After leveling off , Supplies are expected to improve heading toward the weekend. While briefly spiking , prices are expected to ease to more sustainable levels where improved demand should return. Temperatures continue to fluctuate with warming to near normal this weekend. Quality remains varied with a wide range of Color, Texture , Shape and sizing. Production from Las Cruces , NM continues their season providing an opportunity to get excellent quality at reduced transportation cost to the East Coast.

Romaine and Romaine Hearts Production remains strong with moderate demand . Pricing momentarily firmed, especially Romaine Hearts , although volume deals remain available mostly because of wide ranging quality. Color, texture , ribbiness along with fringe burn, mildew and russet spotting have been visible on arrivals. Romaine production from Las Cruces, NM is available for those looking to get excellent quality and lower their transportation costs.

Red leaf, green leaf and boston  Demand on Leaf has steadied with moderate supplies due to cooler temperatures and fair quality leading to lower yields and firmer pricing.

Seeder, seeder , seeder. It is that time of year when this issue shows up in Oxnard and Santa Maria. As you can tell by current prices, yields are extremely affected. Expect markets to remain at these levels and possibly higher through the month of May.

Production has mostly transitioned to the North Coast as the Original and Heirloom varieties have become dominant. Currently heavy to Large sizes before medium and smaller sizes peak later this month. Additional supplies of the Thornless variety remain at discounted pricing. Take advantage of these superior edible chokes while in season. Quality should improve weekly and pricing will continue to follow

The market has trended up slightly. Expect prices to remain at current levels for the remainder of the week. All pack styles are available for loading in Santa Maria and Salinas.

Looks like the cooler temperatures we have experienced over the last 3 weeks has caught up to the cauliflower crop. Supplies have tightened up over the last couple of days and the market seems to be firming up. Watch for prices to increase slightly as we finish out the week.

Good Demand continues with mostly strong pricing as production declines from Mexico. Limited production from Coastal California will boost overall supplies and keep pressure on pricing to remain affordable. Insect pressure in Mexico will dictate when their season comes to a close.

Mexico supplies have steadied although quality remains varied with thrip damage causing some discoloration issues on arrival. Border delays remain an intermittent issue and have been magnified with the extra travel day.

Volumes are expected to increase into next week as the Northern regions and the Santa Maria area will continue to increase numbers. Oxnard continues to slow down with production. Typically this is the time of year that we see labor begin to move North to Northern California. Organic strawberry numbers remain low, but will be increasing over the next few weeks.

We are experiencing declining numbers out of Central Mexico and the California regions will begin to uptrend rapidly. North Carolina Black berries will be underway by the end of the month.

Peak numbers are coming out of Central Mexico. Volumes will begin to decline in the ladder part of next week with the projected finish the last part of June.

The numbers out of Mexico remain strong, but begin to decrease week of the 23rd. The San Joaquin Valley has started production and we see good numbers late next week. Baja is producing good numbers and will hit peak volume the 1st week in June.

Yellow Peach and White Peach are readily available this week and shippers re looking to make deals. Yellow and white nectarines and apricots will remain extremely limited this week. The first fruit of the season tends to be on the smaller side. Sizing will increase slowly as we move through May. The weather forecast is cool for a couple of days and then warming up to summer time temps this weekend. Domestic plums will start in about 3 weeks out of the central valley of California.

The import season continues and supplies are plentiful on reds and greens. Generally, the import season begins to wind down this time of year, but transportation delays are keeping a steady inflow of offshore product well into late May. These volumes will likely continue into June and overlap the Mexican season. We will continue to see tiered markets as a result of a wide range of quality. Higher quality fruit will command higher pricing. Be sure to know what you are getting.

Limited supplies of navels this week. The season is wrapping up and the fruit is starting to see some quality issues. The season should be completely finished by the end of this month. Shippers are looking to clean up what they have left. The valencia season has started and supplies are slowly increasing. Supplies will continue through the summer into the month of September. Peak sizing is on 88 and 113 count fruit. Overall quality is good, though valencias tend to have a rougher exteriors than navels. We expect this market to remain strong for the next few weeks as navels finish up.

Production is now fully transitioned to district 2 in Oxnard area. District 2 tends to have wind related quality issues including scarring and lower yields per acre. Volumes are increasing and shippers are looking to promote fruit this season. sizing is peaking on 115 and 140 count fruit.

Moderate demand this week. Supplies are slowly increasing and crop is peaking on 230 and 250 count fruit. Availability on large limes will likely continue to be light, and most of the inventory will be on small sized fruit. Quality is improving overall with better color and fewer defects reported this week out of Mexico.

As offshore winds down and Mexico hits its stride, domestics have started in a small way and due to pick up volume over the course of next week. In the meantime demand has been nearly silent, on all fronts. Mexico is literally giving product away to areas where they will sell. Offshore seems to be lowering their prices to clean up their last burst of volume. Quality overall is adequate to very good. Sizes off shore continue to run large, Mexico is peaking on 9s and 12s. Domestic is starting out peaking on 12s but should rapidly transition to larger fruit after a few days. Prices next week on domestic will start elevated but decline as the week progresses and volume and sizes pick up.

The story on honeydews is following the same narrative as the cantaloupes. Demand has dried up. Offshore is struggling to clean up the last of their arrivals. Mexico is heavy and skewing to 5s and 6s and selling cheap or consigning. Quality is variable. Domestic is getting very few. Next week there will be a few more domestic dews, but volume will not start until the week of 5/23.

Texas has beautiful onions and so does California. Trucks are available and demand is good for right now. What could possibly go wrong? Weather in the Imperial Valley will heat up this week end and probably drive some problems into the Cal deal. So far the California shippers haven’t killed the Jumbo market and the prices remain the same as last week…$14-$15 with occasionally deals being made on multiple orders. Reds are nice and remain I the $18-$19 range.

Indiana has started and Michigan is going now too. That means there will be less demand for the Mexico and California asparagus deal. Look for ad ideas from the western growers to try to compete with the local Midwest deals in the near future.

Cauliflower and Broccoli   Northern California production is in full swing.  After a surge in production , supplies have steadied as well as prices.  Hot and Cold temperatures have resulted in mostly good quality.

Demand and Pricing continue to surge as supplies have been impacted by seeders.  Pricing will continue to be elevated, especially in Salinas where supplies are transferred from Oxnard until June.

Production has mostly transitioned to Northern California and quality remains varied with overall adequate supplies.

Carrot Production remains unstable especially Cellos with production areas transitioning and a major processor having issues with production lines. Continue to plan ahead to get full coverage.

Leaf, Iceberg & Romaine   Romaine and Romaine Heart supplies have improved although quality remains mostly fair with tip burn, russet spotting and rib discoloration expected to continue as temperatures oscillate. Near drought levels have resulted in early dry grass throughout the Valley which will create additional insect pressure on all leafy greens.  Green and Redleaf  . Overall supplies have improved although they remain varied throughout the Valley.  Quality continues to vary as well with sporadic issues with tip burn , russet spotting and insect pressure from all Northern California production areas .

Lemons, Oranges, Limes and Grapefruit  Strong demand throughout the entire Citrus category due to strong retail sales and revived foodservice activity. The Lemon crop continues with good supplies from the Southern California District as well as Mexico. Lime quality and supplies remain inconsistent and very limited.  Valencia  production has begun with limited volume but good sizing.  Grapefruit supplies should be improving from Mexico and the Central Valley through Mid May.

Stone Fruit    Production is expected to ramp up next week with supplies and quality anticipated to be strong

Melons     Production on Watermelons and mini’s has begun shipping from Nogales. Supplies started strong along with demand. Production is expected to also begin in the Southern California Desert next week . Cantaloupes and Honeydews will begin late next week with a short season window

Production from the Desert will begin at the end of the month with current production coming from Mexico