As of late March, the weather has been favorable with no major freeze issues and sufficient chill and dormancy needed for a quality pear crop, says Kevin Moffitt, president and CEO of the Milwaukie, Oregon-based Pear Bureau Northwest.

As retailers anticipate the peak of the apple seasons, they should remember that when promoted properly, these popular commodities can drive seasonal sales.

Weather across the country appears to have been favorable so far for this year's tree fruit crops, with seasons' arrivals being slightly delayed.

Blueberries have become consumers' top berry, according to the Folsom, California-based U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council's (USHBC's) Consumer Usage & Attitude Study.

Organic products in general have been available for decades but they're more accessible than they've ever been the past few years, according to The Nielsen Co.