Natural Delights is offering its two-, five- and 11-pound window boxes again this year to meet the need for Ramadan Medjool date consumption. April kicks off the holiday, but shoppers are going to be looking for Medjool dates in bulk starting in early March when peak sales season begins.

The one-week suspension of imports of avocados from Mexico was lifted on Feb. 18, and shipments were expected to reach pre-suspension levels as soon as the week of Feb. 20.

The Coalition for Sustainable Organics joined with the Aquaponics Association, Western Growers Association, International Fresh Produce Association, Mulch & Soil Council and The Scotts Co. to file an amicus ("friend of the court") brief in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.

The Saguaro Half Marathon, held Feb. 19 in Tucson, AZ, provided a perfect setting to showcase the health and hydration benefits of watermelon while putting the finishing touch on the two-year reign of National Watermelon Queen Paige Huntington.

Huntington was selected National Watermelon Queen two years ago for what is typically a one-year term. She stayed on for a second year due to the cancellation of the 2021 National Watermelon Association convention, where a new queen was to be selected.

The produce markets have been topsy-turvy and unpredictable all winter. This puts a strain on the planning of produce ad features for weekly flyers. However, there are still item opportunities in the supply chain for promoting.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has filed an administrative complaint against J&J Distributing Co. for alleged violations of the Perishable Agricultural Commodities Act. The company, operating from Minnesota, allegedly failed to make payment promptly to 12 produce sellers in the amount of $493,611 from June 2020 through April 2021.