Supplies continue mostly steady as demand oscillates throughout the week. Quality is mostly good although many fields have irregular sizing, tipburn or bottom rot with most being trimmed during packing. Demand softened early in the week as a result of weaker foodservice sales leading to lower overall pricing. Acreage reduction is still expected to keep pricing volatile throughout the Summer.
Leaf Lettuce
Romaine An interesting trend has demand for carton Romaine stronger while hearts have eased slightly. Varied quality and tiered pricing remain on both . Reduced plantings has led to firmer pricing even with moderate demand. Overall production has varied among shippers and has led to some preferred pricing deals . Quality has improved with some fringe burn still evident.
Green leaf , red leaf and boston plantings are also reduced as demand and pricing has been moderate. Regional production has begun in the Northeast which has countered any reduction in acres on the West coast.
Celery
Supplies of celery continue to improve and demand has seemed to weaken. High freight rates along with areas like Michigan starting harvest has flattened the demand curve out of California. Quality reports in the Santa Maria and Salinas growing districts show overall good quality with very occasional signs of heat damage in the form of pith and some light color stalks.
Artichokes
Production of the Heirloom /Original Green Globe has finished for the Spring season. Supplies of the thorn less varieties have begun to increase with mostly a large sizing profile and highly competitive pricing.
Cauliflower
Product is readily available and shippers are looking to get some product moving. Prices will remain at these floor levels into next week. Now is a great time to promote. Give us a call and let’s set up some promotional pricing for the next two weeks.
Broccoli
Good supplies available this week out of both Santa Maria and Salinas as crops have turned the corner.For the most part we are finding good green color and tight domes with small beads. Mexican supply is somewhat limited for the next month with the available product having 50-75% hollow stem present. Maine season is expected to start in the next 7-10 days.
Brussels Sprouts
Mexico production is finished and Coastal California supplies have improved with a mix of quality and sizing. Production is expected to increase in coming weeks with reduced pricing expected.
Green Onions
Mexico growers have begun their reduced Summer acres which offset increasingly hot temperatures in Mexico and local Eastern production this time of year. We expect the market to remain firmer on light supplies.
Strawberries
Demand is very strong and most shippers are extremely limited on supplies. California volumes are trending downward. Cooler weather in the growing areas and labor shortages are contributing to a severe production gap that may continue through August. Santa Maria, California, is forecast for mostly sunny skies with highs in the 70s and lows in the 50s. Salinas/Watsonville is forecast for areas of low clouds, then sunny skies with highs in the upper-60s to the lower-70s, and lows in the 50s. Santa Maria, California, fruit has occasional bruising, soft shoulders, dark fruit, overripe, heat and wind damage, scarring and misshapen. Average counts are 22 to 24.
Raspberries
Mexico raspberry availability is increasing but demand is rising to meet supply. California has started, but smaller volumes than Mexico.
Blueberries
New Jersey rain this week is keeping supplies snug in the Northeast; look to the West Coast. Michigan is starting slow but will ramp up when all this rains stops. British Columbia volume is starting to ramp up; look to next week for good availability. Oregon volume is starting but demand is starting to ramp up to meet supplies; some smaller availability.
Blackberries
Hot weather will end the California Valley season this week!!! Oregon is late so expect a tight market.
Stone Fruit
Good volume on large sized peaches and nectarines this week. Small sizes have been much tighter in supply. Quality is very strong and there are very few issues to report. Shippers are looking to move volume on large sized fruit. Apricots are very tight this week as many California central valley orchards finish for the season. We expect supply gaps to last at least through next week. Red and black plums are readily available with good volume on most sizes. Quality is very nice.
Grapes
California red and green grape production is improving this week. Initially, high heat had slowed production and created supply gaps in California. Product is now producing better numbers, with flame and sugar one varieties being the majority of the volume. We expect inventories to begin to build through the remainder of the summer and we should have good supplies through the rest of next month. Quality has been very nice and sugar content has been adequate.
Citrus
Oranges – Strong markets continue this week on valencias. USDA Farm to Family Food Program orders remain strong, keeping supplies moving. Navels are finished for the season, although some storage fruit is still available. Chilean navels have started, but volume light and shipments have been delayed.
Lemons – Better demand this week and markets have strengthened significantly. Quality remains strong with very few problems to report. Offshore product is arriving daily on the west coast which is helping ease demand. Mexican lemons are beginning to cross the border, so there is good indication this this overall market is near i peak.
Limes – Lighter supplies this week as Mexico growing regions finish up and weather begins to take its toll on quality. Lighter volumes on large fruit this week, and we expect lighter volumes to continue for the next few weeks through transition and markets could react upwards as a result.
Cantaloupe
It was yet another week of less than expected production. The desert is dribs and drabs and is trading at the same price levels as the west side, which keeps getting started and running into mini-gaps as fields keep maturing an inconsistent rates and timetables. Demand has been improving a bit as it is the time for summer retail promotions. Flood service demand has started to improve a bit as parts of the country are incrementally opening up as the pandemic unfolds. Yet that opening process is stop-start as well as the virus seems to spread in busts after life begins to open and much need to shut down again. Thus the market, held firm this week, defying expectations. Next week all those delayed fields should start to produce and supplies should increase. Quality remains good and sizing is skewing large and are expected to next week as well. Demand should be slightly improved as more retailers should be pushing July promotion. We look for a moderately lower market next week with good movement.
Honeydew
Honeydews have seem to be put on ignore by buyers for the past couple of months. Supplies are steady to slightly increased. West side has gotten going. Desert down to dribs and drabs and Mexico is out of the way. Demand has been stubbornly lackluster and does not look to be changing soon. Quality is good. Brix are good. Sizes skewing toward 5s then 6s. We look for a steady market next week , with discounting available.
Mix Melons
Desert is nearly done. West side has few producers and they are still in light supplies as they wait for brix to come up on their various varieties. Demand has been steady and adequate and looks to remain so. We look for a steady market next week on 5s and 6s with some off sizing dealing and spot discounts here and there.
Dry Onions
New Mexico Onions seem to have the guns this year as far as quality is concerned. The repeat business has been ,well, repeating. The customers that have been using certain shippers have had great success with pricing and good quality. California is all in the central valley, that is Bakersfield and north to Stockton. The weather has been hot and there have been some arrival problems. Most of those problems were with the early varieties, but as the intermediates have started onions the problems have started to subside. Pricing is holding up in the high single digit figures with hand harvested shippers being $9-10 and mechanical harvested in the $7-9 range.
Asaparagus
Since Peru started and the highlands of central Mexico have started the “Grass” market has really suffered…mostly because the food service industry has not really started enough to have it on their menus. Grocery chains have not established Asparagus as a summer item yet, because of all the tree fruit and melon promotions. The price point of 11/1’s right now is in the mid teens with people trying to promote for later in the month or August.
Honeydews
Organic Items
OG Broccoli & Cauliflower
Cauliflower and Broccoli The market has started to settle as quality has shown signs of improvement,with some advancement in supplies. Prices have steadily declined from their peak and appear to be hitting bottom. Supplies are expected to remain steady for the Summer.
OG Herbs & Bunch Greens
Availability and pricing appear to be mostly steady with Local Homegrown production adding to overall supplies.
OG Root Vegetables
Carrot Production has been steady and Demand continues to spike as carrots offer a great grab and go option as well as being a staple commodity in the USDA Farm to Family Food Program. Continue to plan even further ahead to get partial coverage.
Potato and Onions Demand has shown signs of improvement for new crop production mostly coming from retail and the USDA Food Box Program. Foodservice demand initially improved which has led to firming prices although recent reversal to resume restaurant closures or restrictions could negatively impact demand . High temperatures in the desert Southwest have impacted quality.
OG Leaf and Iceberg Lettuce
Leaf, Iceberg & Romaine Demand for Romaine Hearts remain strong with reduced supplies due to increased insect pressure . Green , Red and Romaine show signs of improving quality as temperatures warm . Quality should see weekly improvements as local Homegrown production is advancing in the East.
OG Citrus
Lemons, Oranges, Limes and Grapefruit Production is slowing on CA lemon crop as the season is winding down prematurely and pricing continues to rise. Quality is fading with mostly Choice available. Mexico has slowly been adding to overall supplies but expect shortages for the balance of July. All retail sizes are in high demand. Many shippers have shifted production towards bags on All Citrus. Lime quality remains inconsistent but all other Citrus quality has been strong. Valencias sizing profile remains strong
OG Avocado
Mexico: Production remains steady with good demand .
California: California harvest continues to be steady as well with good demand and excellent quality with slightly higher oil content.
OG Grapes
California: Central Valley production areas are ramping up. Green varieties are slightly behind which has led to continued higher pricing than Red varieties. We expect excellent flavor, quality and size to last through the Summer with promotional volume available. Mexican product with similar quality but smaller sizing profile remains available at reduced pricing.
OG Melons
California: Cantaloupes and Honeydews have improved availability although high temperatures continue to challenge growers. Watermelons also continue to be hampered by high temperatures especially the mini Watermelon varieties. Demand remains strong for both.
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