Supplies have levelled off with fair quality affecting overall volume available. Demand remains steady although many shippers have begun to escalate pricing which will likely slow demand. Temperatures continue to bounce up and down but overall near normal. 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 mostly steady with modest demand . Quality and overall cool temperatures have kept volume in check . Pricing on cartons remain mostly steady while some shippers firm Romaine Hearts prices others continue to offer volume deals.  Quality has receded with wide ranging Color, Texture , Ribbiness along with fringe burn, mildew and russet spotting 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, Greenleaf 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

Plenty of availability out of Santa Maria and Salinas. Quality looks very good with a nice green color and tight domes. Get with your Produce West sales representative for the opportunity buys.

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.

Supplies out of California should be readily available after the Mother’s Day pull. Santa Maria is producing good numbers and Salinas/Watsonville will continue to increase volume. Oxnard will continue to wind up its season this month and the Baja region may finish its season in the next week or two due to quality concerns. Santa Maria, California is forecast on Wednesday to be mostly sunny, with Thursday and Friday breezy in the afternoon, Saturday will have strong winds, and Sunday will be windy with plenty of sunshine. Highs are expected in the 70s, decreasing to the 60s for the weekend, and lows in the 40s. Oxnard, California is forecast on Wednesday and Thursday to have areas of low clouds and then sun, Friday partly sunny, and then sunny and windy for the weekend.

As border issues wane, we are starting to see more Mexican berries crossing again into Texas. While we are past peak on Mexican blackberries, the market is back to a more normal structure with normalized production for this time of year.

We are beginning to see an uptick in production as we transition to new regions; overall, raspberries will continue to be in light supply for a few more weeks.

Florida blueberries continue to produce with good availability and volume. Mexico is increasing production and California will start picking (Coastal area) within the next week+ with the Central Valley of California (larger growing area) starting within two weeks. Southern Georgia is increasing in production, while Northern Georgia was more heavily affected by the freeze in March. Expectations through May are that we will have plenty of blueberries to promote!

Better supplies of yellow peaches this week. White peaches will be steady supplies this week. Yellow nectarines are still extremely limited, as are apricots. Overall volume will remain light this week. White Nectarines have started in California. The first of the season stone fruit is generally smaller and sizing will gradually increase as we move through May. The weather forecast continues to be good in growing areas. Offshore plums are finished for the season .

Good volumes on most grape varieties this week. Offshore supplie remain strong, as port delays will pushed supplies well into the month of May. Mexico production reports are good, with heavy volumes expected out of Mexican growing regions. Aggressive pricing is expected for early summer and shippers will be looking to move product. Quality has been good overall on reds, green and black grapes. Expect quality to slowly decline as fruit ages in storage. Two tiered markets will likely continue for the near future.

The California navel season is coming to a close over the next two weeks and supplies are limited. Some growers may be able to extend the season for the duration of may , but product will be extremely limited. Quality remains solid with good brix, although some reports of greenish color on late navels. Valencia oranges have started in the central valley. This season will last through September. Quality reports are excellent with good color and brix. Peak sizing on 88 and 113 count fruit.

District 1 production areas are finishing up this week. District 2 will be the main growing area in the coming weeks. Peak sizing is expected to be 95 115 count fruit. Most of the pack-outs will be fancy grade. District 2 quality will be mixed throughout the seasons as a result of the coastal region and more wind scarring. Good volumes expected for the coming weeks. More deals being made on small fruit, and large will be on the tighter side.

Moderate demand on limes this week. Supplies remain tight and markets are expected to stay strong. Sizing is peaking on 200-230 count fruit. Similar market conditions are expected through the month of May. Quality issues include blanching, scarring and light color, all of which are minimal for now.

The offshore supplies are rapidly dwindling and will be down to a dribble by the end of next week. Nogales is still going. Spot market demand has been slow and prices have been flexing. Domestic product is getting ready to start in the desert areas with some scrapping possibly by the end of this week but more likely next week. Moderate volume should kick in around the week of 5/16 but most supplies at that point will be pre-sold either by contract or retail promotions. Real volume and spot market availability is not expected to be robust until the last week in May or the first week in June. Mexico is still going, but as stated many times before are generally not favored by retailers or wholesalers especially the further East you are shipping. Adds up to a ragged inconsistent transition this spring. Quality has been generally okay on both offshore and Mexican product. Sizes running large off shore and smaller in Mexico. Domestic will start out skewing to 12s and regular 9s then pick up to run larger.

All supplies are still from offshore and Mexico. Looks like domestic will not start until June, but for a few early fields. Sizes off shore have run large and quality variable with deep discounting on lesser product. Mexico sizes have run to regular 5, 6 count and some 8s with nothing larger. Quality there is been okay. Demand has been very slow leading to lower prices in both areas.

California is going strong and the quality has been very good so far…However Mother Nature has a way of making it interesting. In this season it’s been a little chilly and some fields aren’t ready to harvest…a little damp, as described by one grower. The Imperial Valley needs some 100-degree days to get this

moving. Reds are finally available and the prices are between $18-20. Yellows are holding steady at the $15 mark going east and will probably end up in the $14 range. A few growers are going in New Mexico and will be reported on

in the next publication.

Indiana has started and Michigan is right behind them…Washington has also started to ship. Mexico will continue out of the BAJA and will have lighter supplies as May goes on. Markets are in the $60’s for 28/1 and low to mid $30’s on 11/1’s

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 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 through May.

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 red leaf  . 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.

Navel production has mostly transitioned to Valencia’s which have been slow to ramp up.

Grapefruit supplies should be improving from Mexico and the Central Valley through Mid May.

Stone Fruit   Production is expected to ramp up beginning next week . With Supplies and Quality anticipated to be good early on.

Melons   Production on Watermelons has begun from Mexico , Shipping out of Nogales.

Watermelons , Cantaloupes and  Honeydews will transition to the Southern California desert in coming weeks with quality and volume expected to be strong.

Supplies remain sufficient as most shippers settle into one growing district. Demand is good for aggressively priced lettuce. Production is expected to be impacted with possible rain in the forecast for the balance of the week.  Quality remains varied although the range has narrowed.

Romaine and Romaine Hearts Production has slowly ramped up in Northern California. Supply of Romaine Hearts has also increased with steady demand as prices recede. Quality is improving with better color and texture

Red leaf, Greenleaf and Boston  Demand on Leaf has steadied as well as supplies.

Prices have firmed as supplies have lightened up. This is the time of year when both the Oxnard and Santa Maria districts start to have issues with seeder. The longer days and warmer temperatures tend to bring on seeder. Because of this yields will be lighter out of these districts over the next month or so. We could see pricing trend upwards going into next week.

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 next 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

Good supplies available out of Santa Maria and Salinas. Quality looks very good with a nice green color and tight domes. Get with your Produce West sales representative for the opportunity buys.

Prices have come off slightly over the last few days. Good availability out of both Santa Maria and Salinas. Overall quality has been nice. We are seeing nice green jackets with clean white domes.

Good Demand has led to firmer pricing as well as declining production in Mexico. Limited production from Coastal California will begin later next month but overall supplies will decrease moving forward depending on quality from Mexico.

Mexico supplies have returned to full production as prices stabilize. Quality remains varied with an increasing amount of issues on arrival. Border delays remain an intermittent issue and have been magnified with the extra travel day.

Oxnard will reach peak levels next week as warmer temperatures are on the horizon, which will promote good plant development. While Oxnard numbers are good, Central Mexico will begin to decrease as more acres get removed. Organic strawberries out of California will begin to slowly ramp up in the Watsonville and Salinas areas.

Supply is increasing when compared to the previous weeks, and looking forward. supplies will reach the highest level in early May.

Volume will continue up-trending for the next six weeks towards the spring peak. Currently Mexico is producing the majority of the conventional volume, followed by Oxnard and the Watsonville area.

Central Mexico is producing large numbers, but those are expected to naturally decrease from this point on. Baja production will slightly increase over the next few weeks.

Light numbers of yellow peaches, white peaches, yellow nectarines and apricots are currently being harvested in California. White Nectarines are forecasted to start 5/7 and plums are forecasted to start at the end of May. The first of the season fruit is historically smaller sizing. Sizing will increase slowly as we progress into May. Despite rain this showers week, good weather is expected next week and better volumes are expected over the next 10 days. Mexican yellow peaches will start this weekend. Early harvests will be light and increase as the season progresses. Import stone fruit is mostly finished, with some storage fruit still available. Offshore red and black plums are still arriving every few days.

There is a wide range of quality being reported industry wide. East coast port congestion is resulting in fruit being stored longer and more age related quality issues. Be wary of cheap deals as shippers are attempting to clean up old inventories. Mexican volumes are expected to be heavy and the seasons will likely overlap. We will continue to see a wide range of quality on reds, greens and blacks over the next month as shippers clean up on offshore fruit.

The California navel season is nearing the end and valencia volume is slowly increasing. The navel season is finishing up quicker than expected, resulting in sharp pricing increases on most sizes. Demand for navels remains strong, as eating quality has been excellent. Overall valencia volumes are expected to be slightly less than last year, although supplies should still be adequate for the first 2 months of the summer season. Pricing should slowly decline as valencia volume improves over the next 2 weeks.

Good supplies and markets remain steady this week. Peak sizing on 115- 140 count fruit. Steading markets will likely continue through next week. Mostly fancy being packed, many of which are going into choice boxes, resulting in some very nice fruit overall. We may see a decrease in volume in early May due to transition between districts, and could stronger markets as a result.

The government has lifted some restrictions on the border. This will lessen the delay time to cross and will help keep up with demand. This will still take a few weeks to recover and get back to normal and we will likely see elevated pricing until some level of normality is established. Holy week and Easter holiday further lessened the supply chain. Harvests have resumed this week, although supplies will need some time to catch up with demand. High pricing will likely continue for at least the next 2 -3 weeks.

It seems all roads leading to Texas border crossings have become parking lots for trucks carrying produce from Mexico…Believe it or not, this backup is causing problems with border crossings in California and Nogales. The Texas market is being overwhelmed with activity and is sharply higher on all onion categories. This will be short lived, but if you’re a retailer and have Northwestern onions on your displays, look for sprouting to start any minute. California has started in a very light way and is not expected to get going until the middle of next week.

Michigan and Indiana were supposed to start in a small way with product being available next week…then it snowed. Indiana says it will have some product next week with 90+ degree temps forecasted for the weekend, but everyone knows the Midwest will always fool you. Mexico has finished 28/1’s and will be only !1/1’s for the remainder of their deal. California has product, but is held in

few hands and are able to get mid 50’s on their 28/1’s otherwise the low to mid $20’s on 11/2’s.

More of the same only worse, with a caveat. Worse because offshore supplies have continued to be very light in production and perhaps even lighter. Contracted demand is steady and product is very short, particularly for the spot market. Quality is okay. Sizes running mostly jbo 9, reg 9 and 12, but none of that matters with overall supplies being so slim. West Coast POEs are receiving next to nothing. Mexico has started with moderate demand, good quality and normal run of sizes (mostly 9s and 12) but retailers only turn to Mexico for product as a last resort ever since the first bacterial outbreak and recall years ago. With winter weather hanging on in much of the country, they have yet to turn that way and with light production there as well, they have had little impact on offshore prices. Domestic production will be late and not start until mid to end of May. Bottom line is cantaloupes will stay short supplied and high priced for the next month.

Much the same as cantaloupes with offshore production is quite short and spot market supplies nearly non-existent. Mexican dews are more accepted than cantaloupes but they do not have enough to take up the slack. Domestics are at least a month away. No change is expected ahead.

Cauliflower and Broccoli   Northern California production is in full swing.  The market remains mostly steady with some deals available depending on location . Hot and Cold temperatures should benefit quality .

Demand and Pricing continue steady with production mostly along the coast. Supplies are expected to be impacted by seeders through the end of the month.  Pricing will be elevated, especially  in Salinas as supplies are transferred from Oxnard.

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 . Continue to plan ahead to get full coverage.

Leaf, Iceberg & Romaine   Romaine and Romaine Heart supplies have improved with Deals available in Northern California. Variations in quality with some tip burn and russet spotting expected to continue as temperatures oscillate. Growers continue to deal with isolated insect pressure although substantially less than the desert.  Green and Redleaf  . Improved production with less insect pressure in Northern production areas. Occasional tip Burn but overall improving quality. Pricing should stabilize moving forward.

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 strong supplies for the next couple weeks with transitioning production districts with mostly Fancy grades and steady pricing with continued additional volume from Mexico. Favorable deals remain on larger sizes. Lime quality and supplies remain inconsistent and very limited.  Navel production has peaked and will eventually give way to Valencia’s.  The crop remains heavier towards larger sizes with most of the smaller choice fruit going towards retail bags.  Mandarin season will be winding down with Golden Nuggets the primary variety available. Grapefruit supplies should be improving from Mexico and the Central Valley through Mid May.

The desert is winding down and the Central Valley is in full swing while Salinas is just underway with overall sufficient supplies and good demand at current price levels . Prices will continue to adjust although at a less frantic pace. Quality remains varied especially in the Desert with the Central Valley quality preferred. Hot temperatures statewide this weekend followed by Cold and Rain early next week will likely affect quality and availability. Pricing should continue to ease through the weekend before settling next week.

Romaine and Romaine Hearts  Demand for Romaine is steady with good supplies as prices adjust. Romaine Heart demand continues to be stronger although pricing has eased as well. Transition to Central California production areas started last week with continued overlapping districts leading to tiered pricing based on location and quality. Romaine Hearts have also begun to transition but overall production remains moderate. Quality remains varied. with temperatures expected to surge statewide leading to probable issues .

Red leaf, Greenleaf and Boston  Demand on Leaf has steadied as production transitions North. Expect overlapping supplies with tiered pricing through next week

Overall demand has waned and prices are at the bottom. Shippers are looking for business, run your offers by us. Quality is very nice out of all shipping districts. Good green color and weights in the mid 50 lb. range

Thornless production is beginning to transition to the North Coast as the Desert Season comes to a close. Most Artichokes are now beginning to “clean” up including the Original and Heirloom varieties produced in the Salinas / Castroville area and prices are firming. Currently heavy to Large sizes before medium and smaller sizes peak next month.  Take advantage of these superior edible chokes while in season. Quality should improve weekly and pricing will continue to follow

We are starting to see better volume shipping out of Santa Maria and Salinas. Prices are gradually working their way down. Quality is very nice, good green color and tight domes.

The market has not changed much, sitting at current levels for the first part of the week. We will have warmer than normal weather in Santa Maria and Salinas today and tomorrow which could push the harvest volume higher.

Mexico production continues to be strong and with improving growing conditions we anticipate supplies to continue to be heavy. Prices have begun to firm with strong Easter demand

Mexico supplies have returned to full production as prices stabilize. Quality remains varied with heavy small sized Onions available . Supplies will begin to be “staged ” in Salinas and Santa Maria although any border delays will be magnified with the extra travel day.

 Better demand for California fruit is stronger this week due to last week’s rain in the California growing areas and the Easter pull. Santa Maria, California is forecast to be sunny and warm Wednesday, becoming mostly sunny Thursday and Friday, and cooler on Saturday, then breezy Sunday with an afternoon shower. Highs are expected in the 80s, decreasing to the 60s for the weekend, and lows in the 50’s, decreasing to the 40s for the weekend. Oxnard, California is forecast to be sunny and warm on Wednesday, warm and breezy in the morning on Thursday, then partly sunny Friday through the weekend. Highs are expected in the 70s on Wednesday, increasing to the 80s Thursday and Friday, then decreasing to the 60s for the weekend and lows in the 50s, decreasing to the 40s on Sunday. California fruit is generally good quality and may be subject to occasional bruising, misshapen, green tips and shoulder, wind damage, and bronzing.

Light supplies again this week as many farmers went to IQF due to lower-than-cost market conditions two weeks ago. This will continue for the next 7 to 10 days. Then we should see the market level off, and see it creeping up as Mexico moves into post-peak with anticipated seasonal end dates in June.

 Raspberries are on the low point of their most current production cycle and moving between regions. Raspberry volumes are expected to increase heading into May.

 Florida supplies are good and stable, but not with a large peak in supply. Expect consistent but lower than normal supplies or a more level-volume projection over the coming weeks.

More vessels are arriving this weekend with good supplies of red plums. More red and black plums will be arriving mid next week and we expect good supplies of imported plums through April. East coast fruit is available to load in New Jersey. Yellow peaches and nectarines are arriving this week on both coasts. Mexican peaches are expected to start in 2 weeks. Domestic stone fruit will begin towards the latter half of this month and we don’t expect any major issues for the start of the season.

Plenty of overall supplies of red and green grapes available this week on both coasts. Green seedless supplies are lighter due to quality issues. Wide range in quality is resulting in a two tiered market on greens. The Mexican grape season will be starting in a few weeks, and we expect an oversupply of grapes will likely be the result. Good supplies of offshore grapes expected well into the month of May. Mexican production will start in a light way and gradually build over time.

California navels are still in full productions, although volumes have been on the decline over the past 2 weeks as the season winds down. Sizing is peaking on 88 count fruit. Quality has been excellent, with good color and brix being reported. Volumes will continue decreasing for the coming weeks and pricing will gradually increase.

Steady markets this week. Mostly fancy being packed, many of which are going into choice boxes, resulting in some very nice fruit overall. Peak sizing on 115- 140 count fruit. Steading markets will likely continue through next week.

Steady demand this week. Shippers are preparing for the coming of Holy Week in Mexico and there will certainly be a lack of labor and decreased supplies. Markets will remain strong for the rest of the month, at least until after Easter. Quality has been marginal, some lighter coloring reported.

Good news! Baseball season is opening Friday and that means an uptick in demand for Onions. Farmers Markets, Fruit stands, restaurants, Hotels etc. are opening so I hope there will be enough onions to supply the increase in demand. Texas onions have the spotlight and will continue until California gets

started. The FOB pricing has continued to drop to levels matching the Northwest pricing. The overall quality in the Northwest is wanning and will be sprouting more as weather warms up.

The Easter pull is on and the market has gone up to higher levels. Most Ads were pegged in the low $30’s and the spot market in the mid $30’s. The quality coming from the older areas has been showing seediness and a rubbery appearance. Obregon has started and the quality from that area is head and

shoulders above the older areas.

After seemingly unending weeks of static pricing, cantaloupes have finally and suddenly gotten into a demand exceeds situation. Honduras is having a while fly infestation, cutting production. Contract demand pricing and therefore demand has remained steady, as the fruit is still off season with first major consumer push coming around Memorial day. Spot market prices have surged into the low 20s. This situation does not look to be changing soon as warmer spring weather in Honduras and Costa Rica do not look to be providing a solution to the white fly issue. Mexico and domestic production which usually starts early May is expected to be delayed until mid to late May, so the current gap looks like it will last until then.

Honeydews are also gapping with much the same dynamic afflicting supplies. Mexico as some dews as they have all year, but no real volume is expected until mid-May at the earliest. Demand is much less than cantaloupes and size are peaking on 6s. Quality varies but is okay. Prices seem to be in the mid-teens and should stay there. It appears current gap will also last until mid-May keeping pricing firm to higher.

Cauliflower and Broccoli   The desert is winding down with regressing quality while Northern California production improves . The market remains mostly steady with some deals available at transition locations.

Demand and Pricing continue steady with production mostly along the coast. Pricing will be elevated in Salinas as supplies are transferred from Oxnard. Seeders are expected to impact production in coming weeks with overall volume declining and firming prices.

Production has been impacted by insect pressure in the desert and will likely continue through the transition to Northern California over the next week .

Carrot Production remains unstable especially Cellos with production areas transitioning . Continue to plan ahead to get full coverage.

Leaf, Iceberg & Romaine   Romaine and Romaine Heart supplies have begun to improve in Northern California. Some variations in size , color and weights are expected as growers reach for product to get started. Hot temperatures followed by possible cool rain could impact the crop next week.  Green and Redleaf  . Limited production has started in Northern production areas with improving quality although forecasts call for Hot temperatures this week followed by cool and rainy early next week likely impacting overall availability

Lemons, Oranges, Limes and Grapefruit  Strong demand throughout the entire Citrus category due to strong retail sales and revived foodservice activity.

The Lemon crop is transitioning districts with mostly Fancy grades and steady pricing with additional volume available from Mexico. Favorable deals remain on larger sizes.

Lime quality and supplies remain inconsistent.

Navel production remains steady although The crop remains lighter than normal with good  quality overall and heavier towards larger sizes.

Mandarins remain moderately supplied as many growers transition into new varieties. Higher pricing is to continue as the season winds down.

Grapefruit supplies should be improving from Mexico and the Central Valley with good sizing

Transition continues for a couple more weeks for some growers , while a few have started their intermediate transition to the Central Valley before fully transitioning to the Coast early next month. Santa Maria will also begin ramping up harvest this week . Prices have steadied for now but With all these areas in production there will be pressure on the market to maintain at current levels. Quality will vary Widely among production areas leading to further disparity in pricing.

Romaine and Romaine Hearts  Demand for Romaine softened while Romaine Heart demand continues to be strong although pricing has eased on both.. Transition to Central California production areas started last week with some overlapping which has led to tiered pricing based on location and quality. Romaine Hearts have also begun to transition but overall production remains light. Quality remains varied with no one area better than the other currently although that will likely change later next week with temperatures expected to rise in the desert.

Red leaf, Greenleaf and Boston  Demand on Leaf has steadied as production transitions North. Expect overlapping supplies with tiered pricing through next week

Overall demand has waned and prices are trending downwards. The Yuma region will finish up within the next 7 days and then we will be shipping out of only Oxnard and Santa Maria until Salinas starts up in June. Quality is very nice out of all shipping districts. Good green color and weights in the mid 50 lb. range.

Thornless production is beginning to transition to the Coast as the Desert Season comes to a close. Most Artichokes have been discounted due to frost damage but they are now beginning to “clean” up including the Original and Heirloom varieties produced in the Salinas / Castroville area and prices are beginning to firm. Take advantage of these superior edible chokes while in season. Quality should improve weekly and pricing will continue to follow

Prices have topped out and will sit at current trading levels for the remainder of the week. Central Mexico is winding down as is the Desert growing region. We expect to see more volume come out of Santa Maria and Salinas over the next 10 days.

We do not expect the market to climb any higher in fact look for prices to decline as we finish out the week. Santa Maria production has come on heavy over the last few days and some of your best pricing options are being found in this district.

Mexico production continues to be strong and with improving growing conditions we anticipate supplies to continue to be heavy. Prices remain mostly steady with volume deals available. Strong Ad for Easter business will eventually lead to firmer pricing .

Mexico supplies have returned to full production as prices stabilize. Quality remains varied with heavy small sized Onions available . Supplies will begin to be “staged ” in Salinas and Santa Maria starting next week

Before the recent wet weather we experienced, supplies were forecast to be steady to slightly lower. Shippers will need to strip plants and reassess estimates going into the weekend. Barring any weather related challenges, numbers in California will be in an uptrend as we move into April. Florida should be considered all but done for the season. Central Mexico continues to decline as growers continue to remove acreage due to quality challenges and smaller size fruit.

Supplies are heading into peak production weeks. We expect next week to see supplies increase significantly primarily out of Mexico. The California areas will show a large increase in volume around the first week in May.

Volume is starting to pick back up as all producing areas are slowly trending up. Peak volume is expected in early May.

Central Mexico production is past its spring peak and volumes will slowly decline beginning next week. Look for the Baja regions to slowly increase their production into the latter part of April. Florida production will start with limited numbers next week.

Red and black plums are available in good numbers this week. The plum season will continue through the entire month of April. Yellow and white peaches are limited this week. There are reports of more vessels arriving next week, although product will be limited until then. We will likely see more more offshore arrivals next week on both coasts which will ease demand. Overall quality has been strong this season.

Plenty of red and green seedless grapes available on both coasts and shippers re struggling to move inventories. We will likely see heavy volumes continue to arrive throughout the month of April. Importers have struggled to move excess volumes through the spot market and have turned to wholesale terminals for relief. There has been a mixed bag of quality throughout the industry the longer product sits in storage . Chilean growers are hoping to extend their season well into May, and holding out for better markets in May and June.

Good supplies of navels being harvested this week out of the the central valley of California. Quality is excellent with good color sugar and solid fruit. Good supplies expected this week and next. followed by a decline in production as the season winds down. Sizing is currently peaking on 88 and 113 count fruit.

Steady markets this week. Plenty of sizes and labels to choose from and shippers are looking to move inventories. The crop is currently producing 80-90% fancy fruit and good quality will likely continue for the coming weeks. Sizing is peaking on 115 – 140 count fruit.

Moderate to high demand this week is keeping markets strong. Supplies remain light, especially on large limes. Quality issues are widespread this week. Problems including scarring. oil spots and light color are all being reported. Most of the product is coming in small, sizing is peaking on 230 and 250 count fruit. Similar conditions expected for the coming weeks.

Texas Yellow onions are arriving with great reviews…reds,…not so much. It seems the “Southwest” market is adjusting to about the same delivered price as the “Northwest”. There is more interest in the new crop this week than last week and crossing from Mexico have gone up applying more pressure to pricing. As restaurants adjust to the after covid curse demand for onions will be greatly exacerbated. Conventions are opening up in major cities and hotels will finally have occupancy and people attending them will have no choice but to eat out.

The only thing that will save this market are Easter Ads. There is presently consignments everywhere on Asparagus and once that get’s cleaned up we should see the prices stabilize in the mid to low $20’s. Obregon will start at the end of this week followed by Constitution’ which will give the chains fresh

product going into April.

After steady prices most of the winter, spot market prices rose this week, except for jbo 6 size and some jbo 9 size. Most sales are still contract sales at fixed prices but with the fruit peaking on jumbo 9s and larger, contacts were being shorted. driving prices on regular 9s and smaller higher with some spill over on the jumbo 9s price. Overall imports are a less as well as it seems there are quality issues in Honduras. Demand overall has felt a bit better mostly due to lighter supplies and sizes not synching up with contract needs. Next week supplies should start to improve, especially if sizes straighten out and Honduras quality improves. We could see an uptick in demand if prices are more reasonable spring weather begins to assert itself in delivered markets.

Overall supply and demand of honeydews has been steady but unlike cantaloupes sizes are peaking more n reg 6s rather than 5s or larger. Demand continues to be static, but could possible improve next week with seasonal change. Overall quality remains okay. Market ahead looks steady to slightly higher.

Cauliflower and Broccoli   Transition has led to overlapping production although neither area has excessive volume. Due to rising temperatures in the desert quality has regressed and could lead to an abrupt end to the Winter growing season.  Tiered pricing, depending on location, will continue through next week

Demand and Pricing continue steady with production mostly along the coast. Seeders are expected to impact production in coming weeks with overall volume declining and escalating prices likely.

Production has been impacted by insect pressure in the desert and will likely continue through the transition to Northern California over the next couple weeks .

Carrot Production remains unstable especially Cellos with production areas transitioning . Continue to plan ahead to get full coverage.

Leaf, Iceberg & Romaine   Romaine and Romaine Heart supplies remain light with limited production underway in Northern California as growers try to reach for any sort of production. With improved weather, supplies should eventually rebound in coming weeks.  Green and Red leaf  Production has been limited with increasing insect pressure forcing an abrupt end to the desert season. Limited supplies are available in Northern production areas and look to improve moving forward. Pricing remains elevated but should stabilize as supplies become available

Lemons, Oranges, Limes and Grapefruit  Strong demand throughout the entire Citrus category due to strong retail sales and revived foodservice activity. The Lemon crop is transitioning districts with mostly Fancy grades and steady pricing with additional volume available from Mexico. Favorable deals remain on larger sizes. Lime quality and supplies remain inconsistent.  Navel production remains steady although The crop remains lighter than normal with good  quality overall and heavier towards larger sizes.  Mandarins remain moderately supplied as many growers transition into new varieties. Higher pricing is to continue as the season winds down. Grapefruit supplies should be improving from Mexico and the Central Valley with good sizing

Persistent overnight frost in the Arizona deserts allowed many growers to slow harvest and firm prices. As air and soil temperatures warm , production should increase heading into the weekend, Quality will continue to be varied with WIDE ranging color, texture and weights as well as varying degrees of discoloration due to epidermal blister and peel.

Romaine and Romaine Hearts  Cooler nights allowed prices to firm entering this week but as the weather warms look for Production to improve and flex pricing to resume . Quality remains mostly good although the continuous frost the past 10 days has led to increased discoloration and extended epidermal peel.

Red leaf, Green leaf and Boston  Demand on Leaf continues to lag behind Romaine. Color and Texture have been affected as epidermal peel and discoloration remain widespread.

We do not expect much fluctuation in the markets over the next week. Growers are  indicating the market doesn’t have much chance for a spike unless some adverse weather affects growing and harvesting. Freight rates are not helping this commodity out as well, with only 768 cartons to a load it makes it too expensive to load and go.

Thornless production continues from the South Coast with predominantly large sizes. Improving supplies in the Desert and Mexico has stabilized prices , where up til now most have been transferred from the Coast. Most Chokes remain frosted although a few from isolated areas in Mexico avoided the heavy freezing temperatures the last couple weeks and should improve quicker.

Prices seem to be stabilizing at current levels. There is good availability on both bunch and crowns out of Santa Maria and the Desert growing regions. Quality is good, clean domes with good green color and tight beads.

The market has definitely gained some momentum over the last 5 days. Tighter supplies are expected through the week. With warmer weather forecasted over the next few days in all growing regions of California and Arizona we should start to see better availability early next week and a possible reprieve from the current high prices.

Mexico production continues to increase and with improving growing conditions we anticipate supplies to meet demand in coming weeks. Prices have begun to ease industry wide and should continue to ease as quality and production improve.

Mexico supplies continue to slowly increase each week. Cold overnight temperatures, preceded by high winds late last week  interrupted harvest but improved weather conditions should help a return to full production eventually. Overall quality is varied as most growers are still dealing with the effects of persistently cold overnight temperatures.

California is struggling to meet peak Valentines Day demand, but yields are expected to improve next week. Mexico is still crossing with steady numbers and Florida has experienced some rain events which is putting the market is in a demand exceeds supply situation.

No change in the market for the next week. Quality still varies with some lots showing occasional red cell.

Very little has changed from last week on this item we are still seeing some softer fruit with loose cells. Market is steady.

Blueberries continue to arrive from Mexico and Chile with more regularity. Mexican fruit has the definite edge in quality at this point. Pricing is on a downward trend especially on the container fruit from Chile.

More offshore vessels are expected to arrive next week and will have white peaches & white nectarines. White Peach are currently sold out until next week. East Coast fruit is very light until vessels arrive next week. Some white peaches are available in New Jersey, although supplies are dwindling quickly. Overall stone fruit supplies will be very light until more vessels arrive and we do not expect adequate volumes until the end of the month.

Light supplies continue this week on all grapes. More vessels are expected to arrive towards the end of this month. We will start to see better supplies around the third week of February and markets will slowly settle heading into March. Shippers are starting to promote fruit in anticipation of offshore arrivals towards the end of the month. Early quality reports on Peruvian and Chilean fruit are positive and we should see good quality for at least the first few shipments.

California navel production continues and sizing is peaking on 88 and 113 count fruit. Quality has been excellent this season and we expect these conditions to continue for the coming weeks. There are reports of better availability of large fruit next week and we will like see a better balance between the different sizes. Markets will likely remain steady through next week.

Markets are mostly steady tis week although some shippers are raising pricing this week. Production will likely remain stead through next week. We are seeing a larger proportion of fancy to choice fruit and much of the fancy fruit is being packed into choice boxes as a result. Sizing is peaking on 115 and 140 count fruit. Good quality reported this week.

Increased demand this week and shippers are selling out. Demand will likely remain high for the coming days. Rain and humid temperatures in growing areas is not helping matters. Markets have strengthened this week, and will remain strong well into next week. Quality issues including light color and scarring have been reported. Sizing is peaking on 150 and 175 count fruit.

This onion market is starting to look like a daily soap opera. There’s intrigue, bullying, passion, remorse and most of all, humor. Every time a jobber buys a load of onions there is also fear. It’s also amazing how many receivers are seeking contracts this summer in California and how many shippers are

holding off on responding. It’s like riding a horse in the Kentucky Derby, with both jockeying for position before the stretch to the end of the Northwest deal. “Don’t end too early and don’t stay too late.

If you listen to the shippers, at this point, there is a Tidal Wave coming of asparagus and ads are being put in place to deal with the oncoming volume. The week of the 21 st of February will be in the high $20’s according to a few shippers. The temps in Mexico will be in the 80’s next week, so volume will begin to gush.

Little has changed, other than sizes are skewing larger with more jbo 9s and jbo 6s, but still a run of sizes. The supply distribution to Ports of Entry are heaviest by far to South FLA POEs, as boat rates are much less there than others during these supply chain times. West Coast is the lightest with East Coast less than normal. Price spreads are reflecting this with lowest prices and largest discounts in South Fla. Spot market and for that matter overall demand is anemic. Supplies are steady. Quality is good. Market is steady this week and looks to be the same next week, and things might not change much at all until spring when weather in consumption areas and COVID restrictions should ease.

Much the same dynamic is affecting honeydews. Howler quality on honeydews continue to be iffy leading to some deep discounts on scarred or netted fruit. Sizes are skewing larger on dews as well, but not as pronounced at with cantaloupes. Overall supplies are ample in the face of anemic demand. Mexico has better quality and mostly 5/6 count but little volume for export as is normally the case this time of year. Prices look to be unchanged with once again, most discounts being offered at Florida ports

Cauliflower and Broccoli   Most growers experienced colder than normal overnight temperatures which stalled production heading into the week . Forecasts call for significant warming heading into the weekend which should improve supplies . Prices have firmed but should stabilize and eventually ease barring any extreme temperatures. Promotional opportunities should follow. Quality from the desert remains mostly good currently.

Mexico production will help stabilize supplies and pricing through the end of the month . Once production resides solely in Oxnard expect supplies to tighten especially if needing to load in the desert as transfer costs have rocketed up. Additionally there are concerns of increased disease in Oxnard as the weather warms.

Production is on the upswing with improved availability. Supplies are expected to continue to improve next week after relatively cold overnight temps last week.

Carrot Production has stabilized with the improvement in weather although high winds could impact quality moving forward. Continue to plan ahead to get full coverage.

Leaf, Iceberg & Romaine   Romaine and Romaine Heart production remain mostly steady following a week of widespread lettuce ice. Increased epidermal peel, blister and especially discoloration is expected for the balance of the month.

Green and Red leaf  Another round of widespread lettuce ice has extended epidermal peel and discoloration. Expect quality to be impacted for several more weeks as prices remain mostly stable.

Lemons, Oranges, Limes and Grapefruit   Strong demand throughout the entire Citrus category due to strong retail sales and revived foodservice activity.

The Lemon crop transitioning back to the Coastal region of California, is improving with mostly Fancy grades.

Lime quality and supplies remain inconsistent.

Navel production remains steady although The crop remains lighter than normal although with good  quality overall.

Mandarins  which remain moderately supplied as many growers transition into new varieties. Higher pricing is expected all season.

Caras and Blood Oranges   continue to offer excellent Mid Winter additions to the Citrus Category .

Good Weather out West continues to provide favorable growing conditions throughout California and Arizona. Unfortunately poor weather across the rest of the county has shackled demand . Many lettuce growers have started to leave portions of fields behind without enough stable labor to harvest everything timely resulting in wide ranging color and texture as well as varying degrees of discoloration due to epidermal blister and peel.

Romaine and Romaine Hearts  Production remains mostly steady with good demand. Even with improved temperatures , Harvest continues to be hampered by heavy epidermal discoloration that requires extra attention in the field to prevent excessive issues upon arrival.

Red leaf, Green leaf and Boston  Demand on Leaf continue to lag behind Romaine. Color and Texture has been affected as epidermal peel and discoloration remain widespread.

Increased availability out of Santa Maria and Oxnard has dropped FOB prices slightly over the last few days. Harvest estimates coming out of both these shipping districts will be good and shippers will be looking to move product. The desert growing regions will feel the affects of this and most likely will follow suit in order to keep product moving.

Thornless production continues mostly from the South Coast with predominantly large sizes. Improving supplies in the Desert and Mexico will stabilize prices , where up til now most have been transferred from the Coast. Most Chokes remain frosted although a few from isolated areas in Mexico avoided the heavy freezing temperatures the last couple weeks and should improve quicker.

We are starting to see more volume come out of Santa Maria now that it has recovered from the rains a few weeks back. Steady volume is also arriving into the Texas Valley out of Central Mexico. Expectations are that we will begin to see better volume out of all loading areas by the end of the week. Prices will remain somewhat steady for this week but look for lower prices beginning the first part of next week.

Demand has been good but we are starting to see more product available. Prices will begin to drop by the end of this week out of all growing districts.

Northern California production rapidly comes to an end. Mexico supplies remain extremely light although weather is expected to improve over the next couple weeks which should allow for better supplies by the end of the month.

Mexico still has not returned to full production although there has been blips of improvement as the weather has been favorable.  Labor continues to be the main issue. We still anticipate better supplies sometime next week with prices expected to ease shortly thereafter . Overall quality will be varied as most growers deal with the effects of previous cold temperatures .

Supplies on strawberries are starting to increase going into the last half of January. Central Mexico regions are producing moderate volumes which should increase in the coming weeks; there is strong demand with mixed reports of quality at the border as well as logistics challenges. Florida, with colder weather, has limited supplies. The Baja region is still behind schedule following some cooler weather. Volumes should increase by late-January and the quality is generally good. California volumes in Oxnard should continue to increase and Santa Maria is also starting to harvest some new crop. California fruit is generally fair quality and may be subject to occasional bruising, misshapen, and white shoulder.

Good quality but tightening supply as Mexico heads into the downward part of the current production cycle. Expect low production through January and February, with more production coming in late early March. This is normal production cycling–typically December is the low month–but with a delayed start to the season, the low production cycle was pushed back.

Same with raspberries as blackberries, with lower production expected over the coming weeks, and more production as we head into February.

More delays in transits from Chile as many vessels have been delayed and are struggling as the shortages in vessel freight/ships are just as bad as with general road transportation. Expect a continued tight market on blueberries through January and into February, as production remains lower and is being heavily impacted by vessels.

Some white peaches available from the first vessel that recently arrived on the west coast. More vessels will be arriving this weekend with white peach, flat white peach & white nectarines. After that we have a vessel arriving late next week and another the first week of February. Both of these vessels will have White Peach and White Nectarines. More yellow peaches and nectarines will be arriving later next week. Quality has been strong overall on offshore stone fruit.

Very little fruit available this week. Supply gaps have been much longer than anticipated. This has been the most difficult week supply wise, and we expect a few more weeks of light volumes until more vessels arrive towards the middle of February. Multiple factors have caused this shortage, including slow production as a result of unfavorable weather patterns over the pas few months, labor shortages at the port, delaying the unloading of containers, and freight challenges due to lack of drivers. Expect high markets and demand exceeds supply scenarios well into next month on all colors and varieties.

Lighter supplies this week out of California and markets have been strengthening sharply this week. Some quality issues have come up as a result of recent heavy rains in the central valley. Internal rot and decay issues have been detected and shippers are doing their best to sort through the bad fruit. Sizing is peaking on 72 and 88 count. More fruit is expected over the next two weeks, and quality should start to improve as the season progresses.

Steady markets continue this week on all sizes of lemons. California lemons are peaking on 115 and 140 count sizes. Small sizes are more limited this week. Quality is very nice with very few issues to report.

Strong demand continues this week on limes. Markets have begun to top out as more volume crosses and some shippers have eased up pricing from last week. Sizing is peaking on 175 and 200 count fruit. Quality has been improving overall. Better availability on small fruit is expected in the coming weeks.

The Northwest Onion deal is winding down early. The district could clean up tomorrow if they wanted to finish. The prices are going up and this writer is getting calls from people who rarely call in looking for product. Leading indicator of supplies tightening up and demand increasing. I have a feeling we are in for a whacky ride the balance of this Northwest deal.

Fern burning is behind last year in Corborca. Normally it takes 10-14 days after burning for the spears to start appearing. The reason for this may be that Easter is late this year and many of these shipper/growers are anticipating that demand. The temperatures are right on the cusp of sparking this deal and

long range , they look like the right temps will be alright. We might see a little lag in switching from 11/1’s to 28/1’s next week which will cause a lot of people to pucker.

Once again little change. As Guatemala has wound down, Honduras has stepped up with good supplies and good quality. Sizes fairly well distributed. Demand continues to be tepid, especially with spot market sales and prices have remained steady with discounts available on slower days and less popular sizes. Next week little looks to change. Supplies will still be ample and demand tepid as once again there are no major promotions set up and food service is struggling with COVID related issues affecting restaurant and cruise ship activity. Freight rates are still quite high as many drivers are in short supply with many out sick. We look for a basically steady market next week.

Some change this week, in that Mexico came back into the picture shipping out of Nogales, although with meager volume. Like cantaloupes off shore production is shifting from Guatemala to Honduras. Quality is okay but nothing fancy. Sizes are peaking on 5s & 6s with some jbo 5s and very few 8s. Prices are elevated but steady. We see little change for next week but more supplies coming the first week in February.

Cauliflower and Broccoli   Production has slowed overall with a much cooler weather pattern the past couple weeks. While markets continue to surge higher,  better production is expected by the end of next week which should help ease prices.  Quality from the desert remains good.

Production and quality have been impacted along the coast. Improving production in Mexico and the desert will help provide more stable supply and better value as growers avoid transfer costs .

Availability has tightened in recent weeks with escalated pricing. Supplies are expected to improve next week after growers have been dealing with freezing temperatures slowing growth. and delayed harvest.

Carrot Production has slowed with much cooler and wet weather this week interrupting production . Additionally some Shipping facilities are dealing with widespread Covid which has impacted shipping . Continue to plan ahead to get full coverage. Improved weather should help by the end of the month.

Leaf, Iceberg & Romaine   Romaine and Romaine Heart production slowed with Heavy Frost last weekend as well as impacted quality with much heavier epidermal peel and blister as well as increased discoloration.    Green and Red leaf  Production has slowed due to cold overnight temperatures also resulting in increased epidermal peel and discoloration. .  Weather appears to be improving which will help production but will increase Rib Discoloration due to Epidermal peel on Arrival

Lemons, Oranges, Limes and Grapefruit   Strong demand throughout the entire Citrus category due to strong retail sales and revived foodservice activity. Mexico Lemon crop has slowed with continued heavy Choice fruit while California crop remains mostly Fancy grades although recent rains delayed harvest , sizing will be heaviest towards the larger sizes which will push smaller , retail bag size prices higher.  Lime quality and supplies remain inconsistent.  Navel production is expected to again pick up after weather delayed harvest the past couple weeks. The crop remains strong and quality has benefited  although sizing has begun to lean towards larger sizes , pushing the high demand, smaller size prices higher.  Clementines have resumed with moderate supplies although reduced yields, higher pricing is expected all season .Production of  Caras and Blood Oranges   have begun to show signs of improvement.