A United States Court of Appeals has affirmed the validity of Houweling’s UltraClima Semi-Closed Greenhouse patent. 

Global Plant Genetics has officially launched the Guelph Equinox asparagus variety in Europe. This is a milestone for Fox Seeds of Canada, incorporated in February 2012. 

USDA has declared the country free of plum pox virus after a 20-year battle. It’s a huge milestone for the $6.3 billion stone fruit industry. 

The world’s largest exporter of blueberries, Chile, reports that exports will reach record volumes of 115,000 tons in the 2019-2020 season. That’s up four per cent from a year ago. 

Mexico-based Agrizar has committed to grow exclusively for Mastronardi BerryWorld America, a joint venture between Mastronardi Produce Ltd., North America’s leading grower and distributor of greenhouse produce, and the UK-based BerryWorld.

Grown in Washington and Nevada, Sunions will be marketed for the first time in western Canada in December 2019. The seed is not available in Canada. 

The November 2018 crisis of E.-coli contaminated romaine lettuce from Arizona has been studied by a 100+ task force. American experts report on next steps.  

Some American horticultural products – blueberries and cranberries, for example   - will have tariff-free access to Japan’s 127 million consumers. Other goods will be granted access under staged tariff elimination. Most importantly, tariffs are at the same level that Japan provides preferentially to countries in the CP-TPP agreement.

Seattle start-up Phytelligence is now in receivership after months of legal wrangling with Washington State University over the commercialization of Cosmic Crisp apples.