August is done, and September usually starts us thinking about Fall, but we are nearly 4 weeks from there, and there is PLENTY of home grown and local product around the country to keep business out West slow for many items. Broccoli, cauliflower, celery, leaf, cukes, tomatoes, peppers, berries, and many other items are available, and will be for another month, at least.

With Labor Day weekend coming up and schools starting, trucks are a bit scarce, as they want to enjoy the last extended weekend. Rates are fairly steady from the past few weeks.

Long range weather shows slightly warmer in the Salinas/Watsonville areas and still hot in the San Joaquin Valley.

LETTUCE–the shippers pushed this market last week, and prices were $20 and higher for a box of wrap 24s on the East coast. This has stalled out the demand, and the market is floundering. We don’t see a lot of business after Wednesday, so the market could come off. Quality is holding up nicely, even with our mini heat spell last week.

BROCCOLI–a bit stronger market here, especially on crowns. Demand hasn’t picked up much due to the availability of broccoli on the East coast. Even so, shippers are trying to push prices upward today. We don’t see rally lasting very long.

CAULIFLOWER–the few hot days we had in Salinas last week hurt the flower deal a bit, quality and supply-wise, and the shippers have pushed their prices to nearly double what they were last week at this time. But, again, we don’t see this market holding up. There just isn’t much demand around the country, and business will probably slow down by weeks end.

LEAF ITEMS–plenty of romaine, red leaf, and boston, while green leaf is a bit more scarce, and higher in price. In a nutshell, receivers just don’t care about leaf items, and that reflects in the overall market.

CELERY–a bit stronger market undertone on 24s, 30s, and 36s. No real reason, except that supplies are lighter right now due to a slight supply gap. Like most items mentioned, demand is only so so, and the push for higher prices from the shippers don’t seem to make much of a difference to most receivers around the country.

STRAWBERRIES–Driscoll continues to lead the way with price and overall quality. They are consistently $2-3.00/box higher than the general market. Their quality is also consistently better than the rest, however with the cool Summer we have had, there are some nice boxes of fruit out there from various shippers.

Ed Brem

ed@producewest.com

8/23/10

WARMER WEATHER

After one of the coolest summer months in history, the end of August is showing a warming trend in Monterey County.  The next few days are expected to reach into the 90s and some 100s inland.  This is a dramatic temperature change; for too long now, cool, misty days in and around the Salinas Valley have stunted plant development, resulting in strengthening markets and having adverse quality defects not normal for this time of year. Although the warmer temperatures are needed to develop product, there is a possibility of heat damage if the warm weather continues.

Long range weather shows hot temperatures into Wednesday and cooling off towards the end of the week.  Trucks remain steadily tight and rates continue to hold on to the high 6000s and low 7000.

LETTUCE — Market is proving to be quite active as we start off the week, it slowly creeped up last week partly because of the cold weather.  More 30 sizes are available as a result of the slow growth.  Expect light weights to continue into the weekend, but our recent warming trend should size up heads and bring on more product.  The market will most likely slip downward towards the end of the week but shippers will do all they can to keep prices as high as they can until they are loaded with product.

BROCCOLI — market remains flat and plenty of product out there. There have been quality issues affecting broccoli though we don’t know it but because of the fact that there is so much product coming out of the fields, packers are able to pick through product and avoid most of the problems. Expect the broccoli market to remain flat at least into next week, weather permitting.

CAULIFLOWER — plenty of product, come and get it. Warmer weather will bring on more product so expect the market to come off slightly towards the end of the week. Quality issues include brown spots and some mold and decay caused by mildew.  Product is mostly clean.

LEAF — Excellent quality all around, pricing has remained steady after an up trend last week.  Like the other items, our warmer weather will bring on more product.  Romaine has been the most active but we don’t expect prices to rise much more, in fact, we could see a closing in on the price gap between red green and romaine of the next few days , as there has been talk about light green leaf harvests. Shippers will try and hold prices high as long as they can so be sure to shop around.

CELERY — Volume is still consistently good and product is shaping up nicely.  Shippers have been trying to bend the market up toward the 10 – 12 dollar range, but the demand has just not been there to sustain any spike in price as people look to stone fruit and melons as an alternative. The recent heat may bring about seed stem issues over the next few weeks, but other than that, expect good quality and a variety of sizing into next week.

STRAWBERRIES– We are now nearing the top of the volume scale for this time period, and although slightly wet, the weather has been accommodating to the berries and coolers are packed full of them.  The market is quite varied depending, a 5 dollar spread in some cases, and quality is fine.  This heat will hopefully be short lived, and plants are large enough now that they are able to shade the berries from direct sunlight.  Warmer weather could still soften up the fruit and cause bruising, but plants seem to be healthy for now.

Ed Brem

www.producewest.com

After the first week in August, the Central Coast of California, as well as northern California, is looking at record breaking cold temperatures. What it amounts to is the normal overcast we get in the morning that usually burns off by noon, or so, continues to hang around, keeping the temperatures well below normal for this time of year. The area of California we are talking about is the Salinas/Watsonville regions where the strawberries, lettuce, leaf, broccoli, cauliflower, and other items are coming from. Berries, in particular, are suffering and we are seeing shortages and pro rates.

Long range weather in Salinas/Watsonville areas show continued below normal temperatures for the all of this week, then warming up for the weekend. The Fresno/Bakersfield areas show steady, hot temperatures, which are normal for the summer.

Trucks continue to be readily available for all areas of the country, and rates are “negotiable”.

LETTUCE–stronger market. After last week’s giveaway, cooler weather has slowed growth and production, and the shippers have bumped up their prices $4-5.00/box over last week. Quality is continuing to look good, overall, with nice color and condition. We’d like to see better weights, but they are down, due to the cooler temps.

BROCCOLI–still good deals out West, in spite of increased demand from receivers that had been taking Eastern broccoli. Bunch 14s, 18s, and crowns are all showing good condition, with nice, tight beads, and color. We could possibly see this market pick up by the end of this week.

CAULIFLOWER–good deals here, too. Plenty of 9s and 12s, prices are low, and quality is nice, overall. However, we could see this market improve by the end of this week, as well. The cold temperatures will slow down growth and production.

LEAF ITEMS–stronger on red, green, and boston, and REALLY strong on romaine. There has been quite a bit of supplies lost the past few weeks due to fringe burn on the romaine. Shippers have had to pass over fields or suffer yield loss because of this. As a result, the market is nearly double from the past few weeks.

CELERY–plenty of product, and prices are on the floor, for most shippers. Dole continues to demand $2-3.00/box more than the mostly market. With Michigan going, we don’t see this market doing much. Freight rates, although continuing to slide from their yearly highs, still make a box of celery to the East coast close to $20.00.

STRAWBERRIES–the record setting cold temperatures in Central California for August have REALLY slowed down growth and production. All of a sudden, Driscoll is pro rating 50%, and more, while other shippers take advantage of this “new found” business that Driscoll can’t cover, and are bumping up their prices. As mentioned, we are going through record setting cold temperatures for August, and it looks like it will be the same all week. So, expect higher prices and more pro rates. Condition will suffer, as well. Look for more white shoulders and green tips.

Ed Brem

ed@producewest.com

Even though the weather in the East is “cooling” off, the heat from the past few weeks is taking its toll on produce. Short term, lots of damage on just about all items. Long term, it will shorten the Eastern harvesting season on leaf, melon, broccoli, peppers, you name it. We could see some active markets on certain items out West as Fall approaches.

Long range weather in the California growing regions show below normal temperatures in Salinas/Watsonville the next week, while continued hot in the Fresno/Bakersfield areas, which is normal for this time of year.

Trucks are available, and their honeymoon is over. Rates are more flexible for just about all areas of the country.

LETTUCE–lots of lettuce available and prices down. Good supplies and quality in Salinas and/or Santa Maria areas. The market is $8-10 fob, and we don’t anticipate much change this entire week.

BROCCOLI–the East is showing damage for the past few week’s heat spell, and buyers are already starting to switch to Western broccoli. The shippers out here recognize that, and are already looking to raise their prices, which have been on the floor. We could see the market up $3-5.00 from today as this week moves along. Quality holding up nicely.

CAULIFLOWER–more interest, too, in Western cauliflower. The market is more wide ranged than broccoli, with prices from $7-12.00 fob, depending upon the shipper and area. Quality very nice out West.

LEAF ITEMS–definitely a stronger market on romaine, while red and green leaf are trying to get off the floor. Again, more interest in Western leaf, due to problems with local Eastern product. Romaine is already $3-5.00/box higher than last weekend even, and we could see the shippers push for more as this week goes.

CELERY–not much interest in celery, and prices are fairly weak. Dole and T&A seem to be holding a bit firmer, but even THEY are looking for business. Celery is ranged from $8-10.00 fob on all sizes, with some wiggle room. Hearts still active.

STRAWBERRIES–cooler, damp weather in Salinas and Watsonville is NOT helping supplies and quality. Market stronger and Driscoll is back to pro rating orders.  August usually is when we have to deal with quality issues because of the weather, and we also see shippers not interested in going “too far East” with their supplies. Some shippers will be selling with the tag, “we don’t want to hear about any problems” as we get into August and September. It will be important to know this, and move your straws, raz, and blackberries as QUICKLY as you can.

Ed Brem

ed@producewest.com

It’s inevitable that the “Dog Days” hit us during the summer, and we are there. Local vegetables and fruits are coming on like gangbusters in the Midwest, South, Southeast, and the East, and this means that business for many items slow to a crawl. Long range weather for the next 10 days show hot and humid conditions will continue in the Midwest and East. Local growing regions in Fresno, where the tree fruits, grapes, and melons are coming from, show typical hot weather in the low 100’s, while the berry and lettuce regions in Salinas and Watsonville are cool and mild, also typical for this time of year. Trucks, while available for the most part, are still holding strong with their yearly high rates. In talking to various truckers, there just isn’t much westbound freight, which means there aren’t a lot of trucks available to load produce to go east. Along with that, heavy demand for the summer fruits are also keeping rates firm.

LETTUCE–still a firm market, with wrap holding at $15-17.00 fob, which adds up to the mid $20’s delivered. We should see demand stall and the market come down, possibly this weekend. Retails are set too high, and fruit salads are more popular than lettuce salads right now, so we feel demand should slow down. Quality is holding up nicely.

BROCCOLI–there is PLENTY of broccoli, either bunch or crowns, and prices are down. Eastern supplies are popping, so demand for Western broccoli has slowed considerably. Supplies are coming out of Salinas and Santa Maria.

CAULIFLOWER–still a fairly wide range in price, although the trend is for downward. Again, demand has slowed due to local supplies and just a general disinterest in cauliflower this time of year. Fob ranging from $6.50-10.00.

LEAF ITEMS–even though demand is light, supplies are down, so many shippers are raising their prices of red, green, and romaine. This rise shouldn’t last too long, again attributed to local supplies throughout the country. All leaf ranging from $8-10.00 fob, which add up to the mid to high teens on the East coast.

CELERY–Dole still leading the way, commanding $4-5.00/box MORE than the general market. Demand only so so for all sizes of celery, but freight costs of $10/box or more, add up to $20+ delivered costs to the East.

STRAWBERRIES–still strong prices for 8/1# clams, especially with Driscoll. They were down 25% last week, and will be another 30% less this week. They are pro rating orders and have raised their prices $2.00/box in the past 2 weeks. You try to tell them that there is no demand, but they don’t CARE. They do what they want. Quality is still hanging in there. Ed Brem

ed@producewest.com

SUMMER FRUITS HEAT UP

As we head into the dead of summer, we are seeing more volume on tree fruits, as well as the start of the summer melon deal, with cantaloupes, honeydews, and assorted mix melons coming in. Grapes have also started. Also, Bartlett pears are just around the corner, looking to start next week.

Long range weather shows continued hot, muggy weather in the Midwest and East, 100 degree plus temperatures in the growing areas of Fresno and Bakersfield, and mild days in Salinas and Watsonville.

Trucks are still firm in price, due to the lack of back haul loads from East to West. That keeps truck supplies fairly tight, and rates firm at their yearly highs.

LETTUCE–very light supplies and the market continues to get stronger. Shippers aren’t bashful about pushing prices for wrap 24s to $18+, and higher, fob, which makes it $25 and up delivered to the Eastern destinations. Quality is mostly good, with good medium plus head size, and good weights.

BROCCOLI–steady market on bunch 14s and 18s, and strong market on crowns. However, there is a wide range throughout on all broccoli, depending upon the shipper and area. Santa Maria has a bit more flex in their markets than Salinas. Bunch 14s and 18s range $6.50-8.00, while crowns are ranging from $8.50 to $10.50.

CAULIFLOWER–a fairly wide range in price on 9s, 12s, and 16s. Supplies are fairly light, but weak demand is preventing shippers from pushing things too high. We are seeing a range of $9.00 to as high as $13.00 fob for 12 size, depending upon the area and shipper. Supplies coming out of Salinas or Santa Maria.

LEAF ITEMS–still pretty dead on red, green, and romaine. Typical for this time of year, as local gardens are starting to pop with their crops. Prices are at, or close to the bottom, on red and green–$6-7.00 fob, while romaine is $8-10.00. Freight rates make delivered prices to the East coast high, as you need to add $9-10.00/box for romaine, and $7-8.00/box for red and green.

CELERY–fairly steady prices on all sizes. 18s, 24s, 30s, 36s, and 48s are all in the $10-12.00 range fob, except for Dole, who is as much as $5.00/box HIGHER across the board. Doesn’t make sense, but, they are able to get it.

STRAWBERRIES–continued strong market, with Driscoll raising their prices, and pro rating available supplies. Most other shippers are firm in price because of Driscoll pro rates. They pick up additional business every time Driscoll cuts orders, so they lay in waiting. Prices are firm, and look to stay that way all this week, at least.

Ed Brem

ed@producewest.com

Now that the 4th of July is officially over, we start settling into full summer mode. With that, stores continue to pound away on tree fruits, melons, grapes, and other assorted fruits, along with various summer vegetables, such as lettuce, celery, carrots, and leaf items. As hot as it has been on the East coast, no one is even THINKING about cooking items.

Long range weather shows continued hot in the East, although scattered thunderstorms will be around. As far as the growing areas in California, continued mild temperatures in Salinas and Watsonville, and hot in the fruit regions of San Joaquin Valley and Bakersfield.

Trucks are still fairly tight, especially after the 4th of July, as trucks are a bit messed up due to their arrival schedules. Rates are still at their summer highs.

LETTUCE–supplies remain fairly light, and prices are high. Shippers aren’t afraid to push for more money, and edging towards $20 FOB, even with the high freight rates. Quality is mostly nice.

BROCCOLI–overall supplies fairly light, but so is demand. We see a steady market this week. Crown supplies continue sporadic, as some shippers are quoting as much as $3-4.00 more than others.

CAULIFLOWER–like broccoli, fairly light supplies, and prices are fairly wide ranged, with as much as a $5.00 spread, depending upon the shipper and area. Still $20 delivered prices to the East coast is fairly common. Not much change expected this week.

LEAF ITEMS–no change. Good deals on red, green, and romaine, and prices are at the bottom. Too much local product around.

CELERY–Oxnard is totally finished, and Salinas is the area to get celery needs. Most shippers have plenty of product, however Dole is pro rating, and priced $3-5.00/box more than the general market.

STRAWBERRIES–a roller coaster ride. Supplies are down right now, and priced firm. Driscoll is pro rating, as well. We see a strong undertone all this week, and next.

Ed Brem

ed@producewest.com

Although summer doesn’t officially start until next week, schools are out and vacations are starting. Because of our continuing slow economy, “staycations” will, once again, be the norm.  But, that also means shifting of produce needs from the typical cooking vegetables and lettuce salads, to fruit salads and picnic items. More ads and better demand on tree fruits, melons, and grapes, and less demand for lettuce, broccoli, cauliflower, celery, leaf, etc.

Long range weather forecasts show mild, sunny days in the Salinas area and 90s in the Fresno fruit regions, all typical for this time of year.

Trucks, which were EXTREMELY tight and high priced last week, are a bit easier to find today, and rates are a bit lower. Keep in mind that last week rates were hovering around $8000-8500 to the East coast, so even paying $7500 today, is still high. Fourth of July business kicks in next week, so demand should pick right back up.

LETTUCE–while demand is only fair, the market is still hanging around $15-16.00 FOB, which puts it $22-25.00 to the East coast, high for any decent retail. We feel this market is top heavy, and should start to come down this week. Quality is improving every day, with better size and weights.

BROCCOLI–flat market. As mentioned, folks get away from the “cooking” vegetables this time of year, and look for items like tree fruit, melons, and grapes to satisfy. Shippers out west basically plan on this, and don’t plant heavy during the summer months, hoping to keep the market from going too low. Still, there is quite a bit of broccoli around, and the market is flat at $6.00, or so, FOB, which puts it $11.50-12.50 delivered to the East.

CAULIFLOWER–like broccoli, demand is light and prices are fairly flat, although much more wide ranged than broccoli. FOB prices are ranging from $6.00 to $9.50, depending upon the label and shipper.

LEAF ITEMS–romaine still remains flat, as does red leaf. Green leaf, for some reason, is getting $4-5.00/box more than its counterpart, red leaf. More and more local deals are starting up throughout the Midwest and East, so we should see all of the leaf markets flat by this time next week.

CELERY–high freight rates are catching up with the FOB prices. In order to move celery, shippers are forced to drop their prices, to allow for a decent delivered price. The best deals are still on the larger size 18s and 24s, with as much as a $5.00/box SPREAD between those sizes and the 36s and 48s. However, delivered prices of celery are still in the mid-$20s, which makes retail pricing difficult.

STRAWBERRIES–even Driscoll looking for business. This deal has come to a complete stop, as the terminal markets are receiving load after load of “unpriced” fruit. And, we don’t expect things to improve for the next several weeks, at least. There is not only berries coming on in big numbers, but demand is falling off, as attention switches to tree fruit, melons, and grapes.

Ed Brem

ed@producewest.com

For several reasons, trucks have been tight the past few weeks, and look to be even TIGHTER in the coming weeks. A combination of tighter emission standards making it more expensive to run trucks, and the fact that the economy is still slow. We are also seeing increased demand for rigs to haul the tree fruit, grapes, and melons, which we see this time of year. Business from East to West is slow, and there just aren’t many trucks hauling various items, such as furniture, paper goods, dairy products, machine parts, you name it, and the business just isn’t there. Truckers are “dead heading” their rigs from as far East as the Midwest to California to pick up freight. This means that the truck is coming EMPTY to pick up high-priced produce loads. Also, truckers are coming empty from Oregon and Washington to California, due to the lack of freight in those areas, as well. Because of this, Florida, for instance is charging as much as $4500 to the Eastern seaboard for produce loads. It’s no wonder why quotes as high as $8000-8500 for loads to the East coast from California are becoming commonplace. Add that to FOB prices, and you’ve got expensive delivered prices, regardless of the FOB.

Long range weather show more warmer, seasonal temperatures for Western fruits and vegetables, FINALLY.  This will help bring on more product.  As mentioned, continuing higher freights as we get into the summer mode. We should see rates peak out by 4th of July.

LETTUCE–still tight supplies and prices strong at $14-16.00 FOB, loading in the Salinas and Santa Maria areas. Now that our weather is warming up, we should see better supplies coming on, and the market drop, possibly as early as this weekend.

BROCCOLI–fields still trying to get caught up, after the past several weeks of below normal temperatures. As mentioned with lettuce, we should see supplies start to increase, and prices come down. Right now, bunch 14s and 18s are strong at $11-13.00 FOB, and crowns $2.00/box, or so, higher. The crown market may stay strong, as it takes a bit longer for those fields to get back to normal.

CAULIFLOWER–with the high retail prices throughout the country, demand has dropped off considerably, and it shows in the market. 12s are priced in the $8-10.00 range, with 9s and 16s a dollar lower. We don’t see much change in the market this week.

LEAF ITEMS–still quite a spread in price between green leaf and red leaf, with green demanding nearly double the $7-8.00 FOB that red is, currently. Romaine is still fairly flat, at $6.00-7.00 FOB, but with the high freight rates, it still gets up to $14-16.00 delivered to the East coast. We see the leaf market remaining steady this week.

CELERY–the high freight rates appear to be finally catching up with the high celery market. If you are paying, say, $8000 for a load of celery to the East, and you only get about 680 boxes on a load, that is a freight cost of close to $12.00/box!! That is why the FOB market is softening up, even though the shippers don’t want to admit it. We see it coming.

STRAWBERRIES–now that Memorial Day is over, and our weather out West is finally warming up, we will start to see better berry supplies and the market start to soften. Also, more stores are looking to advertise seasonal fruits, such as peaches, plums, nectarines, melons, and grapes, which means less space on the shelves for berries.  Today and tomorrow there will still be decent action, but we see demand slowing by this weekend. Even Driscoll will be looking for business by this time next week.

Ed Brem

ed@producewest.com

www.producewest.com

The National Weather Service reports that northern California is experiencing the coldest average temperatures in May since 1880. While the growing areas for fruits and vegetables are more considered “central” California, we have had much the same. In fact, the whole state has had one of the coldest Mays on record. It has slowed the growth and production of just about all items, including strawberries, cherries, tree fruit, melons, and most of the vegetable items. While some items are waiting for the warmer temperatures to bring on product, other items will never get back what has been lost.

Trucks are extremely tight this week, as Memorial Day weekend approaches, and rates are easily into the $7000’s to the East coast. Not just because of the lack of trucks, but the lack of West bound freight is hurting the availability of rigs. Expect rates to continue their climb upward.

Long range weather continues this week with below normal temperatures and even threats of rain ALL this week. Not good.

LETTUCE–market starting to come down, as more stores are looking to push “fruit” salads, instead of “lettuce” salads. The cold temperatures have slowed growth and production, but demand has also slowed due to the aforementioned reason. But, due to the high freight costs, delivered prices of wrap 24s are easily over $20.00 on East coast markets.

BROCCOLI–still tight supplies of crowns and that market remains strong. We are looking at fob prices of $15-18.00, which puts delivered prices well over $20.00. Bunch 14s and 18s are more available and priced $2-3.00/box cheaper.

CAULIFLOWER–this is a true reflection of how the cold temperatures are affecting an item. The cauliflower market has been over $20 fob for the past 4 weeks, and looking to make it 5 weeks. As long as the temperatures stay in the 50’s and low 60’s, as it’s been, supplies just won’t come on. Expect this market to remain active all week, and priced high, although we could start to see a range in price as this week progresses.

LEAF ITEMS–again, the cold weather is holding back supplies, keeping the fob markets for romaine, boston, red, and green leaf in the $12-15.00 range, which means delivered prices on the high priced trucks $20 and higher on all leaf items.

CELERY–strong, active market on ALL sizes. With the high freight rates pushing the cost of a box of celery to $10.00/box to the East, it’s not hard to imagine the price of celery upwards of $25-30.00/box. We don’t see this market coming down any time soon.

STRAWBERRIES–now that Memorial Day business is basically done, except for West coast business, you’d think we’d see the market start to come down. In fact, it was over a month ago that shippers were talking about a FLOOD of supplies by mid-May. But, with the cold, sometimes wet weather, supplies are still way down. In fact, Driscoll is prorating 30-50%. One grower was telling me that their volume on Salinas/Watsonville fields will be down 1000 cartons per acre this spring because of the record breaking temperatures.

Ed Brem

ed@producewest.com

www.producewest.com

Now that spring is in full bloom we have been waiting for the warmer weather that is normal this time of year, however, it still feels like winter for most of the west coast.  National news claims this has been the warmest year on record, but so far we are below average in the Salinas and San Joaquin valleys.  Salinas has been hit very hard with rain and overall quality has suffered.  With more rain and cold weather forecasted this week, we expect more of the same issues we faced last week.

Truck rates are through the roof, averaging in the mid to upper 6 thousands.   Diesel fuel prices have been well into the mid 3 dollar range, giving truckers more ammunition to spike up rates.  Truck emission regulations that went into effect a few months ago are still weighing heavy on truckers, new engine parts can be faulty, resulting in more breakdowns than we are used to.  Our hope is that the bugs will eventually be worked out and things will be back to normal.

LETTUCE — cooler weather has hit the Salinas lettuce crop pretty hard.  Supplies are down and shippers don’t have ample supply just yet.  Russet spotting has been a prevalent issue, but crews are catching the problems in the field before they lead to bigger problems.  We are still seeing some damage from the heavy rains we received a few weeks ago, but issues are becoming fewer and quality is improving.  As the weather warms in the coming weeks, supply will improve.

BROCCOLI — We have been seeing this item tighten up over the past week and a half.  Usually broccoli is the one of the first plants to be affected by the cooler temperatures, resulting in slower growth and purpling. Although numbers are down, quality is good, and we have seen very few quality problems these past few weeks.  We have plenty of product broccoli in the field, but little to none in the coolers and we are still a week or two behind normal development stages for this time of year. Get your broccoli orders in early if possible.

CAULIFLOWER — same situation here as with broccoli, cooler weather has slowed growth, resulting in fewer numbers industry wide.  Quality was been good, no sun damage for obvious reasons.  We are in the middle of a planting gap for both broccoli and cauliflower and it will continue into next week.  After next week we will see and improvement in supply.

LEAF ITEMS — Plenty of red leaf and romaine, green leaf is a little tighter.  Most quality problems that had derived from the heavy rains have been cleaned up and we are back to normal product.

CELERY — The good news is there is little or no seeder problems to speak of.  The bad news is product is getting much tighter.  It will be evident later this week and we could see the market jump by a few dollars. Sizes are more balanced than they had been in the past few weeks but supply is drying up due to the planting gaps caused by the heavy rains a few weeks ago.

STRAWBERRIES — Still very tight, and shorter supply is expected towards the end of this week.  With rain in the forecast early this week, we could see a significant impact on the berry crop.  Currently there are few quality issues and the berries are on the larger size, but if we get rain this week, the game could change completely. Get your orders in asap.

ASPARAGUS — Product is tight because of the cooler weather.  Quality has been ok, very few issues.  They are leaning more towards the smaller sizes than before.  It will be a while before we can dig our way out of the current planting gaps, and if weather doesn’t improve, we could see the market shoot up the the high dollar range.

Ed Brem

Produce West Inc.

www.producewest.com

ed@producewest.com

Unusually cool weather in California has really slowed growth and harvesting of several items that are trying to come on. Head lettuce, green leaf, cauliflower, celery, strawberries, and various other items are just not coming, and the stronger markets are reflecting that.

Long range weather in Central California show continued cool weather, with a chance of rain today, but clear after that. Our rain should be just about totally done now until fall. That is under normal weather patterns. However, this year has been ANYTHING but normal.

Trucks have been a bit scarce these past 2 weeks, going in to Mother’s Day. With Memorial Day business scheduled to start pulling at the end of next week, expect things to get tighter and more expensive.

LETTUCE–even though May is the biggest volume month for lettuce of the year, supplies have been affected by the off and on rains and cool temperatures. Due to this, right now we are in a bit of a gap, and the market is VERY active, with prices getting near $18-20 fob. There are quite a few ads out there, so demand is solid.

BROCCOLI–good supplies and market for bunch 14s and 18s. Crowns, while still available and currently priced right, look to lighten up in supplies by the end of this week, with a bit of a gap going into next week. Prices should strengthen.

CAULIFLOWER–cooler temperatures continue to keep supplies light, and market very strong. We NEED warmer days to bring on supplies. The flower is out there, it just needs a PUSH

LEAF ITEMS–still plenty of romaine and red leaf, but green leaf still short, and nearly double the price of red leaf. Romaine is a good one to advertise.

CELERY–still a huge price gap between Dole, T&A, and the rest of the shippers, with as much as a $5-6.00/box spread in price. These 2 shippers need a reality check, but as long as their customers don’t mind paying their prices, they will continue to walk the walk. With freight rates continuing to go up, we are seeing a box of celery costing as much as $10.00/box for just freight to the East coast. It WILL get worse as the summer gets closer.

STRAWBERRIES–shippers keep talking about supplies picking up, but every week it remains short and orders get pro rated. This is all weather related. Scattered rain, and continued cool temperatures keep hurting supplies. Next week there appears to be a light at the end of the tunnel, with supplies expected to improve considerably.

Ed Brem

ed@producewest.com

After near-record rains in California for April, we are FINALLY getting our wonderful spring weather! Rain and cold temperatures have affected nearly all vegetable items coming out of Northern and Central California–strawberries, lettuce, leaf items, cauliflower, and celery. Even though we aren’t out of the woods yet, clear, mild weather is forecasted for the next 10 days, which will help bring on supplies and help improve overall quality. It may take a while, but, by this time next week, we should have better news to report.

Trucks are available, and rates are continuing their slow climb upwards, although with Mother’s Day business done, we won’t see much more of a bump in rates until Memorial Day period, which will be in about 3 weeks.

LETTUCE–a wide range in price and quality. We have moved just about 100% of supplies to the Salinas and Santa Maria areas, and will be here until November.  We have been fighting quality for the past few weeks, what with the rain and cold we’ve had. Expect quality to improve, now that our weather has.

BROCCOLI–good supplies of bunch 14s and 18s, as well as crowns. However, there are signs that crowns could tighten up starting next week. Some shippers report a gap in crown material starting as early as this weekend. We’ll see.

CAULIFLOWER–still tight supplies and crazy market. Shippers all quoting in the low to mid $20s for 12s and 9s. But, be aware. Now that retail prices are adjusting, and our weather starting to improve, we should see supplies pick up and prices drop. You DON’T want to get stuck with high priced cauliflower heading your way.

LEAF ITEMS–there seems to be plenty of romaine, but light supplies of red, green, and boston lettuces. Prices of the latter 3 items are $14-16.00 FOB and should hold there this week. We should see improved supplies and weaker markets by this time next week.

CELERY–very FIRM market on ALL sizes, especially on the 30s and 36s. With higher freight rates, celery is the main item that suffers. We are now seeing a box of celery costing $8.00-10.00/box JUST for freight to the far East coast. That puts delivered prices of celery in the range of $24-28.00. Hearts are also available, and are expensive, as well.

STRAWBERRIES–still a shortage out west for berries. Orders today showing HEAVY pro rates, especially from shippers like Driscoll. Today and tomorrow are the last days for any Mother’s Day business, and with our weather improving, we should see things ease up by the end of this week. There looks to be A LOT of berries coming on by next week.

Ed Brem

ed@producewest.

It’s hard to imagine that we are already looking to the first week in May, and Mother’s Day business! This is a big week for several items, but mainly STRAWBERRIES. And, unfortunately, more rain is forecasted this week, which will keep things messed up this week, to be sure.

Long range weather shows rain showers forecasted for tomorrow and Wednesday, followed by cooler temperatures for the end of the week. California can’t seem to get into a spring pattern.

Trucks continue to be tight for most areas of the country, and rates are going up to levels that we normally see for the Summer. NOT a good sign.

LETTUCE–plenty of product around, and prices are fairly wide ranged, with as much as a $4-5.00/box SPREAD on wrap 24s. Supplies are all but finished in Huron, so now we are concentrating on Salinas and Santa Maria. We will be here until October.

BROCCOLI–good supplies and attractive prices for bunch 14s and 18s, while crowns are a bit more scarce, and priced $2-3.00/box higher than bunch. Supplies mostly coming out of Salinas and Santa Maria areas, with a few shippers going in Oxnard.

CAULIFLOWER–supplies still VERY tight this week, and prices are easily in the low to mid $20’s FOB. With rain and cooler temperatures forecasted for this week, supplies will remain light, and prices strong.

LEAF ITEMS–not much change in prices on red, green, boston, and romaine. There are deals out there, depending upon the area and shipper, so shop around. Stay away from Huron. Anything coming out of there has bug issues. Salinas and Santa Maria are the areas to be.

CELERY–continued wide range in prices on all sizes, depending upon the shipper, with Dole leading the way. They are basically priced $2-4.00/box MORE than the mostly market.

STRAWBERRIES–Mother’s Day business is getting going, and supplies are TIGHT, with pro rates the norm, especially from Driscoll. With rain coming in, it will get WORSE. Hopefully, we will only get a few sprinkles, as these later storms usually don’t have the punch of the winter storms. Still, we will experience cooler temperatures that will keep supplies VERY tight ALL week.

Ed Brem

ed@producewest.com

We can’t seem to get into our Spring weather here in “sunny” California. Normally after the first of April, we basically shut off the faucet and won’t get any more measurable rain until October or November. This year has been goofy. We are forecasted for more rain Tuesday and Wednesday of this week, with with a possibility of more for  next week. This continues to mess up the the strawberries, most of all.
Long range weather shows rain scheduled in the Salinas and Oxnard areas for tomorrow and Wednesday, then clearing for the weekend. This also means cooler temperatures.
Trucks are more abundant early this week, after nearly impossible last weekend. Still, rates are continuing their slow climb upward as we get into later Spring.

LETTUCE–Huron is rapidly winding down, and Salinas is starting to pick up some numbers. There is also lettuce available in Santa Maria, and even the desert. With this kind of spread in regions, the market is also wide spread. In fact, there is as much as a $5.00/box SPREAD in the market on wrap 24s. The best lettuce is probably coming out of Salinas.

BROCCOLI–steady prices on bunch and crowns. The overall market is pretty good for the shippers, and they would be happy to keep prices where they are.

CAULIFLOWER–still VERY light supplies on all sizes, and  fob prices are still in the low $20’s. This is mainly due to the cooler temperatures and persistent threats of rain. Retails are now being adjusted at the receiving end, so we should see demand start to drop off towards the end of this week.

LEAF ITEMS–fairly wide range in  prices for red, green, and romaine. Supplies are coming out of the desert, Oxnard, Santa Maria, Huron, and Oxnard. It’s tough to find the best deals, but if you look hard enough, they are there.

CELERY–continued fair demand and steady prices. There are deals out there on the “non preferred” labels, so look around.

STRAWBERRIES–last weekend was a REAL mess. No supplies to speak of, and just about everyone was pro rating orders. ESPECIALLY Driscoll, with pro rates exceeding 75%. This early week isn’t much better, especially with rain coming in tomorrow and the next day. Most receivers are trying to front load product today.

Ed Brem
ed@producewest.com

LETTUCE–rain is falling in Huron, where most of the lettuce is coming from, and is slowing down harvesting. But, no rain is forecasted for the rest of the week, so things should settle back to normal fairly quickly. There ARE a few shippers still going in Yuma, but that deal should be totally finished by next week. The overall market is fairly wide ranged, with as much as a $5.00/box spread, depending upon the shipper, area, and quality.

BROCCOLI–supplies are coming from Salinas to Yuma, and all points in between. With that kind of geographic spread, we are seeing an equal spread in the market. Also, we are seeing more crowns, which is now priced more normal to the bunch/crown ratio.

CAULIFLOWER–still good supplies and low market for both 9s and 12s. Check around for deals in Salinas, Santa Maria, and the desert.

LEAF ITEMS–supplies still coming out of the desert, as well as Huron, Oxnard, and Santa Maria. Like other items listed above, there are deals, depending upon the area and shipper.

CELERY–rain has been falling in Oxnard today, but will clear out later tonight. Still, harvesting has been slowed today, and you should expect to see mud and wet product, especially in the sleeve. The overall market is hanging in pretty firm, with Dole and T&A demanding as much as $5.00/box between them and the mostly market.

STRAWBERRIES–rain has fallen today in Oxnard and Santa Maria, which actually is welcome. There is just TOO much product out here. Oxnard only as another 2-3 weeks for the most part, then we will switch to Santa Maria and Salinas/Watsonville. Marketwise, there continues to be deals out there.

ASPARAGUS–as we enter the first week in April, the desert usually shuts down. But, the weather hasn’t been too warm yet, so they continue to produce. That is fine, since the Stoction/Lodi has had unseasonably cold, wet weather, which has slowed that deal. Since Easter is behind us, there are some deals out there, especially in the desert.

Ed Brem
ed@producewest.com

This is the final week for the majority of product loading in the desert areas. While some shippers will continue to go on various items there for a few more weeks, the major items, such as lettuce, broccoli, cauliflower, leaf, and celery, will move northward. But, with this transitional time comes its share of issues. We will now have lettuce in the Huron, Salinas, Santa Maria, and what is left in the desert. The same goes for broccoli and cauliflower. Trucks, which are already starting to tighten up, will be looking for more money because of the extra miles coming to these new areas. With good action and movement last week on items such as strawberries, asparagus, broccoli crowns, and assorted other items, things have really slowed down, so its time to get to work and PROMOTE!!
Long range weather forecast show a few changes. We are forecasted for some rain this week in Salinas and the rest of central California. It looks like we get some precipitation in the berry country of Oxnard and Santa Maria. We haven’t had any rain for almost a month, so it may cause some problems, depending upon how much we get.
Trucks, as mentioned above, are looking for more money as we get into April. Also, now that we are moving out of the desert and going north,  truckers will be looking for more money there, as well. Also, keep in mind that as we move to Salinas, that adds an additional 7-8 hours to the hauling time.

LETTUCE–we are starting to see a wider range in price as we see more areas kick in. Overall,  the market is a bit stronger early week, and shippers could look for more. But, demand is only fair, so they may hit some resistance. Quality is another factor. As the desert finishes, that lettuce is looking tired. The new areas on Huron and Salinas are starting out with small to medium head size, hard, and some internal problems. VERY typical for transition time.

BROCCOLI–definitely more crowns showing up now. If you recall, the past 3 weeks there has been  a REAL challenge for crowns, with as much as a $5-7.00/box SPREAD. There continues to be an abnormal spread, but not nearly as bad, with only $2-4.00/box range between bunch and crowns. This will narrow even more as crown supplies continue to improve.

CAULIFLOWER–still some good deals on 12s. We anticipate that as our weather turns cooler this week, supplies will lighten, and the market will certainly go up. NOW is the time to jump on the deals.

LEAF ITEMS–supplies coming from around 6 different areas. Yuma, Coachella, Oxnard, Santa Maria, Salinas, and Huron. This is creating a wide range in price for red, green, boston, and romaine, with ALL trending lower.

CELERY–as the desert finishes, the shift for supplies goes almost exclusively to Oxnard. With that,  the overall market is stronger, especially with the “preferred” labels such as Dole, T&A, and Duda. Rain is forecasted in Oxnard later this week, which won’t help harvesting.

STRAWBERRIES–berries out west are still going for SONG. The “perfect storm” has happened, with Florida pumping out volume and California no where to go with their product. However, we are forecasted for rain in Oxnard later this week, which could cut supplies. Shipper will actually WELCOME that.

ASPARAGUS–we got through Easter demand without a scratch. Lots of ads, and supplies were there. Few, if any, pro rates. Nice to see that for a change. Currently, the market is strong, with West coast business still going out today and tomorrow.

Ed Brem
ed@producewest.com

Besides being a very special time of year for people of Christian faith, this time of year also brings to mind several things. Spring, Easter egg hunts, family picnics and barbecues, longer days in the sun, and BASEBALL. In produce, several things immediately pop up. Asparagus, strawberries, and transitional moves from the desert to Salinas. All in all, and GREAT time of year.
Long range weather in the desert shows highs creeping up to the 90s,  Oxnard shows continued nice Spring weather, with days in the 60s and no rain. Salinas also shows nice days in the 60s, with a chance of rain this time next week.
Trucks are a bit tight this week for Easter pulls, and rates are continuing to slowly climb. Higher diesel prices are also contributing to the higher rates.

LETTUCE–the market is fairly flat, as the desert starts to wind down. Usually when we finish one deal and start another, quality starts to suffer. We are starting to experience some “tired” lettuce in the desert, while the new area of Huron is starting out small and light weight.

BROCCOLI–still a shortage of crown material and prices are high. The desert only has another week or two, and Salinas and Santa Maria are looking to increase supplies. Still, we are looking at light supplies of crowns all of this week, and into next.

CAULIFLOWER–good supplies currently. High retails have been set, and demand has really dropped off. This means prices are falling and there are good deals around. But, you need to take advantage of those deals NOW, because by this time next week, the market will probably be stronger. Supplies are coming out of the desert and Salinas/Santa Maria areas.

LEAF ITEMS–markets for red, green, and romaine are on the floor, and should stay that way for another week, at least. The desert should go through the middle of April, and then we move to Huron, Salinas, and Santa Maria.

CELERY–weaker trend here. Easter is usually a higher demand time for celery, and, while there are a LOT of ads out there, the market is not doing anything special. In fact, other than Dole, prices are lower.

STRAWBERRIES–quality-wise, this is the BEST time of year for California berries. With Easter coming fairly early, there are good supplies coming out of Florida AND California. Unfortunately, Florida is so cheap for Easter, California has no chance of competing. Another 2-3 weeks and Florida will be basically done, and California will be the only game in town. Upcoming supplies look good.

ASPARAGUS–it doesn’t appear there will be any shortage of supplies for Easter. Its a combination of things. First, Easter is early this year, and the desert is in full swing. Secondly, with our economy the way it is, folks aren’t really banging the doors down for “nonessential” items, such as asparagus.

Ed Brem
ed@producewest.com

2010 is already going by too fast. This past weekend started daylight savings time, Spring starts this weekend, and Easter business kicks in as early as this weekend, too. Like Ferris Bueller said “life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop to look around, you might miss it’”.
The desert is still the main area for the majority of vegetable supplies, but we are now seeing more broccoli and cauliflower show up in Salinas and Santa Maria. Still, expect to load this week and next for your mixers.
Long range weather in the desert shows highs in the mid to high 80s, lows in the 50s. Oxnard shows high 60s to low 70s, while Salinas is going to be in the 60s, but nights close to freezing. NO RAIN forecasted.
Trucks are available, but they are starting to push for higher rates.

LETTUCE–we are starting to see a real range in price now for wrap and palletized. In fact, there is a much as a $5.00/box spread in price. This usually means the overall market is starting to come down, so we are going to anticipate that. Huron, if you can believe it, is actually going to start later this week. But, overall, we expect to load in the desert this week and next.

BROCCOLI–still a real shortage of crowns. The desert, for instance is quoting $5-6.00/box MORE for crowns than bunch 14s. Even with higher retails set, we don’t see much relief until next week, which will be in time for Easter business, so that will keep demand strong and the market firm, as well.

CAULIFLOWER–light supplies here, too. Salinas has started, but only in a light way, and quality is very erratic, so we are watching that. Prices are upwards of $20 fob, so that is close to $25.00 in the Eastern markets. High retails are set, so that should cool off demand and possibly ease the market.

LEAF ITEMS–slightly weaker undertone here. Easter is no big deal for romaine, red, and green, so we don’t anticipate a run on those items. Supplies will continue to come out of the desert for the next 3-4 weeks, then start moving north to Salinas and Santa Maria areas.

CELERY–continued STRONG demand for all sizes of celery. The desert is winding down, Easter is around the corner, and Oxnard will be the main player. Prices, which are already closing in on $20 fob, should remain strong, and could go higher.

ASPARAGUS–prices are already at Easter ad levels, so the deal is set for the next few weeks. We will continue to load the majority of supplies out of the desert, although the Stockton/Lodi deal is starting, and even Salinas is starting to come in with some numbers.

STRAWBERRIES–with no rain forecasted in Oxnard, and Florida pumping out volume, this will hopefully be a pressure free Easter. HUH? Whoever heard of a “pressure free” Easter? You have to figure something will come up. Rain or heat in Florida, heat in the desert, rain and cold in Oxnard. Something.

Ed Brem
ed@producewest.com

As we move through the month of February, there is PLENTY of product available. Lettuce, broccoli, cauliflower, romaine, leaf, and even celery are promotable for the next few weeks, at least. We are trying to push ads on any and all items mentioned, so GET SELLING!

Long range weather forecast in the desert growing regions show a chance of rain on Wednesday, but aside from that, things look good, with highs in the 70s, and lows in the mid to high 40s. We appear to be over any threat of freeze, which is GREAT news. As we have mentioned, this is the first year in the past 5 that we haven’t had to deal with the affects and after affects of freeze problems. It’s nice to have that break.

Trucks are readily available, and rates are steady.

LETTUCE–plenty of lettuce available, and prices are low. Quality, weights, and condition are all good, so this is certainly a good item to advertise.

BROCCOLI–just too much broccoli around. Along with supplies coming out of the desert and Santa Maria areas, now the San Joaquin Valley as started. This certainly helps with arranging trucks. Quality is good in all areas.

CAULIFLOWER–still a few deals left this early week, then the market should start to go up by the end of this week.

LEAF ITEMS–no change. Plenty of red, green, boston, and romaine, and prices are VERY flexible.

CELERY–good supplies on all sizes of celery, especially the larger size 18s and 24s. Celery is FINALLY promotable.

ASPARAGUS–good supplies now, and we are getting ads going, so don’t miss out on this “seasonal” item.

STRAWBERRIES–problems ALL OVER THE PLACE. Florida had rain and cold, Oxnard had upwards of 3 inches of rain over the weekend, and central Mexico received more than 15 inches of rain this past week! As a result, there are VERY few berries around. For instance, orders that had 20 pallets to a load, are getting 1-2 pallets. Not good.

As we enter February, the majority of the vegetable markets are at, or close to the floor. Yes, even celery is coming down after weeks of $30-40.00 prices. Sales across the country are slow, which seems the way the economy is going. The standard comment is “well, people have to eat”. That’s true, but shoppers are watching their pennies in the produce section, as well. Folks are really shopping for the best deals, even if it means buying frozen peas, spinach, carrots, and staying away from those nonessential items and sticking to more of the basics.

Long range weather in the desert growing regions show a chance of a few showers Tuesday and Wednesday, with highs in the 70s all week, and lows only in the mid to high 40s. We can almost say we are free of freezing problems. ALMOST. Another 2 weeks and we will be home free. This is the first year in perhaps 5 that we can recall being relatively free of frost peel and blister damage on lettuce and leaf.

Trucks are plentiful, but rates are holding steady. They may have bottomed out for the year.

LETTUCE–there are plenty of deals around. Some shippers had even rolled some loads of lettuce over the weekend to various terminal markets. Sales are slow, and demand is only fair. This is certainly a good item to advertise.

BROCCOLI–slow demand and markets are low. Plenty of supplies in Santa Maria, Oxnard and the desert, so take your pick. We are expecting some rain in Santa Maria all this week, which will slow them down, but there still should be plenty of supplies and we don’t expect much of a market change.

CAULIFLOWER–there are a few deals yet available early this week, but supplies are expected to lighten up later in the week. That means we could/should see the shippers look to push their prices as supplies lighten up. Most of the supplies are coming out of the desert, but Santa Maria is pumping out some, as well. With the rain coming in, that will also effect things in the desert.

LEAF ITEMS–plenty of red, green, boston, and romaine, with demand and prices sluggish.

CELERY–this market is FINALLY starting to come down. We expect prices to be half of what they were last week, and may drop even further. But, if you recall when the market dropped last month, it jumped right back up about a week or so later. We aren’t sure what will happen here, because the desert is now a factor with supplies.

ASPARAGUS–every week supplies pick up. We are seeing more and more 28/1# boxes being packed, which is a further sign of increased supplies. Asparagus is certainly an item we try to push this time of year, and into Easter. We’ll see how our sluggish economy effects asparagus sales this year. This is certainly a “nonessential” item, so it remains to be seen how well ads do across the country.

STRAWBERRIES–Florida is the major source right now, with some supplies coming out of Central Mexico, and crossing  in Yuma, Arizona or McAllen, Texas. This weekend will be the first shot of stem berries going out for Valentine’s Day, and we expect LIGHT supplies. On top of that, rain is forecasted in Oxnard all this week, so they won’t be any factor at all.

While it is now safe to say that we are finally out of our 3 year drought in California, we didn’t expect to get all of water needs at once! This week, for instance, the Sierra Nevada mountains are expected to get upwards of 10 FEET of snow. In Northern and Central California, we expect to get 4-6 inches of rain in the valleys, and possibly 20 inches in the mountains. Flooding, mudslides, and other problems are expected. Go to our Produce West web site(producewest.com) for links for more information.

With all of this weather for our buying purposes, we are mostly concerned with the weather in the growing regions of Coachella Valley, Oxnard, and Yuma. Oxnard, where celery, strawberries, and various other items are located, will get hammered and wipe out strawberries and make celery harvesting next to impossible. The desert areas show rain coming in, but it is more scattered than anything else. It doesn’t take much to knock out harvesting in the desert because the soil is so clay-like, and there is little absorption, so the water just sits there. But, the clouds keep temperatures from freezing, which is a good thing. We would rather deal with some wet product for a few days, rather than peel and blister for a few months.

LETTUCE–with rain forecasted in the desert growing regions this week, we could see a stronger market. To go with that, there are quite a few ads out there for lettuce, since it has been quite a while since prices were this reasonable for stores to advertise, so there is big volume going out this week. There could also be a problem with wet fields and product may show dirt and mud.

BROCCOLI–still plenty of bunch and crowns early this week, but things could tighten up by the weekend. This is mainly due to the rains in Salinas and Santa Maria areas, where a considerable amount of supplies are currently coming from. This will put more pressure on the desert areas for supplies.

CAULIFLOWER–plenty of supplies early week, tightening by Wednesday and into the weekend. Once the shippers get their coolers cleaned out by today and tomorrow, we expect them to start raising prices.

LEAF ITEMS–plenty of red, green, boston, and especially romaine, where there are a LOT of deals out there. We don’t expect to see these markets go up much this week, unless we get more rain that expected, which will slow harvesting and tighten up supplies.

CELERY–well, we are now back up to $30 and $40 fob. This was all BEFORE the rains. Oxnard is expecting 6 to 10 inches of rain this week, which will slow harvesting to a standstill. The only thing that will keep this market from hitting $50 is the expected high retails which “should” slow demand.

ASPARAGUS–most shippers still packing 11/1# boxes this week, although there should be some 28/1# containers beginning later this week, as volume starts to pick up. There is still Peruvian asparagus coming in, but that should start to wind down as the desert picks up their numbers.

STRAWBERRIES–the rain will wipe out any supplies that were coming out of Oxnard and Santa Maria areas. The desert is coming up with a few, along with Mexico, which are transferred across the borders to San Diego and Yuma, but most supplies will stay on the West coast.

With the addition of celery and asparagus, the desert now has a full compliment of items that will carry us well into March and April. This certainly helps with truck loading, with regards to pickups and freight rates. It is also important to note that when a truck finishes in the Yuma area, as opposed to finishing in Salinas, it puts the truck approximately 8 hours CLOSER to the East coast. So, that also helps deliver a day earlier to provide fresher product.

Long range weather in the desert growing regions show dry days, with highs in the mid 70’s, which is perfect. The nighttime temperatures, which we watch very closely, don’t show much in the way of freezing, except for a few isolated pockets in the Coachella Valley. Still, unless it gets below freezing for extended hours, we won’t see much in the way of blister and peel issues. But, by next week, there appears to be a MAJOR weather change headed to the desert, with heavy rains expected. We will monitor the forecasts all this week.

Trucks are available at seasonal rates.

LETTUCE–plenty of lettuce available at affordable prices. Now that retail prices have been lowered, we are starting to see better demand for iceberg, and that could prompt shippers to look to raise their prices later this week. Still, we don’t anticipate a major jump.

BROCCOLI–a fairly wide range in price on bunch and crowns, depending upon the area. Salinas and Santa Maria are where the cheaper prices are due to being out of the way and some quality issues. So, the desert is where you want to be for the best quality, even if you have to pay a dollar or two more.

CAULIFLOWER–a pretty wide range in price, with as much as a $4.00/box spread. There isn’t much demand, overall, so even the shippers that are asking for more money are “negotiating”. We could possibly see this market start to go up towards the end of the week.

LEAF ITEMS–as far as markets are concerned, we are basically back to normal on all leaf. Red, green, boston, and romaine are all priced right, and are good ad items to push. Romaine hearts are still active, due to the heavy demand for romaine in the salads. At the retail level, hearts are still a better deal than buying a head of romaine.

CELERY–pretty strong market here. After dropping like a rock when the market was coming off a $30 and $40 range, prices came down lower than they should have, and have now bounced back up. We continue to point this out in our bulletins, so it is worth noting. Currently, the market for the “preferred” labels are at $20 fob, with the other shippers $2-4.00/box cheaper. Celery hearts are still VERY active and are close to $30 fob.

ASPARAGUS–more shippers are starting up, but good volume is still a week or two off. Still, it is time to think about ads for asparagus, as we get into February promotions.

After 2+ months of crazy markets, things are settling down to more normal conditions. Head lettuce, romaine, green leaf, red leaf, and broccoli prices have come back down to more of a “reasonable” situation, compared to the record-breaking prices we saw. It’s tough to put out any kind of decent retail when these feeding frenzies are happening, not to mention trying to advertise.

Long range weather in the desert growing regions of Coachella Valley and Yuma for the next 10 days show no rain, highs in the low to mid 70s, and nights mostly in the low 40s to possibly freezing. Right now, it doesn’t appear that we will see much in the way of freezing, but that could change. An hour or two of freezing is usually okay when we are talking about freeze damage to crops. It is when we get 4 to 6 hours of freezing that problems occur.

After the past 2 weeks of holiday issues, trucks are now getting back to normal, along with the rates.

LETTUCE–good supplies of lettuce now, with size and weights more normal. After the past 2 months of crazy markets, it is time to think about advertising lettuce.

BROCCOLI–good supplies of bunch 14s, 18s, and even crowns. Again, this is a good item to advertise. Supplies are mostly coming out of the desert, but growers are still harvesting in Salinas, Santa Maria, and Oxnard.

CAULIFLOWER–strong market. This is more of a typical roller coaster ride that we see with cauliflower during the winter months, when cold weather stops growth, and warmer temps bring it on. Right now, supplies are light, and prices are up.

LEAF ITEMS–good deals on red leaf, green leaf, boston, and romaine. Again, these are good items to advertise. Cold weather can turn things around on a dime, however, so it is important to keep an eye on that. Interestingly, romaine hearts are still VERY active, with fob prices in the $20’s. This is mainly due to strong demand for salads, which have more romaine in the bags than anything else.

CELERY–this market is still trying to find itself, after the past month in the $30s and $40s. Right now, there is a fairly wide range in price, with a spread as much as $8 to $10/box. This is typical after coming off such a high market. There isn’t a whole lot of interest in celery out there, but there isn’t much in the way of supplies, either. The desert is starting in a light way, which should help.

STRAWBERRIES–with the freeze in Florida, we are getting calls for California strawberries. It is important to know that January and February we basically have very few berries in California. Sure, Oxnard and Baja come in with some numbers, but, basically it is enough to supply the West coast, and little else. Don’t expect this area to cover the East coast and the rest of the country, when freeze or rains hit Florida.

ASPARAGUS–not much yet out here, but its coming. Small volume is coming out of Mexico, but mainly it is Peruvian supplies we are loading.

Believe it or not, this week will start the first shipments going to the East coast for Christmas business. They actually won’t start until the end of this week, but nevertheless, Christmas is here! Even though some of the markets are starting to finally hit the wall, like romaine, we see light supplies, strong demand, and active markets for the rest of this year on just about all commodities.
Long range weather in the desert regions, where the majority of the vegetables are coming from, show slight chances of rain, and days in the mid-60s to low 70s. The potential problem would be the nights. We see lows in the mid to high 30’s. This could mean that we may be dealing with ice and freezing, which can cause harvest delays, epidermal peeling and blister. It’s too early to tell, but historically, December and January are the months when we have this to deal with.
Trucks are plentiful, and rates are down. This weekend and next week will be the bulk of the Christmas push, so they may get a bit more scarce and higher priced.

LETTUCE–this market is hanging in there. FOB prices have been hovering around $30 for wrap 24s, and haven’t backed off. Retails are set high for small, light weight lettuce, and that usually means demand starts to fall off. But, again, supplies are so light, and the growers are so far AHEAD in their fields, that they can keep the market active. As mentioned, sizes are small, weights are light. On top of this, salad demand continues to be strong.

BROCCOLI–steady. Bunch 14s, 18s, and crowns continue firm and active. The best deals are still in Salinas and San Joaquin Valley.

CAULIFLOWER–this is the best bargain around. 12s and 9s are available out of the desert at good pricing and nice quality. However, take advantage now, because we could see supplies fall off dramatically as early as this weekend, and prices go up.

LEAF ITEMS–romaine has dropped nearly in half the past week, green continues to slide, while red and boston are hanging in tough. Romaine is showing as much as a $15.00/box SPREAD in price, depending upon the area and shipper. When prices get up this high, and start to come down, that is what usually happens. The market also goes lower than it should, then firms back up. That is what we are starting to see now.

CELERY–rain in Oxnard today has halted harvesting, and Oxnard is where the majority of celery is coming from. Rain is also forecasted off and on all this week, which will keep things unsettled and the market firm. Also, expect wet product, and mud in the celery and the sleeve bags, so be aware of that.

STRAWBERRIES–this rain is finishing off the Salinas/Watsonville deals, and with rain in Oxnard, there isn’t much in California for berry supplies.