Produce industry headlines: April 10, 2026

Good afternoon! It’s Friday, April 10, 2026, heading into Masters weekend. Here’s what’s happening in produce and grocery today.

Today’s links include analysis of today’s food inflation report, Costco’s latest financials, retail’s labor problems, a citrus forecast update, the booming produce box trend, and more.

To read Blue Book’s analysis on food inflation, click here.

As always, have something to share? Send us your feedback at news@bluebookservices.com

Top Stories

Grocery price growth cools as overall inflation surges

The CPI shows that prices for perishable foods such as coffee, tomatoes, and beef rose by double digits in March, while prices for eggs crashed.

FMI Statement on March CPI Food Price Numbers

While these numbers are encouraging, recent instability in global energy markets is contributing to rising production costs across the food supply chain and could put upward pressure on grocery prices going forward, says FMI’s VP.

Costco Wholesale Corporation Reports March Sales Results

Costco reported net sales of $28.4 billion for March, an increase of 11.3 percent from $25.5 billion last year.

In the Trenches: Labor, service conditions remain a challenge

Consumers are starting to abandon some retailers and move on to those that have better services and more available checkouts.

Report Shows U.S. Food Waste at Historic Low, Driven by Households

American consumers are finding new ways to extend their grocery budgets, according to a 2026 food waste report.

U.S. citrus forecast lifts orange and lemon volumes

In the USDA’s April 2026 citrus forecast, it adjusts upward production estimates for oranges, grapefruit, lemons, and tangerines for the 2025-26 season.

Health trends and local sourcing fuel US produce box boom

According to a report, North America leads in produce box demand, accounting for about 38 percent of total market revenue.