The California Avocado Commission's early-season crop forecast projects 330 million pounds of California avocados. This estimate includes 310 million pounds of Hass and 20 million pounds of GEM, Lamb Hass and other avocado varieties. With continual investment in new plantings and nearly 51,000 acres now producing California avocados, 2026 is expected to be the third consecutive year with volume in excess of 300 million pounds. While some harvesting already has occurred, the peak of promotable volume is expected from April into August.

“Recent rain in California generally was welcomed by growers

Church Brothers Farms announced that Omar Bobadilla has joined the company as chief strategy and operations officer. Bobadilla brings more than 20 years of leadership experience across the fresh produce supply chain, including manufacturing, agricultural sourcing, distribution and engineering.

In this role, Bobadilla will focus on translating company strategy into disciplined execution across manufacturing operations and high-impact, cross-functional initiatives. He will partner closely with executive leadership and facility teams to align capital deployment, labor planning and operational

Village Fresh Greenhouse Grown has appointed Helen L. Aquino as vice president of innovation, reinforcing the company’s focus on consumer relevance and customer-driven innovation.

Aquino has been with Village Farms, now Village Fresh, since 2008, bringing more than 20 years of experience across agricultural research, brand strategy, product development and controlled environment agriculture. During her tenure, she has contributed to varietal introductions, packaging innovation, category management, sustainability communications and retail-focused go-to-market strategies.

In her new role, Aquino

Family Tree Farm has promoted Jerry Guerrero to chief development officer, effective Jan. 1.

Guerrero has been part of the Family Tree Farms organization since the age of 15, growing alongside the company and gaining deep, firsthand knowledge of its operations, people and global footprint. Most recently serving as director of international finance, Guerrero played a key role in supporting international expansion, financial strategy and long-term planning across multiple global markets.

In his new role, Guerrero will focus on strategic development initiatives, operational alignment and long-range

Eduardo Flores, president and CEO of Sakata Seed America, will be leaving the company and pursuing other opportunities. Sakata thanked Flores for his contributions during his time with the company and wishes him success in his future endeavors.

Dave Armstrong will step in to serve as president-CEO of Sakata Seed America.

Sakata said it remains focused on serving its customers, supporting its employees and advancing its long-term strategy in a manner consistent with its values and culture. Business operations will continue without interruption.

Headquartered in Woodland, CA, Sakata Seed America is

J&K Fresh has new additions to its management teams on both coasts: Gabriel (Gabe) Padilla is now director of operations on the West Coast and Ed Fitzgerald is vice president of compliance and trade services on the East Coast. 

Padilla brings 23 years of experience to JKF. After graduating from Iowa State with a degree in agronomy and international agriculture, he joined the USDA and was transferred to U.S. Customs and Border Protection.  At CBP, Padilla held the position of chief agriculture specialist for the Los Angeles and Long Beach Seaports. From there, Padilla went to the Federal