Lettuce
Moderate production from Central Coast and Santa Maria has kept the market steady. Continued quality issues from mildew, insect pressure and now tip burn have reduced availability and the market has begun to inch higher. Some shippers continue to discount palletized lettuce due to trimming off troubled outer leaves.

Mix Leaf
Leaf continues to be very short supplied. Romaine volume has been better withsome shippers offering volume deals but wide ranging quality continues to affect the market. Insect pressure and mildew have been the main issues. The market will continue to see an imbalance for another couple weeks.

Celery
Supplies are tightening up as weather cools and Oxnard volume decreases. Shippers are getting premium pricing on small sizes, with larger sizing more readily available. The Mexico growing season is finishing up and all the pressure will be put on west coast product. Water shortages will also start affecting acreage. Celery requires a large amount of water so farmers will be focusing on less thirsty alternatives. Expect this market to get stronger and remain high indefinitely.

Broccoli
Active market on west coast product. Supplies have tightened up on bunch and crowns on the west coast which has increased demand for Mexican product. As Mexican volume lightens up for the next few weeks we will see some gaps in production as more pressure is put on the west coast growing regions. Overall quality has been strong.

Cauliflower
Very active market over the past 2 weeks. The current gaps in production due to transition have been widened as a result of cooler weather. Many shippers are sold out for the remainder of the week. Quality has been nice overall, good white color and strong appearance. Volume is expected to remain tight into next week.

Brussels Sprout
Light Production continues mainly from Mexico. The market continues to be active. Overall quality continues to be poor with various sizing and insect pressure affecting production. New Crop production from Santa Cruz and Salinas is expected late next month.

Artichokes
Light production of the seeded Globe varieties have strengthened the overall market. Heirloom / Green Globes have peaked for the spring season. The market will continue to be strong till Mid May when the seeded Globe varieties will begin to produce mostly large sizes.

Strawberries
Very tight market currently. Oxnard is finishing up and all of the focus is in Salinas and Santa Maria fruit. Forecasts show lighter volume than previous years. Sting of cold days with very little sun, will make things a little dicey heading into the Mother’s Day pull. The Salinas / Watsonville Area has a forecast for rain this Saturday as well. The fruit will be 60% to 70% color with white shoulders being the norm. Prices should range in the $12 to $14.00 range.

Grapes
Stronger market on greens than last week. Quality has been marginal at best. We should see higher prices over all into the Coachella season. Red Quality is good and should continue to be nice as the Chilean season finishes up. Mexico and Coachella are still planning on starting full production the first week of May.

Citrus
Navel market is getting stronger as supplies tighten up. Quality has been good, although Valencia’s will be in better shape as navels finish for the season. Expect this market to remain active as we head into May. The lemon market is very active, a result of transitioning growing districts and a very wide range in quality. This market will remain active for the next few weeks as northern growing regions struggle to catch up. Beware cheap deals, which usually indicate poor quality. The lime market remains very active, not much fruit available. There are more small sized limes available, larger are harder to come by so expect higher prices on the large fruit. Low supplies are expected into May, which will keep this market strong for weeks to come.

Mangos
Mango volume is increasing coming into the Cinco De Mayo Holiday. The quality so far this season has been good on Mexican fruit with some issues in the offshore fruit. Look for promotions on 10/12 Tommies and 18/20 Ataulfos. There will also be deals on large size Tommies 6,7,8,9 and ataulfos 14/16. Market will ease slightly after the Holiday.