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Strawberry production is four to five weeks ahead of schedule in Salinas and Watsonville, CA, after a warm growing season. Many of the state's crops matured earlier than normal, presenting issues for growers and opportunities for marketers. Strawberries and leafy greens saw a reduction in market prices due to oversupply, but other fruits like blackberries and raspberries can be sold at a premium as other production regions were not yet harvested, reported AgAlert. Full Story
Florida is entering peak peach production as growers increase volume and plantings. Dundee Citrus Growers Association growers plan to harvest 2 million-lbs., up from the 900,000-lbs. last season. Demand and movement is considered favorable for early April, reported The Packer. Full Story
Dry weather should lead to a record Argentinian soy crop, according to the Buenos Aires Grains Exchange. The 2014-2015 soy harvest was estimated at 58.5 million metric tons, reported Reuters. Full Story
Chesapeake Bay fishermen are reporting small, undersized crabs in the bay after a week of fishing. Fisherman lost about four weeks this season because ice in the bay killed a large number of crabs, reported MyEasternShoreMD.com. Full Report
Avian flu hit an eighth Minnesota turkey farm, the second in Kandiyohi County. The outbreak occurred about four miles from another farm struck by bird flu in the past few days and will result in the 30,000 turkeys on the farm being killed, reported Minneapolis Star Tribune. Full Story
The first Honeycrisp apples from the Southern Hemisphere will be shipped to the U.S. this April as the apple variety becomes available year-round. The Chilean deal harvested in the spring will complement the autumn harvest of Northern Hemisphere growers, reported The Produce News. Full Story
Florida spiny lobster received record high prices of about $10-$11 a pound for the season that ended Mar. 31. The total catch of 4 million-lbs. was slightly lower than last year, reported WLRN.org. Full Story
Plant breeders developed two new Valencia orange hybrids that would be harvested as early as December. The new oranges could replace Hamlin oranges, which are the most widely produced among early and mid-season varieties, according to breeders at the Citrus Research and Education Center, reported The Ledger. Full Story
Pecan growers are pushing for a federal marketing order as almonds, pistachios and walnuts grow more popular under similar programs. Pecans are in high demand in China and India but do not share the same status domestically. A referendum among pecan growers will be held in 2016 to determine if the national American Pecan Council should be formed to represent the industry, reported Southeast Farm Press. Full Story
Hapag-Lloyd gave official notice that it will no longer stop at the Port of Portland. The shipping company stopped scheduling container drops at the port April 3. Hapag-Lloyd and Hanjin Shipping Co., which stopped shipping to the port in March, made up the majority of the business at Terminal 6, reported The Oregonian. Full Story
Learning more about Asian citrus psyllids behavior remains a key front in the war against citrus greening. Researchers know about the biology down to the psyllid genome, but not knowing more about their behavior is a key deficit in developing control strategies, according the Southwest Florida Research and Education Center, reported The Ledger. Full Story
NOAA canceled the pre-May 2015 commercial salmon fishing season from Horse Mountain, CA, to Point Arena, CA through April 30. The move limits the fishery impact on age-4 Klamath River fall Chinook salmon. Full Notice
Meanwhile, NOAA prohibited directed fishing for Pacific cod by catcher vessels less than 60 feet long using jig or hook-and-line gear in the Bogoslof Pacific cod exemption area of the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands management area. The move is to prevent exceeding the catch limit. Full Notice

California's drought drove up prices for some fruits and vegetables, but others are cheaper than they were a year ago. Produce grown in coastal areas was not affected by the drought as much as produce grown in the Central Valley has been, reported Los Angeles Times. Full Story
The Chilean plum market is getting stronger as the deal enters its final phase. After oversupply and depressed markets lingered for weeks, plum supplies quietly fell below what was anticipated, resulting in better prices. Plum sizes have been smaller than normal this season, reported The Packer. Full Story
The fungal disease Postbloom citrus drop appeared again in Florida this year. While orange growers were surprised last year with the return of a fungal disease that hadn't erupted since the 1990s, farmers sprayed immediately with fungicides this year to limit damage, reported The Ledger. Full Story
Virginia's aquaculture industry reported an all-time high of 243 million hard clams sold last year with oyster farmers reported selling 39.8 million oysters. The two shellfish aquaculture industries sold a record $56 million last year, about $39 million for clams and $17 million for oysters, reported Daily Press. Full Story
Ivory Coast's cocoa production was estimated at 1.3 million metric tons between Oct. 1 and April 6, according to exporters. The country will set aside half of this year's cocoa mid-crop for local grinders, according to government and industry sources, reported Reuters. Full Story
USDA confirmed that a ninth Minnesota turkey farm was hit by avian flu. The latest outbreak was at a Jennie-O Turkey operation in central Minnesota that has 310,000 turkeys, reported St. Paul Pioneer Press. Full Story
Kansas regulators lifted restrictions on the movement of poultry flocks in Leavenworth and Wyandotte counties following a confirmed case of bird flu last month. The state Department of Agriculture noted that it responded to seven reported cases of sick birds but all cases tested negative for avian influenza, reported Miami Herald. Full Story
California's water regulators are warning that long-held water rights might be curtailed in wake of the drought crisis. Farmers in the Oakdale Irrigation District will be limited to 30 inches of water per acre. Sixty inches are required for beef cattle, while almond and grape producers need between 40 to 50 inches, reported Sacramento Bee. Full Story
Seventy percent of California almond farmers use micro-irrigation systems to curb water use, according to California's Almond Hullers and Processors Association. The group is taking issue with recent reports about the drought, alleging the state's agriculture industry only uses 41% of the state's entire water supply, nearly half of what media reports stated. Full Story
Cal-Maine Foods and Rose Acre Farms Inc. will open a cage-free egg facility in Red River County, TX, through a joint venture named Red River Valley Egg Farm LLC. Construction is underway and operations are expected to begin in August. Full Story
Gulf of Alaska longliners want to use baited steel traps in place of hooks and lines. A federal fishery council meeting this week in Anchorage is scheduled to vote on whether to give the green light for a shift because whales have been stripping black cod from miles of baited lines, reported Seattle Times. Full Story
Nature Fresh Farms will open a greenhouse in Delta, OH. The 175-acre facility will produce thousands of cases of fresh greenhouse-grown vegetables starting later in the year. Tomatoes and bell peppers from the farm will be shipped throughout the Midwest and Canada. Full Story