These are FreshFruitPortal.com's top seven stories of the week.

Q&A: South African Citrus Growers Association CEO speaks on the current season, challenges and growth projections

Justin Chadwick, the CEO of the South African Citrus Growers Association (CGA), said in his latest report on September 13 that after many downward revisions by the Variety Focus Groups as the season unfolded, recently the trend has been for upward revisions as favorable market conditions encourage late-season exports.

The importance of properly pruning avocado orchards

One permanent challenge avocado growers face throughout North and South America is the pruning of their orchards. Pruning an avocado tree improves the amount of sunlight the leaves receive and, therefore, enhances its productive performance, while also preventing the orchards from becoming overcrowded.

As Mauricio Navarro, an expert in nutrition and fertigation of horticultural crops, explained during his presentation at the 8th Jalisco Avocado Congress, “Even though it seems that the topic is making strong progress, in reality, orchards are overcrowded from California to Chile, indicating a gap between theory and practice.”.

Honeyberry is the new rage in Missouri

University of Missouri Extension Horticulturist says honeyberry's ability to thrive in conditions not suited for blueberries makes it a promising choice for farmers seeking to grow a "productive and low-maintenance fruit."

Honeyberry is less fickle than blueberry, the university reports, since blueberries require acidic soil. Honeyberries' mature bushes can reach heights of 3 to 8 feet and have a 50-year life expectancy, and its fruit is reported to be higher in antioxidants than blueberry.

Analysis of Peruvian fruit exports during the first half of the year

Recently, Fluctuante presented the latest report of Peruvian agro exports for the first six months of 2024. Freshfruitportal.com spoke with the CEO of Fluctuante, David Sandoval, who analyzed the behavior and current status of the main Peruvian fruits.

California grape shipments see 5% September rise

California grape shipments saw a 5% uptick year-over-year in week 36, according to a USDA data report. Weekly exports went from 3,976,209 boxes in 2022 to 4,162,533 this year.

This year's figures also represent a 7% uptick over the 3,879,047 boxes shipped in 2022 during the same week.

The potential of Peruvian raspberries in the frozen category

Peruvian raspberries are a crop in the process of growth, still in its nascent stage and not widely cultivated throughout the country. Despite this, it has begun to gain popularity in recent years, due to progressive growth driven by domestic demand, especially in the fresh market.

“This market, aimed mainly at consumers, is presented as an alternative for farmers in various areas of the country. But raspberries have a lot of potential for export,” Luis Llanos, head of Agromercado, an institution under the Ministry of Agrarian Development and Irrigation (MIDAGRI) told FreshFruitPortal.com.

Peru finalizes agreement to export citrus to New Zealand

Through the Ministry of Agrarian Development and Irrigation (MIDAGRI), the Peruvian government signed a Work Plan allowing the Andean country to export fresh mandarins, oranges, tangelos, and limes to New Zealand.

As a result, producers from Ica, Lima, Piura, La Libertad, Junín, Arequipa, Ancash, and Lambayeque will be able to send their products to this market this year, in addition to shipments already being made to the United States, the Netherlands, England, Mexico, Canada and Chile, among others.