Ready or not, 2010 ends, and 2011 starts this weekend! 2010 certainly brought its share of challenges, most of which were not good. Home foreclosures, construction down, companies going bankrupt, world problems.  Here’s to a BETTER year! On the other hand, if we think of the GOOD things in our lives, most of us are VERY fortunate and blessed.
Weather forecast for the next 10 days in the desert vegetable growing regions, show colder temperatures and an increased chance of freezing. We’ll keep a close eye on this, as this only spells out BAD. Freezing temperatures slows down growth, causes harvest delays, and, more than anything, quality issues. Again, we will keep you posted.
Trucks, while a bit scarce due to the Christmas and New Year holidays, are not causing too much trouble because business is slow.

LETTUCE–little demand and market on the floor. This could all turn around starting this weekend, as freezing temperatures are forecasted for the desert growing regions.

BROCCOLI–good supplies of bunch 14s, 18s, and crowns. Supplies are coming out of 5 different areas, ranging from Salinas to Phoenix. With that, the market is fairly wide ranged, too. For instance, there is as much as a $5.00/box SPREAD on broccoli crowns, depending upon the area and label.

CAULIFLOWER–if you need cauliflower, buy NOW. The market is at the bottom, and with cold temperatures coming in , it can only do ONE thing, and that is GO UP. We could see the market turn as early as this weekend.

LEAF ITEMS–good supplies of red, green, and romaine, and prices are reasonable. These are other items that will go up in price, depending upon how cold it gets. The reaction time may take a bit longer, with prices not reacting until next week at this time.

CELERY–the Oxnard growing regions really got blasted with rain this past week, with as much as 10-12 INCHES. Harvest trucks are having a real battle getting in and out of the fields, and there is a LOT of mud, especially with sleeve celery. There is just NO WAY to keep that out  of the bag, so you need to expect that. The market is fairly strong as a result of the slow go in the fields. More rain is expected off and on all week in the growing areas of Oxnard and Santa Maria.

STRAWBERRIES–Florida looks like they are about ready to get back to normal, weather-wise, although they are expecting another freeze tonight. After that, things look good. There is still fruit coming out of the West, although the fruit is actually Mexican, and loads in Yuma, Ariz. Quality is fairly good, but with the market around $25 FOB, growers are less discreet when it comes to putting quality fruit in the box.

Ed Brem
ed@producewest.com