Conventional Items

Lettuce

The market continues to adjust for lack of demand. Quality is improving daily as is supply. Prices are approaching sustainable levels which should help spur back demand that has been affected by seasonal post Thanksgiving lull and the uncertainty of CV-19 restrictions nationwide. Temperatures remain seasonally mild with only isolated frost forecast which will help continue to keep quality improving. Supplies should remain sufficient until the weather cools significantly which traditionally happens the week of Christmas.

Leaf Lettuce

Romaine  Although good, a Lull in demand for Carton and Hearts combined with good weather and improving supplies has pushed prices lower. Most shippers are holding back from quoting significantly lower prices but are listening to offers . The market is correcting although reduced acres will help keep the decline from being too steep. Quality should improve daily until the seasonal, critically cold temperatures arrive later this month.

Red leaf, Green leaf and Boston  prices have eased to more sustainable levels as quality improves from the desert.

Celery

We will have a little lull in the market until the Christmas pull starts in about 2 weeks. There is good availability on all sizes and shippers are making deals to keep these moving. You can load out of Santa Maria, Oxnard and Yuma.  Quality is good with nice green color and heavy weights coming out of both growing regions.

Artichokes

Production of the thornless varieties from Northern California sustained moderate frost damage a couple weeks ago as overnight temperatures dropped significantly below frost levels . Availability of  “clean ” artichokes will be extremely limited until we transition to new production areas later next month.  Heirloom and Original varieties will return in the Spring.

Broccoli

The historically slow week after Thanksgiving is upon us. Demand has waned and there is plenty of product available. We have steady supplies of our Shui Ling Crowns loading in Pharr ,Tx quality has been outstanding. Get with your Produce West sales representative and run your offers by us.

Cauliflower

Ample availability is expected over the next 10 days. Quality out of all growing regions is very nice, good white color and dark green jackets. Run your offers by us.

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 heading into December which traditionally encounters colder temperatures and seasonal labor shortages especially towards the end of the month.

Strawberries

Volume is on the decline out of Northern California.  Oxnard and Central Mexico are increasing volumes and markets are weaker in all growing areas. Santa Maria, California is forecast on Wednesday to be sunny, with partly sunny skies Thursday and Friday, and then sunny for the weekend. Highs are forecast in the low 70s and lows in the 30s. Central Mexico is forecast for partly sunny skies, with highs in the 80s and lows in the 40s. Santa Maria, California fruit has some occasional bruising, white shoulders, soft shoulders, scarring and bronzing from wind, occasional pin rot, and misshapen. Average counts are 26 to 28, occasionally higher and lower.

Raspberries

Production is coming on in Central Mexico! Steady volumes in Baja.

Blueberries

Imports continue to come in with very good volume on the East Coast. Mexico is ramping up as well. Expect good supply across all regions through December. We will see the transition from Argentina to Chile within 3 weeks; Peru will bridge the change-over between the other countries.

Blackberries

Mexican production on both organic and conventional is falling off as we are past the fall peak. Production will stay lower until late January when the large ramp-up will last into early March before trickling down until the end of the season in June.

Stone Fruit

A small amount of utility red plums are still available in small amounts. 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 the end of next week. We will start off with strong markets on most varieties, continuing through the new year.

Grapes

Storage red grapes are in good supply. We are starting to see quality decline as we dig into storage supplies. California growers are finished with harvest for the year. Green seedless grapes are available in storage, although volumes are much tighter and quality is expected to decline rapidly on greens, . We still expect a ‘demand exceeds’ scenario in December on greens, and tight supplies will continue through the new year. Black seedless grapes are available in light numbers and quality is still holding up for now. Peruvian grapes are expected to start arriving this weekend in light supplies, increasing in the coming weeks.

Citrus

Oranges – California navel production i in full swing. Color is improving daily and overall quality has been very nice. Volumes are peaking on the 88 and 113 count fruit and shippers are looking to move product. Pricing is expected to remain steady for the next week, and should experience an uptick as Christmas demand ramps up.

Lemons – Chilean lemons are still available as the season comes to a close. District 1 has started, further adding to the supply exceeds demand scenario we are currently in. As more restaurants are ordered to close, we will see further stagnation of these markets. We do not expect strong markets through the new year as restaurants and bars continue to close.

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, so run offers by us on limes.

Dry Onions

Now that a lot of restaurants are being shut down again, business will start to stumble…couple that with the lack of large family Thanksgiving dinners and little or no travelling throughout the holiday, we are in for a slight lull in over business. Will it drive a stake through the heart of the accumulated strides made over the last few months? We’ll see, but, I for one am more afraid of this surge than the first one. Hopefully we’ll be able to contain it till the Calvary (vaccine) comes to our rescue. Prices are steady as of this writing.

Asparagus

The demand for asparagus is not high. Just as I said in the Dry onion report,

there isn’t going to be a lot of big dinners, but people have to eat. The pricing

from Mexico has tried to go up a bit due to lower supplies, however Peru seems to having good volume and plenty of product available at cheap pricing. Stay tuned.

Cantaloupes

As predicted domestic cantaloupes have ended and there is few coming from Guatemala as the recent hurricanes have delayed a full throated output. Mexico was pretty much alone this week so the market there improved but only a bit on better quality of the prime sizes (, jbo9 and 120, as winter ins not a bit month for home melon consumption we all know how the food service sector struggling under the COVID restrictions. Next week Mexico will continue to ship as weather there has been conducive to robust production. Sizing should be stable. Quality will be wide ranging with ample amounts of good fruit. Guatemalan imports should increase first in FLA POEs the East Coast, Texas and CAS POEs. Sizes there are primarily 9 and 12. We look for a steady to lower market next week,

Honeydews

Once again are following a similar supply narrative though lagging off shore behind cantaloupes by a week or so. Mexico is still going and market is steady. Overall demand is slow leaving a prodigious supply of all sizes. Guatemala will be adding their suppliers to the pile next week keeping the prices steady to lower with discounts readily available

Organic Items

OG Broccoli & Cauliflower

Cauliflower and Broccoli   .Improving supplies have caught up with good demand and prices have begun to ease. Now that more of the product is being grown in the desert as opposed to being transferred Quality should show improvement. We anticipate markets to settle at more sustainable levels before December Holiday demand potentially pushes prices higher .

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 be strong especially hearts although demand has slowed this week prices remain elevated . Improved quality is expected to directly impact supplies from the warmer Southwest desert production areas.

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 with 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 is expected from Mexico while Red and Yellow Bells continue to be very limited awaiting start up in Mexico . We anticipate improved production in coming weeks.