As the east coast and Canada finish up their veg deals, there is more interest for various California veg, including, broccoli, cauliflower, and celery that have otherwise been supplied by “local” means. Shippers our west have been anxiously awaiting this demand to help get some of these markets off the floor. With Thanksgiving business scheduled to start as early as the end of next week, this demand can’t come soon enough for western shippers and growers.

After a late heat spell in Salinas last week, we are back to normal for this time of year, with early morning overcast, followed by clearing in the afternoon. Highs in the upper 60s-low  70s. No rain in sight.

Trucks readily available and rates have leveled out. We will probably see higher prices starting the end of next week that will continue strong through Thanksgiving business.

LETTUCE–Most shippers have moved their operations to Huron for the 2011 fall deal. There are some shippers that hang around Salinas and Santa Maria through the fall, but the better quality will be out of Huron. And that term is used LOOSELY. The lettuce in the Huron area is very typical for the Fall. Smaller, light weight lettuce, with not much head formation. There are also internal problems, that actually don’t show up on the shelf. It isn’t until you cut into the head that you see internal tip burn. It’s really no big deal, but it IS a score able defect. The good news is that quality should improve weekly. The market is currently much stronger than it has been in weeks, and delivered prices to the east coast will be near $20.00 for wrap 24s. We expect shippers to continue to drive prices up as long as they can.

BROCCOLI–continued wide range in price, especially on crowns, with as much as a $5.00/box spread, depending upon the shipper, label, and area. However, just about everyone has good quality, so you might as well shop around. Bunch 14s and 18s are also available. This market should start to make a move upward, by the end of next week.

CAULIFLOWER–definitely more interest in California flower. Canada has all but finished, and jacket flower is also almost done. The current market is a bit wide ranged, as shippers are trying to find what where the market should be.

LEAF ITEMS–even though the market for red, green, and romaine is fairly wide ranged, the overall trend is for higher. This, again, is attributed to the east coast and Canada finishing their crops. We don’t see these markets going too high, as these aren’t traditional Thanksgiving items.

CELERY–all ads are set and orders placed for Thanksgiving, so now all the shippers have to do is wait until the end of next week, when the pulls start. Right now, though, there is no change, with shippers dealing on the larger size 24s and 30s and scarcer on the 36s and 48s. Hearts continue strong.

STRAWBERRIES—the Fall crop in Oxnard and Santa Maria have started, as well as berries crossing from Mexico, via McAllen, Texas. Salinas and Watsonville will continue until the rains come, which could be the middle to the end of November. Quality has definitely improved after the rains that hit 2 weeks ago, and we are also favoring the new districts of Oxnard and Santa Maria for our berry needs.

Ed Brem

ed@producewest.com

10/17/11

It’s getting that time of year when we move from Salinas to Huron for various vegetable items, in particular head lettuce. So, while there are some shippers that will continue to have lettuce in Salinas well into November, many of the bigger shippers are now moving their operation to Huron and Bakersfield areas. This will cause a bit more stress for truck pickup and higher freight rates for mixer loads out of California to midwest and east coast destinations.

Long rang weather shows mild temperatures with highs in the mid 70s, lows in the 50s, and no rain in sight.

Trucks are readily available, as the tree fruit and melon deals wind down. Rates are lower and should continue their flexibility until the first of November.

LETTUCE–transition time happens twice a year, and is usually no fun. Finishing up the Salinas lettuce deal and moving to Huron presents quality issues. The “old” lettuce in Salinas in mostly tired, with good size and weight, but doesn’t have the “legs” in the stores. The early Huron quality has its share of issues, with internal problems, light weight, and not much head formation. Take your pick. The market is holding at lower levels because there isn’t any gap in supplies, even with the transitioning. However, we could see a stronger market by this time next week.

BROCCOLI–good, strong demand for bunch and crowns, especially crowns. There ARE some deals out there for off labels, so shopping around could be advantageous. Quality out west is mostly excellent, although there are some reports of pin rot due to last week’s rain, followed by warm temperatures.

CAULIFLOWER–definitely a stronger market here. Heavy supplies have been going out the past few weeks, and, as noted in last week’s bulletin, the rain accelerated growth and production, so we are now seeing a gap in supplies, causing this market spike. While we encourage heavier buying early this week, this could be short lived, so don’t order too heavily this weekend.

LEAF ITEMS–steady on green, stronger on red, and lower on romaine. This is an item that shopping around would be the way to go. Some shippers have good supplies of green, and no red. Others have red, light supplies of green, and no romaine. You get the picture.

CELERY–this market continues flat for the next few weeks, until Thanksgiving business kicks in. DOLE continues to lead the way, and is demanding $1-3.00/box MORE than the general market. The main push continues to be on the larger size 24s and 30s. 36s and smaller are higher in price, due to strong demand for hearts.

STRAWBERRIES–even though our weather has straightened out, most shippers have either pulled the pin for the season, or don’t want to go too far east with what little supplies they DO have. Driscoll, however, is just STARTING their Oxnard deal, as well as beginning their Mexican deals, which cross in either McAllen, Texas, or San Diego. They have pushed their prices about $2.00/box every week for the past 3 weeks, and are looking for higher this week. They are trying to kill business. Business that they don’t really need, so by raising their prices, they hope to accomplish that. Quality is still just fair in Salinas/Watsonville(the “older” districts), so the better areas are now Santa Maria and Oxnard. Still, don’t hold ANY fruit. Move as quickly as you can.

Ed Brem

ed@producewest.com

Last week’s rain in Salinas, Santa Maria, and central California was highly unusual. Not unusual that we got rain in October, but unusual for how MUCH. 1-2 inches fell during a 3 day stretch, and that is a LOT for this time of year. Heavy damage was done on strawberries and the fall wine grape crop.

Trucks are readily available, and rates have slipped quite a bit to the east coast. They should continue to slide until the start of the Thanksgiving business that starts in about a month.

Long range weather shows a chance of light rain tonight, but after that, it shows wide open for 10 days, with days in the 70s and 80s.

LETTUCE–the rain hurt lettuce in Salinas and Santa Maria last week, with muddy, wet product, and broken mid ribs due to the brittleness, that will show up red at receiving. Keep in mind that we are winding down the Salinas lettuce deal, and even under GOOD conditions, the lettuce quality gets suspect, as it starts to look tired, and doesn’t have the “legs” that peak season does. The market is fairly steady at the bottom. We could see things go up by this time next week.

BROCCOLI–more demand for west coast broccoli, as the east coast and Canada starts to wind down. There is plenty of product in Salinas and Santa Maria areas, and the quality is second to none. Prices are steady.

CAULIFLOWER–the rain last week actually acted as a shot of fertilizer, and there is plenty of flower out west. However, we are watching the quality and going with fresh product. The rain can cause black spotting, and will show up at the receiving end. Good deals on all sizes, 9s, 12s, and 16s.

LEAF ITEMS–stronger market on red, green, and romaine. Romaine has already been the top priced veg item in Salinas for several weeks now, and things continue strong there. Even though red and green are stronger, there are still deals out there.

CELERY–still no change and the market is on the floor for 24s and 30s. 36s are a bit stronger, and 48s are higher, and hard to find. The reason is that the smaller sizes are going into hearts, and that market continues red hot. We see the same pattern for the next few weeks.

STRAWBERRIES–a REAL mess. That rain put a huge hit on supplies last week, and this week shippers are “stripping” fields, so there won’t be much available until the end of the week. What IS available is NOT good. Lots of light colored fruit, dirt, leathery spots, and just plain nasty. Still, shippers (especially Driscoll) are saying, “if you can’t take the fruit with these problems, give us back your orders”. In other words, if you buy it, you OWN it.

Ed Brem

ed@producewest.com

Here we are officially into fall and we are already seeing a change in weather patterns.  There is a chance of rain this week and the real question is how much.  Some forecasters are saying half an inch to 1 inch and some say we will be lucky to see any rain at all.  This early rain is similar to last year, however we hope that the rain is minimal.  Shippers are still crying the blues of a down market and are hoping for any type of disturbance in the weather to stir up the market and create some sort of demand.   The East coast and Michigan are still producing cheap product and finishing out a successful year of local product.

Long range weather shows chance of rain Monday night and a more likely chance of rain Wednesday.   If we get a significant amount we could see some quality problems in certain items, as well as delayed harvesting crews.

Cross country truck rates are settling down into the low 7000 range for mixer type loads and trucks are available.

LETTUCE — Plenty of product to sell.  Shippers are loaded with high quality product and good size and weights.  If rain persists we could see supplies diminish somewhat because of delayed harvests, however we would need a high amount of precipitation to cause any such problems. It would be smart to take advantage of the low prices as quickly as possible because of possible rains this week.

BROCCOLI — Market has come off slightly from last week and shippers have plenty of product in the cooler to sell.  Quality has been good for the past few months and is expected to continue.  Maine and Virginia areas are still supplying the East will broccoli which have kept FOB prices low out west, but high freight rates have resulted in only slight interest in West coast broccoli.

CAULIFOWER– Shippers need to sell and are taking offers.  Quality is excellent and there are plenty of deals to act upon.

LEAF ITEMS — Not much change on red, green, or boston, and low markets.  Romaine is the only item showing any signs of life, although demand is still not up to speed. Quality is excellent across the board.

CELERY — There is still plenty of celery available and all shippers are looking to move.  Prices are low for this time of year because freight rates are high and Michigan product has been plentiful.   All sizes are readily available.  We expect this market to pick up in a week or two as eastern and Canada regions finish up and more pressure is placed upon west coast product.

STRAWBERRIES –Plenty of fruit available and quality has been good. Pro rates have been rare these past two weeks.  Driscoll berries are $4-$5 higher than other shippers, and quality seems good throughout the industry.  This week’s forecasted rain will tighten up supplies and we could start seeing heavy pro rates by the end of this week depending on how much rain we end up getting.

Ed Brem

www.producewest.com

9/29/11

Schools are back in session, tree colors are changing from green to yellows and reds, and local gardens are fast coming to an end. From what we see, east coast items, such as celery, broccoli, lettuces, and mixed items will go another 2-3 weeks and then the attention will head west for those items. The east will continue to have local apples and other seasonal items, but will look to California for most other vegetable needs. Believe us, shippers out west are CHOMPING at the bit for better demand.
Trucks have been tight and higher priced these past 3 weeks, but now it appears there should be more out west, and rates should start to drift downward.
Long range weather in the Salinas and Santa Maria areas show typical Fall weather, with highs in the 70s, while Fresno area will remain in the 90’s for highs.

LETTUCE–no change. Still plenty of supplies, nice quality, and flat market. We don’t see much change until the transition starts, where we go from Salinas to Huron, which won’t be until the 3rd week in October.

BROCCOLI–continued wide range in price, depending upon the area and shipper. Maine looks to continue another 2-3 weeks, but there is already more interest in California broccoli, due to the excellent quality. Still, product delivered from California is reasonably close in price to Maine, so its worth it to switch. Supplies out of Salinas or Santa Maria.

CAULIFLOWER–supplies aren’t overly heavy, but demand is very slow, keeping this market steady to slightly weaker. Some shippers are looking to move product, and discounting off their board prices. Good item to shop around for. Again, supplies coming out of Salinas or Santa Maria.

LEAF ITEMS–not much demand or price change on red, green, or boston, and those markets are fairly low. However, high freight costs are keeping delivered prices high. Romaine is the active item here. With quotes $12-14.00 FOB, that makes delivered prices $21-23.00 to the east coast. Romaine hearts are also up there  in price.

CELERY–still dragging on the bottom, except for Dole. Dole quotes are $3-4.00/box HIGHER than the general market, and they don’t care. The overall market continues flat, and will be that way until Michigan and Canada dry up, which may not be for another 3 weeks, depending upon the their weather.

STRAWBERRIES–a FLOOD of berries, and mostly due to quality. This means that quality is poor, and receivers are rejecting arrivals, and THOSE berries are flooding terminal markets. However, overall demand is slow, which is typical for this time of year. Even Driscoll isn’t pro rating. But, this could also be short lived. Driscoll’s supplies are light, and will get even lighter by the weekend, and their market could firm right back up. But, again, watch the quality. DON’T carry  berries and expect them to hold up. Get them IN, and get them OUT as quickly as you can.

Ed Brem
ed@producewest.com9/29/11

FALL IS UPON US

Schools are back in session, tree colors are changing from green to yellows and reds, and local gardens are fast coming to an end. From what we see, east coast items, such as celery, broccoli, lettuces, and mixed items will go another 2-3 weeks and then the attention will head west for those items. The east will continue to have local apples and other seasonal items, but will look to California for most other vegetable needs. Believe us, shippers out west are CHOMPING at the bit for better demand.
Trucks have been tight and higher priced these past 3 weeks, but now it appears there should be more out west, and rates should start to drift downward.
Long range weather in the Salinas and Santa Maria areas show typical Fall weather, with highs in the 70s, while Fresno area will remain in the 90’s for highs.

LETTUCE–no change. Still plenty of supplies, nice quality, and flat market. We don’t see much change until the transition starts, where we go from Salinas to Huron, which won’t be until the 3rd week in October.

BROCCOLI–continued wide range in price, depending upon the area and shipper. Maine looks to continue another 2-3 weeks, but there is already more interest in California broccoli, due to the excellent quality. Still, product delivered from California is reasonably close in price to Maine, so its worth it to switch. Supplies out of Salinas or Santa Maria.

CAULIFLOWER–supplies aren’t overly heavy, but demand is very slow, keeping this market steady to slightly weaker. Some shippers are looking to move product, and discounting off their board prices. Good item to shop around for. Again, supplies coming out of Salinas or Santa Maria.

LEAF ITEMS–not much demand or price change on red, green, or boston, and those markets are fairly low. However, high freight costs are keeping delivered prices high. Romaine is the active item here. With quotes $12-14.00 FOB, that makes delivered prices $21-23.00 to the east coast. Romaine hearts are also up there  in price.

CELERY–still dragging on the bottom, except for Dole. Dole quotes are $3-4.00/box HIGHER than the general market, and they don’t care. The overall market continues flat, and will be that way until Michigan and Canada dry up, which may not be for another 3 weeks, depending upon the their weather.

STRAWBERRIES–a FLOOD of berries, and mostly due to quality. This means that quality is poor, and receivers are rejecting arrivals, and THOSE berries are flooding terminal markets. However, overall demand is slow, which is typical for this time of year. Even Driscoll isn’t pro rating. But, this could also be short lived. Driscoll’s supplies are light, and will get even lighter by the weekend, and their market could firm right back up. But, again, watch the quality. DON’T carry  berries and expect them to hold up. Get them IN, and get them OUT as quickly as you can.

Ed Brem
ed@producewest.com

The Salinas Valley is finally getting some much deserved warm weather.  After a cold and misty summer, we are finally seeing the sun.  Temperatures are expected to stay in the high 70s and low 80s all week in Salinas, a stark contrast to the 60 degree days we had in weeks past.  Markets are beginning to finish up on the east coast and Michigan and more focus is being put on west coast product.  Quality is nice across the board on most items and shippers are looking for business.  There are deals out there

Truck rates remain in the mid 7000 range for the east.  Trucks were scarce last week because if the Labor Day holiday, but there are more trucks this week, which could bring prices down a few hundred dollars by weeks end.

LETTUCE — Quality is actually improving, we are seeing some beautiful heads and weights coming out of the field.  This warmer weather will improve volume as well as quality.  We are seeing less mildew because there have been fewer misty mornings that keep product wet.  Days are shorter so we can get a way with warmer mid day temps for shorter period of time.

BROCCOLI — Tighter supplies this week as Eastern growing regions finish up.  Quality is good and no problems to speak of these past few weeks.  Warmer weather should bring on more product, but with higher demand, we could see an improvement in market.  Crown material is scarcer and will continue to be light for the next 2 weeks.

CAULIFLOWER– Pretty much the same report as broccoli.  Nice product has been coming out of the field and we see it continuing in to the weekend.  Like broccoli, supply has decreased over the past few weeks, but we won’t see a stronger market until eastern growing areas are finished for the season.

LEAF ITEMS — Romaine continues to be active, prices have actually gone up a few dollars since last week.  Supplies are minimal but steady and quality is excellent.  Green and red leaf sales are still sluggish, but we expect things to turn around and improve by a few dollars by next week.  Warm weather is bringing on some nice product.

CELERY — Some shippers are seeing tight supply on celery, mostly on the small sizes.  This has been the general report for the past few weeks.  We could see some movement by mid week due to Michigan areas finishing up.  Be sure to get orders in early to take advantage of improving markets.  Quality is very nice, good hearty product that can go anywhere.

STRAWBERRIES — Product is more available this week than last week.  Although there are still pro rates, a better percentage of our Driscoll orders are being covered.  Don’t expect excellent berries, these are marginal quality at best.  Warmer days wont help quality, however days are shorter and the nights are cool.  All shippers are seeing problems; this is not limited to any particular label or area.  Get product in and out quick, and inform customers to work through them as much as they can.

Ed Brem

www.producewet.com

Slow markets continue to plague the industry out west; however there are a few factors that could create some activity later this week.  East coast storms have created flooding in urban areas, which has caused serious damage to homes and businesses, not to mention washing away roadways.  Many stores remain closed as the cleanup begins.  Eastern growing areas have been hit hard by the rains, some are still harvesting but quality of surviving product is marginal at best.  This could create more demand as the East assesses the damage and stocks up once again.

Trucks are available, rates have begun creeping up from last week’s lows, but mixer loads remain in the mid to upper 7000 range.

Weather has been warm in the Salinas Valley these past few days, although temperatures will hit a cooling trend, expected in the low 60s later this week.

LETTUCE — Quality has been very nice.  Nice weights and presentation out of the West. There is hope that the market improves later this week as Colorado and Eastern producers begin to see lighter numbers; something that normally happens this time of year.  We could see prices rise by the weekend.

BROCCOLI — Steady supplies out west, but not much of a market.  Little change from last week and good quality on all sizes.  Shippers are reporting that numbers could decrease towards the end of the week which should improve this market by early next week.

CAULIFLOWER — We are seeing lighter supply on cauliflower, although the market is currently poor.  Demand is not strong enough to create any type of market increase.  Like many of the other items, we could see a change by this weekend.  Quality is very nice.

LEAF ITEMS — Romaine is making a move, it has been stronger than green and red leaf for the past month, but as more East and Midwestern buyers are looking to the west for better quality it is creating a stronger market coming in to the new week.  We expect this market to get stronger into the latter of the week.  Green and Red leaf have also made a slight upward move but not quite the momentum as romaine.

CELERY — Still plenty of large sized celery around.  Good quality and prices.  Good growing weather has brought on plenty of nice quality product.  Large sizes are everywhere and at dirt cheap prices.  Smaller sizes are harder to come by, nice weather sizes up the plants and with the poor market, harvesters are in no hurry to get product out of the field.

STRAWBERRIES — Very light supplies for the entire week.  Driscoll is pro rating upwards of 80% of regular orders just to cover everyone.   Weather has been warm and muggy in Watsonville resulting in poor quality.  Quality is very poor, many reports of soft, leaking berries and bruising at the receiving end.  With conditions like these harvesters are leaving much of the product in the field, hurting supply even more.  Make customers aware that these are not the same berries we had in June, close one eye and move through them quick.

Ed Brem

www.producewest.com

With Labor Day here and gone, we are now dealing with the challenge of squeezing 5 days into 4.  Short work weeks not only add more hectic days logistically, they can also create false markets that stir up attention initially, and then die out as the week progresses.  Eastern growing regions are still producing product and will continue for the next few weeks. Weather is going to warm up this week.

Salinas is warming up and temperatures will be in the low 80s for the middle of this week.  This time of year called “Indian summer,” one of the warmest times of the year in the Salinas Valley.

Truck rates continue to slowly decline, and we are now seeing rates in the low 7000 range to the East Coast.

LETTUCE — Market continues to be steady, at near rock bottom prices, industry wide.  Good quality and shippers are confident in sending product anywhere.  Good shelf life and normal weights.  Some shippers are reporting slightly lighter than normal head weights, mostly attributed to cooler weather in the Salinas Valley over the past few weeks.  With warmer weather forecasted this week, we could see some change in quality.

BROCCOLI — Steady market and excellent quality is the general report.  There is still plenty of East Coast broccoli, keeping the western market at bay.  Even though supplies may be slightly lighter here on the West, it was anticipated by growers, and they don’t plant heavy for this time of year.

CAULIFLOWER — good quality and shippers are looking to deal.  Cool temperate weather has kept product looking nice. Warmer weather may result in quality issues 2 weeks from now, but no problems currently.

LEAF ITEMS — Not much change from last week. Leaf market remains at the bottom, not much movement.  Local Eastern product will continue to produce for a few more weeks.

CELERY — Lighter supplies but not much demand.   Good quality industry wide.  Larger sizes are more readily available than small sizes.  Demand has not yet created any type of market on celery and FOBS continue to be lower than freight it takes to move product to the east coast. So, delivered prices continue fairly high, making retail demand sluggish.

STRAWBERRIES– Driscoll continues to pro rate 75% and HIGHER this week, so other shippers are riding on their coattail. Driscoll continues to push their prices weekly, hoping to kill demand, based on their dropping volume. Other shippers are hanging back $2-4.00/box less than Driscoll, but don’t want to go to the east coast. Quality is only fair, at BEST, and shippers are quoting their fruit “with 20-30% defects”, and don’t want to hear about any problems. While this isn’t saying “acceptance final”, it’s pretty close.

Ed Brem

ed@producewest.com

SEPTEMBER IS HERE

Hard to imagine, but 2011 is 2/3 done. Fall is right around the corner, even though it seems like we just started summer. On the other hand, folks on the east coast are looking forward to fall, and cooling temperatures after record high temperatures and humidity. Kids are back in school, and a more “routine” life and pace for most families are now in place.

Not much change for long range weather, with the next 10 days in Salinas/Watsonville still mild with days in the high 60s-low 70s, and the central valley in the high 90s to low 100s.

Trucks are plentiful, and rates are finally drifting down. Very typical for this time of year, as local deals continue, and demand for tree fruit, melons, and grapes start to drop off.

LETTUCE– Fairly consistent with last weeks market. Shippers are desperately trying to bring it into the double digits but demand has not quite been there.   With the extreme weather on the East Coast, we wouldn’t be surprised to see a few quiet days this week.  Quality is ok, some reports of breaking down on the store level so it is important to run product through as quickly as possible.

BROCCOLI — Supply is slim on most broccoli items out west.  Fobs are scattered around the 11- 15 dollar range, not very competitive with East Coast product once freight is factored in. Quality is nice, keep the West Coast broccoli in mind when eastern quality begins to slip.

CAULIFLOWER — Plenty of deals out west and good quality to boot. As Indian summer temperatures heat up out west we may see some quality problems, however current weather has been somewhat mild and heads are developing and coloring nicely.

LEAF ITEMS — Plenty of product to move. FOB prices have been painfully low this summer with not much relief in site.  Romaine is the only item that has made any type of move in price, and has left a 4-5 dollar spread in price between shippers. The quality is there and don’t be afraid to go outside the big 3 for good deals.

CELERY — Plenty of celery industry wide, larger sizes have been more prevalent mostly because shippers aren’t in a hurry to pull product out of the field.  As freight rates decrease, we hope that eases the freight pains we are currently experiencing.

STRAWBERRIES –Driscoll is very tight, orders are being pro rated 50 – 75 %.  We don’t see much improvement in supply for the remainder of this week.  Misty weather has resulted in marginal quality and many berries are being passed by in the field because of soft condition.  Driscoll is leading the pack as FOBs near 15 dollars. Other shippers may have plenty of berries but they continue to follow the upward trend in price with Driscoll leading the way.  Be happy with what you get, and move through it quickly.

Ed Brem

www.producewest.com

8/22/11

This has been an unusual Summer out West. Salinas area has had  well below normal temperatures for all of July and August, with highs only in the mid 60s, while the San Joaquin Valley has been HOT for the past month, with daily temperatures in the low 100’s. This is what usually happens. When it is cool on the coast, it is hot in the San Joaquin Valley. The cool, sea breezes blow in from the west, and keep the inland areas hot. When the wind switches, the coast gets warm and the San Joaquin Valley cools off. We haven’t seen that for this Summer, which is unusual. This trend keeps produce from growing, quality problems with mildew showing up in some head lettuce, romaine, and leaf, and is also effecting strawberries, which we are seeing more bruising  and lighter colored fruit.
Long range weather shows more of the same, with a slight warming in Salinas this week, but still below normal. The San Joaquin Valley will continue hot.
Trucks are a bit more available this week, as there isn’t much demand for produce, due to local markets and gardens producing. Rates, which peaked out several weeks ago, are still relatively high, with rates $7000-8000 to the east coast, depending upon how far east you are going, amount of pickups, and area you are covering.

LETTUCE–still not much action, and prices are flexible. Most shippers start out with strong quotes, but by the end of the day, they are looking for business, and “flexing”. Quality is mostly okay, although size and weights are only fair. Condition is mostly good, but there is some mildew showing up, due to cool, damp nights and mornings.

BROCCOLI–still plenty of crowns in Maine and Canada, which is taking care of those eastern areas. Out west in Salinas and Santa Maria, there aren’t too many crowns available, and prices are firm. Growers plan their fields that way, knowing full well that this time of year demand is usually slow, so they don’t plant heavily.

CAULIFLOWER–a wide range in price, depending upon area, quality, label, and shipper. We are seeing as much as a $5.00 spread in price on 12s, so its worth shopping around.

LEAF ITEMS–plenty of romaine, red, and green leaf, and shippers are dealing. Quality is nice, overall, but, like head lettuce,  there is some mildew showing up.

CELERY–no change. Most shippers dealing, while Dole is $3-4.00/box higher than the “mostly”  market. Supplies coming out of Salinas or Santa Maria areas.

STRAWBERRIES–the cool, damp nights and mornings are effecting supplies and quality. Driscoll has raised their price AGAIN, and pro rating 50% and HIGHER this week. Other shippers, while looking for business, are capitalizing on the Driscoll shortage, and raising their prices, too. But, many shippers want to keep their fruit west of the Mississippi, due to heavy bruising, and other issues. Even Driscoll berries are only fair to fairly good, with smaller size, lighter color, and their own share of bruising.

Ed Brem
ed@producewest.com