The California State Fair is pleased to announce the 2023 winners of the eighth annual California Commercial Extra Virgin Olive Oil Competition. A panel of 12 experienced sensory analyst judges gathered at the Cal Expo Fairgrounds in Sacramento on March 8 to swirl, sniff, sip, and analyze samples of olive oil from producers all over California. The annual competition celebrates …

Save the date, Friday, November 11th for the annual Grape, Nut & Tree Fruit Expo at the Big Fresno Fairgrounds.  Held by Malcolm Media Ag Publishing in cooperation with California Ag Network, Pacific Nut Producer, American Vineyard, and California Fresh Fruit Magazines, it is the ultimate postharvest industry gathering place for regional grape, nut & tree fruit growers and crop …

Save the date, Tuesday, November 8th for the annual Tree & Vine Expo at the Stanislaus County Fairgrounds, in Turlock, California, the heart of North Valley wine grape, tree nut and fruit country.  Held by Malcolm Media Ag Publishing in cooperation with California Ag Network, Pacific Nut Producer, American Vineyard, and California Fresh Fruit Magazines, it is the ultimate postharvest …

New grants totaling $6.3 million will help UC Riverside solve problems facing American avocado orchards, including a lethal fungal disease called Laurel Wilt. Laurel Wilt can destroy an entire avocado orchard in a couple of weeks once symptoms develop. It is already present in Florida. Without effective treatments, it will inevitably spread to California, which is the nation’s leading producer …

Pollinator Partnership (P2) is proud to announce enhancements and improvements to its Bee Friendly Farming (BFF) program to better recognize engage and support BFF participants and pollinators everywhere. The new BFF program will have three categories that allow them to engage with all participants at a finer scale while addressing their goals: Bee Friendly Farming Certified, Bee Friendly Farming Partner …

On March 4, 2020, China announced market access for fresh U.S. nectarines as part of the U.S.-China Economic and Trade Agreement (ETA). This report briefly mentions the market access conditions for U.S. nectarines, discusses several key factors of China’s nectarine market (including import competition), and offers market-entry recommendations to consider when exporting fresh U.S. nectarines to China. Product Description & Access Overview On March 4, 2020, in …

By Ben Faber, UC Cooperative Extension — Laurel Wilt Disease of Avocado and the relatives of avocado in the Laurel Family has devastated the the forests along the east coast from North Carolina down to Florida and along the Caribbean into Texas.  It has caused significant losses to wildlands and to the Florida avocado industry. The extent of the native tree loss is shocking and …

UC Riverside has entered into a $2.25 million partnership with Spain-based Eurosemillas S.A., a global leader in the commercialization of agriculture innovations, to help the university bring to market the most promising and advanced avocado scions and rootstocks in its collection. If successful, these varieties would meet diverse regional growing requirements, exhibit better post-harvest characteristics, increase yields, provide resistance against …

Houston Wilson has been named the Presidential Director for the University of California’s Organic Agriculture Institute, which was established in January 2020 with a $500,000 endowment by Clif Bar and a matching $500,000 endowment from UC President Janet Napolitano. Wilson, a UC Riverside agricultural entomologist based at the Kearney Agricultural Research and Extension Center, joined UC ANR as assistant Cooperative Extension specialist …