Conventional Items

Lettuce

The market is still sluggish with mild demand and steady supplies. Quality has been mostly very nice pushing yields higher. Prices will likely settle near current levels until cold temperatures impact harvest . Currently only isolated frost delays have been recorded although traditionally the next 2 weeks are the coldest in the desert. The uncertainty of CV-19 restrictions nationwide has kept demand anchored.

Leaf Lettuce

Romaine  Demand for romaine remains moderate with surging supplies . The market is adjusting to light demand although hearts are slower to adjust . Most shippers are interested in moving volume and are negotiable. Quality has been Very nice in most production areas with isolated, mild epidermal blister seen. The next couple weeks are critical as , historically, temperatures reach their lowest of the season which could impact quality and supplies. Forecast calls for much cooler overnight temperatures early next week.

Red leaf, Green leaf and Boston  prices have eased to more sustainable levels with most shippers negotiable. Quality remains very nice quality from most production areas.

Celery

Demand for the Christmas pull has started and prices are trending upwards. We expect demand to be pretty good over the next 10 days. It would be wise to purchase early and hold inventory than to wait until the end of the week or buying next week. Prices will continue to escalate. Best availability and pricing is coming out of the Oxnard and Santa Maria growing regions. Quality is good with nice green color and heavy weights out of both growing regions.

Artichokes

Production of the thornless varieties from Northern California continue to sustain mild frost damage as overnight temperatures drop near freezing. . Availability of  “clean ” artichokes will be extremely limited until we transition to new production areas later this month.  Heirloom and Original varieties will return in the Spring.

Broccoli

Market has turned around as cooler weather has slowed production in California, Arizona and Central Mexico. Generally there is lighter supplies this time of year as production out of Salinas comes to an end and Santa Maria supplies lighten up, coupled with production out of the Desert regions just getting started this scenario is commonplace. Central Mexico is also experiencing cooler temps and overcast days so supplies are limited out of there as well. The expectation is for the market to remain active over the next 10 days.

Cauliflower

Overall light supplies and cooler temperatures have slowed down harvest production. Market is expected to remain active over the next 10 days. Salinas has all but finished for the season, Santa Maria is now in their winter production which is limited acres being grown over the next 3 months and the Desert region is just getting started with light production and will slowly ramp up over the next two weeks. The qulaity on what is available is nice, clean white domes and green jackets.

Brussels Sprouts

Coastal California supplies continue to be strong with a mix of quality and sizing. Pricing remains elevated in the desert due to mostly transferred product from Northern California production areas. There has been a lull in demand post Thanksgiving that has offered value buys but traditionally strong December demand will likely continue to keep prices elevated .

Green Onions

Mexico production continues steady with quality and yields showing improvement. Pricing remains mostly steady but is expected to move higher starting next week as traditionally colder temperatures and seasonal labor shortages will severely impact supplies . Stock up now !

Strawberries

Volume will increase slightly over the next few weeks and will be slightly more favorable than previously expected due to unfavorable weather that was forecast to impact the crop never materialized. We expect California production to continue to gradually decline in the weeks ahead while Central Mexico production increases each week, eventually resulting in higher production volume as we approach 2021.  Oxnard is producing good sized fruit with good flavor as a result of cooler nighttime temperatures. Santa Maria has seen good overall quality with good flavor in all varieties. The Northern District will wrap up their season as a result of recent rains. Florida has seen some bruised fruit due to warm temperatures over the weekend. Organic volume is slightly better than originally forecasted, but we will experience a natural decline out of California.

Raspberries

An improvement in temperatures across each region has resulted in an uptick in volume this week. Unfortunately, last week the extremely cool temperatures slowed fruit maturation which will  push more volume into this week. Going forward we expect production volume to gradually decrease each week as we approach year end. Oxnard has seen good size and color with good flavor. Baja and Central Mexico have seen good size and good overall quality.

Blueberries

Production out of Peru is past it’s peak and will continue with strong volumes though year end. The Mexican season has begun and is ramping up quickly. Baja volumes will continue with stable volumes though year end. Chile will begin production this month with light volumes.

Blackberries

Supply has exceeded the projections through the front half of the week. The additional supply was driven by improved night temperatures in the USA and Mexico which released the fruit which was held up from last week’s cold night temperatures. We expect steady supply for the next several weeks.

Stone Fruit

Utility red plums are still available. There is little to no availability this week on most stone fruit varieties, as we are currently in a production gap. Offshore fruit is expected to start arriving next week. We will start off with strong markets on most varieties, which will continue into January.

Grapes

Plenty of storage fruit still available. Good supplies are expected to last through the holiday. Lighter volumes likely towards the end of the month, particularly on green grape varieties. There will be better supplies of red grapes, as storage fruit will carry through into January. Black seedless varieties will likely sell out before the new year. Demand has been steady, which should continue for the coming weeks. Imported fruit has begun to arrive on both coasts. Imported volume is expected to increase towards the end of the month which will help keep up with demand. Quality is holding up, although some issues have recently been reported on green grapes.

Citrus

Oranges – California navels are in full production out of the California San Joaquin valley. Color is improving and overall quality has been strong. Volumes are peaking on the 88 and 113 count fruit and markets appear to have bottomed out. Steady markets are expected this week, followed by a slight uptick in demand as we get closer to the holiday.

Lemons – Chilean lemons are finished for the season. District 1 and district 3 are both in production, further adding to the supply exceeds demand scenario we are currently in. More lemons are expected to flood the market in the coming weeksand shippers are looking to move volume at cheap prices. Run offers by us on ALL orders.

Limes – Plenty of volume available this week on most sizes. Mexico has experienced good growing conditions over the past few weeks and quality has been very nice. Shippers are looking to move inventories, especially on 175 and 200 count fruit. We are currently in a ‘supply exceeds demand scenario’ so run offers by us on limes.

Dry Onions

Market is $5.00 to $6.00 on Jumbo yellows in Northwest. Whites are $12.00 . Reds are in the $6.00 range. If you can buy a block of loads the market is generally $5.00. I talked to an East Coat broker this morning and he said the East Coast is almost no existent as far as demand goes. They had a decent run with the food basket deal, but that’s over for most receivers. Doom and Gloom. Waiting for the vaccine to arrive for widespread inoculation, until then WEAR A MASK!

Asparagus

Not much different than last week. Demand continues to increase somewhat

with lower prices being offered from Mexican grown product.

There has been talk of killing fern and starting early in Caborca, which is the

really big Mexican deal that starts big volume in February…These growers are

trying to take part of the “higher” prices that usually come along in the early

winter. We’ll see how that goes. Colder weather is starting to creep into the

equation, which will slow everything down to a trickle…stay tuned.

Cantaloupes

Mexico is for all intents and purposed done following the finish of the domestic deal last week. This leaves only the Caribbean Basin as the source of supply, currently grown in Guatemala and Honduras. Both those areas have been afflicted recently by two hurricanes and continued unsettled weather hampering both volume, quality and self life. Sizes are running mostly jbo and reg 9s count. Demand has been quite slow as winter, minus warm weather vacations and cruises does not exactly lend itself to a craving for melons. The slow demand is being further exacerbated by COVID food service closings. So we are stuck in a situation of fair quality, somewhat high prices due to light supplies and slow demand. The market is steady with some discounting before shipping or after arrival due to quality. The current trend is for more of the same until offshore areas get past their rough beginning around the first of the year when volume and quality improve making the market more viable.

Honeydews

Unlike cantaloupes there are plentiful supplies of good quality honeydews continuing to arrive from Mexico and prices have remained quite low as demand has been slowed by the same factors of COVID related problems and unseasonability. Offshore has been sending some dews as well and quality is variable, sizes are mostly 5 and 6s and prices are higher due to the very light volume. Little looks to change until around the end of the Month.

Organic Items

OG Broccoli & Cauliflower

Cauliflower and Broccoli   Retreating prices have been stalled by improving demand as Markets have begun to surge higher again on improving demand for Christmas and New Years. We anticipate supplies to be short of demand through the New Year .

OG Herbs & Bunch Greens

Availability and pricing appear to be mostly steady with demand expected to surge as local Homegrown production comes to a close.

OG Root Vegetables

Carrot Production has been steady and demand continues to spike led by the Farm to Family Program. Most growers have been reaching for supplies . Continue to plan ahead even further to get partial coverage.

Potato and Onions  Markets continue to be strong as well as demand for retail packs. Northwest production continues to be limited to shortage.

OG Leaf and Iceberg Lettuce

Leaf, Iceberg & Romaine   Demand for romaine continues to keep prices elevated . Temperatures will directly impact supplies for the next month as traditionally we are entering the coldest time of the year in the desert.

Green and Red leaf  quality look much improved and should offer a significantly better value as we settle into the desert season .

OG Citrus

Lemons, Oranges, Limes and Grapefruit Demand continues to be strong throughout the Citrus category due to retail sales. Mexico’s lemon crop will begin to slow while supplies from California /Winter crop will begin to improve. Pricing remains competitive. Many shippers have shifted production exclusively to bags on All Citrus. Lime quality remains inconsistent. The Navel crop profile remains perfect for retail demand . Flavor and sizing profile will improve weekly, Mandarins have begun with limited production with excellent flavor and sizing profile. Now is the time to get in your orders for the Holiday’s

OG Peppers

California / Mexico :  Improved supplies of Green Bells are expected from Mexico while Red and Yellow Bells continue to be very limited.