Chris Kragie, vice president of Western Fresh Marketing Services Inc. in Madera, CA, is urging California kiwifruit growers to hold off on their harvests until the fruit reaches a soluble solids content of 7.0, thereby ensuring the best product quality for retailers and a good eating experience for consumers. Conditions, he went on to say, should be optimal for California kiwifruit toward the end of September.

Exports of Peruvian sweet onions may grow by as 10 percent during the 2014-15 season. In late July, Miguel Ognio, chief executive officer for KeyPerú S.A., attributed the increase to increased land in production. According to Ognio, approximately 7,400 acres (3,000 hectares) of sweet onions were planted this season. The expansion is primarily occurring in Arequipa, Ica and the north, Peru's main producing areas.

The National Mango Board is moving forward with its Ripe and Ready to Eat mango program — a program aimed to provide U.S. consumers with a quality fruit that is ripe and ready to eat by the time of purchase. The NMB has done extensive research that shows that ripe fruit has higher acceptance rates within consumers.

The Produce Marketing Association Foundation’s 2014 High Performance Management Conference titled “Optimizing the Impact of Mid-Level Leaders,” is one of several initiatives that the organization has developed to help the produce industry by engaging in issues that assist and educate produce professionals to stay successful in the highly technical, competitive and fast moving industry.

There are “a lot of unknowns” moving into the California fall grape crop this year, and a lot of variation can be anticipate in available supplies of grapes throughout the late season, ranging from timing of varieties and length of time in storage to berry size and quality, according to Clint Lucas, an inspector at RJO Produce Marketing Inc. in Fresno, CA.

With harvest currently underway, representatives of the Northwest pear industry have officially updated their initial projections for the 2014 fresh pear crop yield.

Reports of a crop of excellent quality have been confirmed from all corners of the pear-growing regions in Washington and Oregon, and the updated projection is showing a crop larger than previously forecast in the spring.