In preparation for California’s upcoming avocado season, Del Rey Avocado has introduced a Compac packing line. “We are very excited as it will allow us to pack more fruit in less hours so our efficiency and total output will increase drastically,” said Patrick Lucy, president of the Fallbrook, CA-based company. The new line is the year-long project of Jessica Hunter, CEO of Del Rey. “Hunter has spent a ton of hours on making sure we got the best line to help maximize our grower returns and quality of pack for our customers,” said Lucy. Del Rey’s California season started earlier than normal

The ever-increasing love of avocados by consumers has stretched supply channels and caused most California avocados to be marketed in the western half of the country. But a tracking study, conducted on behalf of the California Avocado Commission by a third-party organization, revealed that the fruit has an excellent reputation throughout the nation. CAC’s Vice President of Marketing Jan DeLyser, said the study showed that 70 percent of avocado shoppers across the entire nation say they are “very/somewhat willing” to pay a slightly higher price for avocados grown in California. For the past

While this year’s entire California avocado crop is projected at 306 million pounds — slightly higher than the state’s sub-300-million total last year — Henry Avocado greatly increased its capacity for ripening at its Milpitas distribution center in Northern California. The expansion increases the annual volume there to more than 2 million cartons. According to Phil Henry, the year-round grower/distributor’s emphasis on quality and freshness prompted the additional capability, which is all part of the corporate five-year growth plan. One of seven strategically located centers in California

Mission Produce Inc. is a leader in distributing fresh Hass avocados. The company said increased volume is expected by the industry for this year’s California season. Stephen Fink, vice president of North American Sales said, “the season is off to a strong start, with peak harvest expected between May and July. Industry volume is anticipated to be higher than last year at around 306 million pounds, with sizing currently on the smaller side.” Added volume and smaller overall sizing has been a general refrain among California growers. Fink said that the California avocado industry expects

Ask the average U.S. citizen about the significance of Cinco de Mayo, and the vast majority will shrug their shoulders and incorrectly guess Independence Day in Mexico. While a 2018 survey by NationalToday.com revealed that just 10 percent of Americans know that May 5 commemorates the Mexican Army’s victory over France at the Battle of Puebla during the Franco-Mexican War in 1862, nearly all associate Cinco De Mayo as a day of celebration that involves Mexican food, margaritas and cervezas. For the produce industry, this means an opportunity to shine a light on avocados, prepared guacamole and

Buoyed by a hot market, California avocado growers started picking their 2022 crop earlier than expected. By the end of March, they will have already shipped about 20 percent of their expected volume for the season. The California Avocado Commission’s pre-season estimate for the 2022 season was slightly greater than 300 million pounds, which represents about 15 percent more fruit than in 2021. The crop was expected to start with relatively few shipments in January, a few million pounds per week in February with steady increases in March, but no peak-type shipping weeks until April. Veteran