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

First Chilean cherries of the season sold out in China

The first Chilean cherries arrived in China on October 13 and were swiftly sold out the following day, marking the start of the season. According to QC FRUIT General Manager Agustín Cornejo, the fruit reached Shanghai at 1 p.m. on October 13 and was completely sold within 30 minutes

Frosts affect Northwest pear production

Northwest pear orchards were affected by low temperatures this year, leading to a decrease in production. FreshFruitPortal.com spoke with Jim Morris, Pear Bureau Northwest Marketing Communications Manager, about this year's frosts and how they impacted output, and the varieties that suffered the most.

Florida Citrus Mutual responds to latest USDA citrus forecast which excludes Hurricane Milton's damages

Florida Citrus Mutual said the initial citrus crop forecast for the 2024-2025 harvest season, released Oct. 11th by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), does not reflect the damage caused by Hurricane Milton across central and south Florida this week. 

Q&A: Turkish citrus industry gears up for another season with varying production trends

Turkey is one of the leading citrus producers and exporters in the world, with production reaching nearly 6.5 million metric tons in 2023-24, according to USDA data.

As the new season starts, Freshfruitportal.com spoke with Turkish produce exporter, EREN about season projections, the state of the industry, and the different challenges the market is facing today.

Mexican table grape season closes with slight drop in exports

Mexican table grape export volumes were “a little lower than last year”, Sonora Table Grape Producers Association Director Sergio Lugo told FreshFruitPortal.com. The executive cited climatic factors and marketing challenges as the cause for the drop. Lugo explained that the sector closed the 2023-24 season with 22.7 million boxes exported and around 5 million sold domestically. 

Growers turn to Fair Trade USA to address deforestation in avocado industry

Producers and retailers are looking to improve environmental and human rights conditions in the avocado sector, and Fair Trade USA™ offers solutions.

Western demand for avocados has grown exponentially over the past decade and people and the planet are paying the price, Fair Trade USA said in a statement.

The consolidation of Peruvian passion fruit

The current state of the Peruvian passion fruit industry is intriguing. According to the Association of Exporters (ADEX), the South American agricultural powerhouse exported 11,922 tons of passion fruit juice in 2023, accounting for 67% of its total passion fruit exports that year. This amounted to 17,822 tons valued at $66.932 million FOB.