markets.

Read more 👇
https://www.freshfruitportal.com/news/2026/09/04/ozblu-china/

04/09/2026

🥭⚠️ Mango recall issued over possible Salmonella contamination

Panorama Produce has recalled 302 boxes of Martina-branded mangoes after an FDA sample identified a potential risk of Salmonella contamination.

The affected size 9 mangoes were distributed between August 10 and 21 at select Walmart stores in Connecticut, New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania.

🔎 Consumers can check for a light blue sticker identifying Agrofepac, Produce of Mexico, PLU 4584 and UPC 07503061948050.

No illnesses have been reported in connection with the recalled mangoes.

Consumers who have the affected fruit should dispose of it or return it to the place of purchase.

Full details 👇
https://www.freshfruitportal.com/news/2026/09/04/recalled-mango/

04/09/2026

🥑🌸 What makes avocado flowers switch between female and male? Scientists may finally have the answer.

Avocado trees have an unusual flowering mechanism. A-type trees open their flowers as female in the morning and later function as male, while B-type trees do the opposite.

This “reciprocal dance” evolved to encourage cross-pollination and reduce inbreeding.

After studying the genomes of more than 100 avocado trees, researchers from UC Berkeley, UC Riverside, and UC Irvine identified a single gene called SDMYB behind this fascinating behavior.

The discovery provides new insight into a mechanism growers have taken into account for decades when planting A- and B-type avocado trees together.

Discover the science behind the avocado flower dance 👇
https://www.freshfruitportal.com/news/2026/09/04/avocado-flower-study/

03/09/2026

Vietnam’s lychee exports dropped 51% during the first half of 2026.

Shipments generated $16.4 million as unfavorable weather reduced production in key growing regions and pushed domestic fruit prices higher.

In Bac Ninh, Vietnam’s largest lychee-producing region, sales reached 131,560 metric tons, only 64% of last year’s volume.

Scarcity has also resulted in sharp price increases. First-grade lychees reached up to $4.6 per kilogram, while scarce seedless varieties climbed above $23/kg wholesale and as high as $30/kg at retail.

For exporters, higher procurement prices are being compounded by elevated air freight and cold storage costs, creating an increasingly difficult environment for maintaining competitive export prices.

Read more:
https://www.freshfruitportal.com/news/2026/09/03/vietnams-lychee-exports

03/09/2026

🇺🇸🇨🇦 The escalating trade war between the United States and Canada is putting American farmers under increasing pressure.

The US imposed 50% tariffs on a broad range of Canadian imports worth roughly $20 billion, prompting Canada to respond with tariffs of between 15% and 50% on more than 700 American products.

Agriculture is caught in the middle.

Canada is the second-largest market for US agricultural exports after Mexico, while supply chains for machinery, farm equipment, livestock and processed foods are closely connected across the border.

Higher costs and reduced market access could squeeze farm margins and influence future production and investment decisions.

📊 In this week’s Agronometrics In Charts, we examine how the dispute could affect American agriculture beyond the immediate tariff battle.

Read more:
https://www.freshfruitportal.com/news/2026/09/03/canada-usa-incharts

03/09/2026

🍊 Brazil is seeing its slowest spread of citrus greening disease in nine years.

HLB incidence reached approximately 48% of commercial orange trees in the citrus belt of São Paulo and the Triângulo/Sudoeste Mineiro, but the annual increase was just 0.45 percentage points, well below the 3.28-point rise recorded in 2025.

Better psyllid control, weather conditions less favorable for transmission and the renewal of orchards have helped slow the disease.

However, the challenge remains significant. HLB severity in producing orchards increased from nearly 26% to 31%, with older orchards particularly affected by the persistence of diseased trees.

Fundecitrus warns that the slowdown should not be interpreted as victory: continued psyllid control and the removal of infected trees remain essential.

Read more:
https://www.freshfruitportal.com/news/2026/09/03/citrus-greening-br-spread

03/09/2026

🍍 Del Monte is betting on China’s growing fresh-cut fruit market.

The company has partnered with Riverking Group to establish a joint venture focused on expanding its presence in the country and meeting growing demand for convenient, safe and premium fresh fruit.

China is projected to represent nearly 45% of the Asian fresh-cut fruit market by 2034, making it an increasingly attractive market for global produce companies.

The partnership will combine Del Monte’s experience in the fresh produce industry with Riverking’s knowledge of the Chinese market and its local distribution network.

Together, they plan to bring branded, premium and convenient fresh-cut fruit to Chinese consumers.

Read more:
https://www.freshfruitportal.com/news/2026/09/02/del-monte-riverking/

03/09/2026

🍎 Labor now accounts for at least 60% of production expenses for many U.S. apple growers.

Rapidly rising labor costs are putting increasing pressure on orchard economics, prompting the industry to push for changes to the H-2A agricultural guest worker program.

USApple has expressed its support for the Securing Agriculture’s Workforce Act (SAWA), legislation aimed at introducing a new methodology for wage increases while considering costs such as housing and transportation already provided by growers.

The issue is particularly important for apple farms because harvesting requires large numbers of workers during a relatively short period of time.

At the same time, producers are facing long-term decisions over orchard investment, varieties and how to keep apples competitive at retail as other fresh produce categories gain space.

What could these changes mean for the future of the U.S. apple industry?

Read the full story:
https://www.freshfruitportal.com/news/2026/09/03/us-apple-26

03/09/2026

Day one of Asia Fruit Logistica 2026 is in the books! 🇭🇰

The show opened today at AsiaWorld-Expo with 760+ exhibitors from 41 countries and 27 national pavilions on the floor — plus more than 14,000 buyers from 80 countries expected across the three-day event.

From fresh fruit and vegetables to logistics, packaging and smart agriculture tech, the exhibition floor captured the full breadth of the global fresh produce value chain.

Great energy, great connections. On to day two. 🍇

02/09/2026

🇨🇱🇺🇸 OPINION | A 12.5% tariff could have consequences far beyond Chilean fruit exporters’ margins.

By Luis Chadwick Vergara, President of San Clemente.

Chile’s fruit industry typically operates with margins between 6% and 8%. Against that backdrop, Chadwick argues that a 12.5% U.S. tariff could consume an entire season’s profitability.

Producers and exporters would face two difficult options: absorb the additional cost and reduce margins, or transfer it to the market and risk losing competitiveness against other supplier countries.

The impact could then extend into investment, limiting resources for technology, productivity and orchard renewal.

And according to Chadwick, the consequences would not stop there. Every exported box connects growers with workers, packing plants, cold storage facilities, transportation companies, suppliers and other regional services.

His proposal is therefore broader than addressing the tariff itself: Chile needs to strengthen its commercial position, diversify export destinations and create financial conditions that allow its fruit industry to remain competitive.

Read the full Opinion:
https://www.freshfruitportal.com/news/2026/09/02/tariff-chile-impact

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