I used to work in the produce department of a chain grocery store in rural Wisconsin (almost everything had to be imported from California) for nearly 5 years, ending about 15 years ago. I feel like I have a lot of experience with fruit (all my friends ask me about how to pick good/ripe produce).
In the last 10 years, or so, I can't help but feel like fruit tastes worse than it did just those few years ago.
Strawberries: We used to have deep, rich red berries with seeds that were "indented" into the skin. Now, it seems like 99% of the berries are from Driscol's or Foxy, and they are all pale red, with seeds sticking up off the skin. They are not nearly as sweet or juicy, either. They also don't seem to "ripen". They are a direct non-stop from pale red and straight to slimy without a stop in Ripeville on the way.
Pineapple: When I worked at the grocery store, there were two types of pineapple: the regular ones, and the more expensive "golden" pineapples. Now, it seems like I can only find the "golden". The issue is, while they are generally over-all sweeter, I just don't like the flavor of them as much as "regular" pineapples. I get it, though...regular pineapples could be anywhere from a C- to an A+ with sweetness, but quite often sour. The "golden" pineapples are a consistent "B"...but I miss the actual flavor of the regular pineapples.
Clementines: Didn't they used to only come around for a month in the fall and come from Spain, or something? I remember every single one being suuuuper easy to peel, and amazing flavor. Now, they seem to be available 8 months of the year at least, and I have yet to have one that was anywhere near a "C" rating, compared to what they used to taste like.
Corn: Not a fruit, but compared to the corn I used to have, the corn available now tastes like potato...too starchy, no natural corn sweetness.
Watermelon: I supposed seedless watermelons are more convenient, but they taste different than the regularly-seeded 10-18lbs monsters we used to sell years and years ago. I don't even see non-seedless melons in the stores anymore.
Am I crazy? Is produce "worse"? Has something specific good into effect in the last decade-and-a-half?