Mexican lime prices doubled from $19 to $21 per 40-lb. carton March 17 to $40 to $42 per carton March 24. Exports to the U.S. were limited by rains and a seasonal lull. Availability in the second half of March is much lower than usual, reported The Packer. Full Story
Tomato volumes are down due to a slow start in crop production in Florida and weather-related problems in Mexico. Yields fell in Florida due to a February cold snap, but recent warm weather is propping up production. The market should return to seasonal norms in early April, reported The Packer. Full Story
Brazil's coffee crop could fall to 44 million 60-kg bags in 2015 due to a drop in robusta output, according to INTL FCStone. The country is expected to harvest 32.5 to 33.5 million bags of arabica and 11.5 to 12 million bags of robusta, reported Reuters. Full Story
New Zealand's apple harvest is underway despite the destruction caused by Cyclone Pam. The first Taylor's Gold pears are expected to reach the U.S. by April, with apples following shortly after, reported The Produce News. Full Story
California is expanding the quarantine in a portion of Madera County to protect against the Asian citrus psyllid. An insect was found east of Madera, in the Bonadelle Ranchos-Madera Ranchos area. The quarantined area will be expanded to 179 square miles, reported Fresno Bee. Full Story
Indonesia's cocoa bean output is expected at between 400,000 and 450,000 metric tons annually for the next three years, according to Olam International Limited. The projection is a small increase from the current output of 400,000 metric tons, reported Reuters. Full Story
The purchasing plans of Bristol Bay sockeye salmon processors will be short of the total projected sockeye harvest this year. The forecasted harvest size of 37.6 million sockeye is 6% above the 35.5 million fish processors plan to purchase, according to an Alaska Department of Fish and Game survey, reported UndercurentNews.com. Full Story
Washington state's Department of Health is restricting shellfish harvesting for part of Portage Bay due to high levels of bacteria. The shellfish in that area are affected by runoff from the Nooksack River, creating a greater risk of people getting sick from eating shellfish, reported Seattle Times. Full Story
Copper River/Prince William Sound Marketing Association will continue to receive funding from the region's drift fishermen. A total of 165 permit holders voted in favor of continuing the tax, while 97 voted against it, according to the state's commerce department, reported Seattle Times. Full Story
Canadian tomato growers are at odds over a price class proposal by Highbury Canco. The company wants to add a fourth tomato price class for industrial tomato paste, but growers and the Ontario Farm Products Marketing Commission claim it's not needed, reported Better Farming. Full Story
Arcadia Biosciences Inc.'s nitrogen-efficient rice outperformed conventional rice for the third consecutive year. The engineered rice produced a 27% higher yield and out-produced conventional rice in field research trials in Colombia. The trials are part of a five year collaboration between Arcadia, the International Center for Tropical Agriculture and the African Agricultural Technology Foundation. Full Story

Kampachi Farms is partnering with Lockheed Martin to test a mobile fish pen. The pen is secured to a single-point mooring system in 6,000 feet of water, but with enough line that the pen still drifts naturally. About 2,000 Kampachi fingerlings were placed inside the mobile pen and grew to 4-lbs. in just four months, producing a product comparable to blue fin tuna, reported KITV4. Full Report
Thai Union Frozen Products cut ties with a supplier alleged to be using forced labor in Thailand. The supplier was not named, but Thai Union officials say the relationship was terminated immediately when the company was presented with the report, reported Cumberlink.com. Full Story