Spiking Temperatures this week throughout California will result in reduced production from heat related harvest delays and quality issues in addition to already reduced acreage this summer. Overall demand remains steady but supplies are in flux leading to escalating prices. Quality was good entering the week as fields will be reevaluated later this week when temperatures are expected to recede to normal.

Romaine and Romaine Hearts  Reduced Summer acreage in California along with this week’s spike in temperatures has led to tight supplies and firmer pricing.  Quality remains good even with the Hot Temperatures especially Romaine Hearts although fields will be evaluated once the temperatures ease later this week.

Red leaf, Greenleaf and Boston  Demand on Leaf continues steady with moderate supplies as the Eastern Homegrown season continues to offer significant freight savings.

The market is now at the bottom. Prices will remain at this low level through the week. There is availability out of Oxnard, Santa Maria and Salinas. The most aggressive pricing is coming out of the Oxnard and Santa Maria regions. Harvest will end in Oxnard by the end of the month.

Production of the Thornless varieties has become dominant. Sizing again is peaking on the Largest sizes.

As mentioned last week we are now seeing not only a gap in production out of both Santa Maria and Salinas but a few growers are having to deal with some brown bead and hollow core which is compounding the problem. Expectations are that pricing will continue to escalate through the week.

We will not see any price fluctuation this week. Markets will remain at current trading levels through the week. Overall quality has been nice. Good white domes with nice green jackets.

Supplies from Coastal California have improved although still a few weeks away from full production.  Mexico season comes to a close. Markets have settled at current levels with promotional volume expected in coming weeks

Mexico supplies continue steady with varied quality. Hot Temperatures have impacted quality. Border delays remain an intermittent issue and have been magnified with the extra travel day.

Favorable weather continues to push fruit to maturity at a faster pace than normal. The 4th of July pull should keep the fruit moving into next week. Currently, fruit size is big in both the Salinas and Santa Maria areas, but should decrease as we move closer to the Holiday and the more mature fruit gets picked and shipments increase for the 4th of July pull.

North Carolina is beginning an uptrend with volume and will have good production into mid July. In California, Oxnard is coming off peak production and be consistent with the numbers for the next few weeks. Santa Maria and Watsonville are expecting an increase into and throughout the month of July.

The Central Mexico area is all but finished for the season. The Pueblo area will begin harvest next week with light numbers. the Baja area will begin its gradual decline into the middle of July then an uptrend will begin and take into August with good numbers.

Central Mexico is considered finished. Oxnard and North Carolina are considered finished for the season. New Jersey is beginning their season with light numbers and Baja numbers will be on the decline for the next few weeks. The pacific Northwest season is anticipating mid July start date.

Yellow Peach production will remain light this week. Yellow nectarine volume will be steady but on the lighter side this week. Apricots are still available this week in mostly large sizing. Plums volume will remain very light this week for us and will be subject to availability for the remainder of the month. The overall plum crop is this year is light and supplies are going to be tight all season. Volume will remain light this week on blacks as well and there’s a possibility of orders being prorated daily.   Sizing will remain at a 50/55 and smaller this week. The 50’s will remain limited. Volume on reds will also remain tight for the next few weeks.

Mexican grapes are now in full production and there are plenty of pricing options available. Plenty of small fruit is available and shippers are making deals to move small product. Better quality fruit is demanding a premium and we are seeing multi-tiered pricing industry wide. Some shippers are holding onto their fruit in anticipation of lighter supplies towards the end of summer. Quality reports have been positive on most sizes and varieties coming out of Mexico.

Valencia oranges are in full production out of the California central valley. Navels are now completely finished until the import season begins in mid July. California valencias will continue through September. Quality has been excellent with good brix and color reported. Peak sizing is on 113 and 138 count fruit. Markets will likely stay strong for the duration of the summer, as overall crop is down from last years numbers.

Product is now being harvested on the California coast and pack outs are still predominantly fancy grade. Peak sizing is on 140 and 115 count fruit. Quality remains good overall, although there have been reports of some wind damage. There are some district 1 lemons still available at discounted pricing, although the product is aging and quality is declining quickly.

Steady demand this week on limes. Markets have mostly settled and have likely bottomed out for now. With rain expected in growing regions, supplies could begin declining next week. Sizing is peaking on 175 and 200 count fruit. Quality has improved over the past few weeks, although there have been some reports of blanching and oil spots.

Desert districts is still the prime source and will be next week as well. Volume is good, and most sizing is skewing large with a surplus of jbo 9s. Demand is a bit lackluster considering we are heading into the July 4th holiday but there are several retail promotions (mostly on regular 9s). Supply of smaller sizes is anemic. Quality is good but there is some fair fruit being discounted. Westside is not due to start until the first week in July (right around the holiday0 with volume a week later, although one shipper will have a brief flash of a few this weekend. We look for a steady market next week with continued dealing on fair product.

Desert and Mexico are the supply sources. Overall supplies are still light and demand is steady as is pricing. Sizes are still running to mostly regular 5 and 6s count with okay quality. There are a few 8s (mostly in Mexico) and some jbo 5 count which are getting a bit of a premium on price. Westside is not expected to start until around July 10th. We see a steady to somewhat higher market next week.

The central valley of California is going strong with a few shipper already gapping in supplies. The market is stable in the $14 range with some shippers rattling their saber and thing about going higher. This is unheard of for these shippers. Water is still the big problem in California and will be for a while.

New Mexico is going and are few dollars higher than California based on freight advantage to the Midwest and east coast markets. DSA (dry sunken area) is popping up this year on reds and will be present for the balance of the season in New Mexico and California.

The local Michigan, Indiana, Washington deals are cooking and will be for the near future. Most of the Mexican deal has lighter supplies and the price is reflecting the lower supplies. Prices are in the high teens and low 20’s. Canada is now starting to ship , and will affect the deep east and Midwest supply picture. Washington is lightening up and is almost finished.

Cauliflower and Broccoli   Northern California production has been good although Hot temperatures have led to reduced supplies as quality has declined along with increased insect pressure while pricing continues to escalate.  Expect supplies to remain light to moderate throughout the Summer.

Transition to Northern California has resulted in improved quality and availability as markets adjust to more sustainable levels. Hot temperatures could result in yield reductions in coming weeks.

Production continues in Northern California with many items feeling the adverse effects of the Hot temperatures this week. Expect to see quality issues espeically with the more senistive commodities.

Carrot Production remains unstable especially as Hot temperatures will likely affect quality especially bunched Carrot Tops. Continue to plan ahead to get partial coverage.

Leaf, Iceberg & Romaine   Romaine and Romaine Heart supplies remain steady although Hot temperatures could result in a reduction of quality and Supply.

Green and red leaf  Overall supplies are steady as local homegrown production continues to influence West coast demand. Quality will be evaluated later this week as temperatures return to normal.

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

Lemon production continues to be light with prices firming and mostly Choice fruit available.

Lime quality and supplies are improving but remain inconsistent.

Valencia  production has improved although still limited volume but good sizing. The overall crop is expected to be lighter than normal throughout the Summer.

Grapefruit supplies have peaked with lighter volume available.

Stone Fruit  Improved Production on Yellow and White Peaches, Nectarines and Apricots with limited supplies of Plums and Pluots.. Good demand has kept prices elevated to start the season.

Melons  Production from the Southern California Desert has come to an abrupt end as Hot Temperatures pushed quality over the edge. Transition to Northern California will begin later this week or next along with  Cantaloupes and Honeydews

Production from the Desert has started with improving supplies of Red and Green varieties .Quality continues to improve daily with product of Mexico still available at reduced prices.

Supplies continue to vary among shippers but remain sufficient at the current demand with prices tiered but mostly steady. Lingering soil borne disease (INSV) continues to sporadically reduce yields along with fringe and windburn. Overall quality is improving with better weights and color.

Romaine and Romaine Hearts  Production eased temporarily over the weekend as most growers were able to push off harvest through the Holiday leading to fairly tight supplies. Full production should resume this week although with good demand markets may try to maintain till later in the week. Quality is improving for most production areas especially Romaine Hearts with much better color and texture although some fringburn and windburn continue to be visible on arrivals

Red leaf, Greenleaf and Boston  Demand on Leaf continues steady with moderate supplies as the Eastern Homegrown season has begun easing demand on the West Coast.

The seeder and pith issues out of Oxnard and Santa Maria have not gone away but the high price FOB’s are cooling. Demand has waned over the last week as schools start to finish up for the year. Some Salinas shippers are expected to start harvest in a light way next week. The market is expected to stay at current levels for the remainder of the week.

Production of the Original and Heirloom varieties will continue through this week before Thornless varieties become dominant. Sizing has begun to peak on medium sizes.  Take advantage of these superior edible chokes while they’re available.

There has not been much change this week with the California market. Shippers are looking to make deals on crowns out of both Santa Maria and Salinas. The Mexican product seems somewhat limited this week and we are seeing higher prices shipping out of the Texas Valley.

Prices have not fluctuated much over the last few days and look to remain at current levels for the remainder of the week. There are a few deals to be had out of the Santa Maria district. Run your offer by us.

Good Demand , especially on value added Sprouts with mostly strong pricing as production and quality continue to decline from Mexico. Limited production from Coastal California will supplement supplies but overall volume will be light. Insect pressure in Mexico will dictate when their season will come to a close.

Mexico supplies have steadied although quality remains varied with insect damage causing discoloration issues on arrival. Border delays remain an intermittent issue and have been magnified with the extra travel day.

The northern areas, Salinas and Watsonville continue to ramp in volume. Quality out of the North continues to show good quality, sizing, and flavor. Santa Maria is experiencing good quality with minor wind damage defects being reported at the field level. Organic numbers should be increasing week over week as temperatures warm in Santa Maria, Salinas, and Watsonville. Oxnard fresh fruit production has ended for the season. Freezer loads will continue out of Oxnard into next week.

Central Mexico is tracking lower than forecasted and will conclude its season in mid -june. The California growing regions are on the rise, with Oxnard expected to peak in the next 1 to 2 weeks. Santa Maria and Watsonville will provide increasing numbers week over week for the next 4 to 5 weeks. North Carolina has started and is expected to peak by the end of June.

The Baja area is entering their peak numbers early next week and has a good run on quality, appearance, and flavor. Oxnard and Santa Maria are experiencing some light mold issues and this has reduced availability in these areas as growers sort the good from the suspect fruit. The US regions continue in an up trend and will pick up the slack as Central Mexico’s volume is on the decline.

Mexico has been trending down over the last several weeks. Good volumes and promotional pricing can be found in the San Joaquin Valley. The Baja area has hit its peak and is expected to continue its decline into the month of June. This should be the final week of harvest out of Georgia. North Carolina is expected to hit peak production this week and last into the latter part of June.

Yellow Peaches are readily available this week out of California and shippers are listening to offers. Volumes are steady for the coming weeks. White Peaches and nectarines continue with steady volume. Apricots volume will remain extremely limited this week. Plums will remain light especially 50’s and larger on both black and red. Apricot volume will remain limited this week through the end of the season.

Offshore product is still trickling in on both coasts, keeping markets flat overall. Mexican fruit has started and shippers are looking to move fruit and touting better quality, and trying to get higher pricing. Heavy volumes are likely going to continue and shippers are looking to promote through for the next month. Keep in mind that there is a wide range in quality and be wary of old fruit.

Valencias are now in full production out of the California central valley . This season will continue through September. Quality has been excellent on valencias with very few issues to report. Brix levels are high and eating very well. Peak sizing is on 88 and 113 count fruit. Overall yields are down this year compared to last year and pricing will likely remain elevated for the coming weeks.

Production is now mostly district 2 and will continue through July. Peak sizing is on 140-165 count fruit. There is now a higher percentage of choice fruit available, although fancy fruit is still more plentiful than choice. District 2 regions tend to have more external quality issues as a result of high winds. Shippers are reporting heavy volumes this week and are looking to move fruit. Cheap deals are currently being made on large sizes.

An increase in supplies will continue to settle this market dramatically and shippers are making deals this week, especially on small fruit. sizing is peaking on 200 and smaller sized fruit. Markets will likely remain flat through next week with more product crossing daily. Quality has improved, although some scarring and blanching is still being reported.

Production now is mostly domestic with some Mexico that is ending its exports to US as well. Volume has picked up as everyone in the desert has started. However it is still less than normal with some suppliers on the ample side of the equation and some on the light side as it appears gaps appear between first cutting and second cutting on field to field. Sizes are skewed larger, running more 9s and jbo 9s and less 12s. Demand is decent as some post Memorial Day retail ads are in place. Spot market demand is fair. Quality is very good and prices seem mostly steady. Next week will be another of differing supplies shipper to shipper and field to field. Sizes should continue to be large. Demand should be steady with some promotions, high seasonability of melons and no competing areas. We look for the market to be steady next week with some lower prices on larger fruit. The following week we should see a generally lower, but moderately so. market.

Still very light domestic supplies peaking on 5-6 count. Quality and sugar is good. Mexico is continuing to ship albeit in diminishing numbers also peaking on 5 and 6s count with 8s avaialble. Demand has been hampered by high prices. Next we should see more domestic production but still not robust. Demand should remain dull as most is centered on cantaloupes. We look for a somewhat lower market next week.

Other than Hamis. some Galias supplies are light with only a couple of domestic suppliers at this point. Production has yet to start in earnest but should by the end of next week or the following week. Yet there will still be spotty sizes and varieties and overall anemic production. Market should not change much.

The Imperial Valley of California is starting to show some trouble on reds and some yellows. The market is not really adjusting to the quality and seems to be holding in the 13-14 range. The newer areas in the San Joaquin Valley are starting to ship in a bigger way this week. Huron has a few shippers going

while others are a few weeks off. The market is in the low teens on pre packs and mediums and the jumbo market seems to be holding in the $14-15 market.

New Mexico will be cranking up in the next few days and we will have Texas winding down.

The local Michigan, Indiana, Washington deals are cooking and will be for the near future, which is throwing a stop to most of the Mexico deal, at least for the heartland. Shippers with Mexican grass are making really cheap deals to keep their crop moving…as low as $10.75 on standard and large.

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 mostly good quality.

Demand and Pricing continue to surge as supplies have been impacted by seeders.  Pricing should begin to ease in a couple weeks when Salinas season begins production.

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 partial coverage.

Leaf, Iceberg & Romaine   Romaine and Romaine Heart supplies remain steady while quality continues to improve although Insect pressure will remain throughout the Summer for all leafy greens.

Green and Red leaf  Overall supplies are steady as local homegrown production begins to erode West coast demand.  Quality has improved with occasional windburn and tipburn from all Northern California districts.

Lemons, Oranges, Limes and Grapefruit  Strong demand throughout the entire Citrus category due to strong retail sales and revived foodservice activity.  Lemon production continues to slow with prices firming and mostly Choice fruit available. Lime quality and supplies remain inconsistent and very limited.  Valencia  production has improved although still limited volume but good sizing. The overall crop is expected to be lighter than normal throughout the Summer.  Grapefruit supplies have peaked with lighter volume expected .

Stone Fruit  Improved Production on Yellow and White Peaches, Nectarines and Apricots with limited supplies of Plums and Plucots.. Good demand has kept prices elevated to start the season.

Melons  Production from the Southern California Desert has begun with strong supplies and excellent quality of Watermelons and mini’s.

Cantaloupes and Honeydews continue with mostly good supplies in the desert with a short season window expected before transitioning to Northern California in coming weeks.

Limited production from the Desert started with mostly Red and a few Green Grapes. Quality looks to be strong with improved availability in coming weeks.  Product of Mexico is also available for consolidation.

Improved demand has been tempered by higher freight rates due to DOT inspections while supplies have steadied with improving quality. Truck rates likely won’t improve with the Summer Fruit season upon us. Quality remains varied but improved with still ranging Color, Texture , Shape and sizing. Production from Las Cruces , NM continues through this week before transitioning to Southern Colorado.

Romaine and Romaine Hearts Production remains strong with moderate demand . Pricing momentarily firmed, especially Romaine Hearts , although volume deals remain available mostly because of wide ranging quality. Color, Texture and Ribbiness continue to vary although overall quality has improved. Romaine production from Las Cruces, NM will be available through the weekend before transitioning to Colorado .

Red leaf, Greenleaf and Boston  Demand on Leaf remains steady with moderate supplies as the Eastern Homegrown season has begun easing demand on the West Coast.

The seeder issue out of Oxnard and Santa Maria has not gone away but the high price FOB’s are starting to cool. Demand has waned as the excitement of limited volume and high prices has slowed purchases. We expect the market to come down a few more dollars by middle of next week. The seeder issue will be present until Salinas starts harvesting around the middle of June.

Production of the Original and Heirloom varieties will continue for another couple weeks before thornless varieties become dominant. Sizing has begun to peak on medium sizes.  Take advantage of these superior edible chokes while in season.

Not much change here over the last week. Prices will remain at current levels as we finish out the week. Quality and availability are good out of Santa Maria and Salinas.

Good availability and some shippers will be looking to move some product over the next few days. Get with your Produce West representative for the best pricing and quality available.

Good Demand continues with mostly strong pricing as production continues to decline from Mexico. Limited production from Coastal California will supplement supplies but overall volume will be light. Insect pressure in Mexico will dictate when their season comes to a close.

Mexico supplies have steadied although quality remains varied with insect damage causing discoloration issues on arrival. Border delays remain an intermittent issue and have been magnified with the extra travel day.

Colder temperatures and windy afternoons will give to a more mild and warmer conditions with decreasing winds for the weekend. Temperatures are forecasted to range from 72 to 78 degrees in the Salinas and Watsonville areas. Production will continue to increase and should bring on promotable volumes for late may and early June. Quality is expected to be excellent and count sizes are expected to range 10 to 14 on Conventionals and 14 to 18 ct. on the Organics. The Oxnard areas volume and yields are expected to decrease over the next few weeks, but quality remains good with nice shape, sheen, but with occasional green or white tips. Pack count will range from 18 to 22 per on conventionals. Santa Maria will begin to peak next week, continuing into the middle of June.  Conventional quality is good with some green shoulders and tips due to cooler nighttime temperatures. Organic quality is good with full color and occasional minor berry on berry bruising. The weather is predicted to be warmer this week than previous weeks which will greatly decrease the ripening time of fruit and boost harvested volume.

Transitioning continues between Central Mexico and the California regions. Mexico is expected to end the 3rd week of June, but the increase from the California regions should keep the Supplies steady over the next 4 weeks

Central Mexico’s volumes will begin decline with the end of their season forecast for late July. Adverse weather in this region will impact yields and fruit quality as are expecting high heat, windy conditions and wet weather. Increasing numbers will be coming out of the Baja area are into the middle of June. Better volume will be coming in the near term out of Santa Maria and the Salinas / Watsonville areas as well.

Mexican production is on the decline into the end of the month. The San Joaquin Valley will be producing substantial volumes moving forward for the next 3 to 4 weeks. The Baja area is producing good numbers and should be hitting peak numbers in the following weeks. North Carolina is slated to start harvesting late next week while Georgia has about 2 weeks left.  Oxnard production is downtrending.

The weather forecast is great for growing stone fruit this week. White Peach are readily available and shippers are looking to move out of California. Yellow Peaches will be steady this week. Yellow nectarines will be limited for the first half of this week and white Nectarines will be light this week. Apricots volume will remain extremely limited this week. Red and black plums have started and plumcots are just around the corner. Apricot volume will extremely limited this week. We are waiting for the next variety to start this weekend and will not have availability this week. Production will finish up the first week of June.

Offshore red and green grapes are still arriving daily and shippers are doing their best to move inventories. Mexican fruit is starting in light numbers and it will take a few weeks before there will be any significant volumes. We will see better volume of Mexican grapes towards the first week of June and numbers will increase from that point on. There is plenty of old fruit in the pipeline that shippers are moving at discount prices. Continue to be aware of aged fruit and know what you are getting. Shippers are looking to promote for the first half of the Summer as they are expecting strong volumes to continue for the near future.

Navel oranges are still available out of the California central valley in light volumes. Excellent brix and color being reported. Large sizes are more prevalent and peak sizing is on 72 and 88 count fruit. Small sizes are less available and commanding a higher price. Valencia oranges are available out of the the central valley and the season will likely last through September. Quality reports are excellent and good sugars have been reported. The outer skin is rougher than navels, but that is typical for the variety. Markets will remain firm until volumes improve.

District 2 on the coast is now the main growing area. peak sizing is 115 – 140 count fruit. Majority of the fruit remains fancy grade, although more choice will come into the mix as district 2 has more quality issues overall due to high winds. Plenty of volumes and deals are available, especially on large sized fruit.

Moderate demand this week. Better supplies have settled this market dramatically and shippers are making deals this week, especially on small fruit. sizing is peaking on 200 and smaller sized fruit. Markets will likely remain flat through next week, barring any unforeseen weather occurrences.

Transitioning continues between Central Mexico and the California regions. Mexico is expected to end the 3rd week of June, but the increase from the California regions should keep the Supplies steady over the next 4 weeks

Domestic has really not started but for one or two shippers. Mexico is going strong and offshores are winding down out. Like lopes prices firmed this weekend with delayed start of domestic supplies. Domestic quality is excellent, with a range in Mexico and off shore. As with lopes we look for the market to open firm then wane toward the end of the week.

Onion business in general has been flat and the market continues to be steady. Some receivers and foodservice entities are wondering “where’s the business”? Ultimately, it’s the consumer who has the hammer as to what demand is based. There doesn’t seem to be too much of the demand thing going on right now. Memorial Day should bring more to the table. Interestingly the market hasn’t reacted too much to the lack of spot demand and the contracts that are in effect seem to be enough to keep the market at the levels that are existing right now. Stay tuned, something’s got to give. Maybe the

consumers are tired of paying high freight and fob prices and are about to make a line in the sand.

Indiana has started and Michigan is going now too. That means there will be less demand for the Mexico and California asparagus deal. Look for ad ideas from the western growers to try to compete with the local Midwest deals in the near future. FOB prices are falling to new lows for this period…$14-$16…but

when the local deals clean up, the prices will go back up to higher levels…when will that be. It’s been real hot in the Midwest lately, so we’ll see.

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 mostly 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 until June.

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 steadied while quality has shown improvement. Some tip burn and rib discoloration continue to show on arrival but overall quality has improved. Heavy insect pressure will remain throughout the Summer for 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.

Lemon production eased from its peak with prices expected to firm especially on the smaller retail sizes.

Lime quality and supplies remain inconsistent and very limited.

Valencia  production has begun with limited volume but good sizing.

Grapefruit supplies have peaked with lighter volume expected .

Stone Fruit  Production has begun on Peaches and Nectarines with limited Apricot supplies as well as Plums. White varieties are expected to begin next week.

Melons  Production from the Southern California Desert has begun with strong supplies and excellent quality of Watermelons and mini’s.

Cantaloupes and Honeydews will begin limited production this week in the desert with a short season window before transitioning to Northern California .

Production from the Desert will begin at the end of the month with current production coming from Mexico . Consolidation is available .

After leveling off , Supplies are expected to improve heading toward the weekend. While briefly spiking , prices are expected to ease to more sustainable levels where improved demand should return. Temperatures continue to fluctuate with warming to near normal this weekend. 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 strong with moderate demand . Pricing momentarily firmed, especially Romaine Hearts , although volume deals remain available mostly because of wide ranging quality. Color, texture , ribbiness along with fringe burn, mildew and russet spotting have been 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, green leaf 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

The market has trended up slightly. Expect prices to remain at current levels for the remainder of the week. All pack styles are available for loading in Santa Maria and Salinas.

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.

Volumes are expected to increase into next week as the Northern regions and the Santa Maria area will continue to increase numbers. Oxnard continues to slow down with production. Typically this is the time of year that we see labor begin to move North to Northern California. Organic strawberry numbers remain low, but will be increasing over the next few weeks.

We are experiencing declining numbers out of Central Mexico and the California regions will begin to uptrend rapidly. North Carolina Black berries will be underway by the end of the month.

Peak numbers are coming out of Central Mexico. Volumes will begin to decline in the ladder part of next week with the projected finish the last part of June.

The numbers out of Mexico remain strong, but begin to decrease week of the 23rd. The San Joaquin Valley has started production and we see good numbers late next week. Baja is producing good numbers and will hit peak volume the 1st week in June.

Yellow Peach and White Peach are readily available this week and shippers re looking to make deals. Yellow and white nectarines and apricots will remain extremely limited this week. The first fruit of the season tends to be on the smaller side. Sizing will increase slowly as we move through May. The weather forecast is cool for a couple of days and then warming up to summer time temps this weekend. Domestic plums will start in about 3 weeks out of the central valley of California.

The import season continues and supplies are plentiful on reds and greens. Generally, the import season begins to wind down this time of year, but transportation delays are keeping a steady inflow of offshore product well into late May. These volumes will likely continue into June and overlap the Mexican season. We will continue to see tiered markets as a result of a wide range of quality. Higher quality fruit will command higher pricing. Be sure to know what you are getting.

Limited supplies of navels this week. The season is wrapping up and the fruit is starting to see some quality issues. The season should be completely finished by the end of this month. Shippers are looking to clean up what they have left. The valencia season has started and supplies are slowly increasing. Supplies will continue through the summer into the month of September. Peak sizing is on 88 and 113 count fruit. Overall quality is good, though valencias tend to have a rougher exteriors than navels. We expect this market to remain strong for the next few weeks as navels finish up.

Production is now fully transitioned to district 2 in Oxnard area. District 2 tends to have wind related quality issues including scarring and lower yields per acre. Volumes are increasing and shippers are looking to promote fruit this season. sizing is peaking on 115 and 140 count fruit.

Moderate demand this week. Supplies are slowly increasing and crop is peaking on 230 and 250 count fruit. Availability on large limes will likely continue to be light, and most of the inventory will be on small sized fruit. Quality is improving overall with better color and fewer defects reported this week out of Mexico.

As offshore winds down and Mexico hits its stride, domestics have started in a small way and due to pick up volume over the course of next week. In the meantime demand has been nearly silent, on all fronts. Mexico is literally giving product away to areas where they will sell. Offshore seems to be lowering their prices to clean up their last burst of volume. Quality overall is adequate to very good. Sizes off shore continue to run large, Mexico is peaking on 9s and 12s. Domestic is starting out peaking on 12s but should rapidly transition to larger fruit after a few days. Prices next week on domestic will start elevated but decline as the week progresses and volume and sizes pick up.

The story on honeydews is following the same narrative as the cantaloupes. Demand has dried up. Offshore is struggling to clean up the last of their arrivals. Mexico is heavy and skewing to 5s and 6s and selling cheap or consigning. Quality is variable. Domestic is getting very few. Next week there will be a few more domestic dews, but volume will not start until the week of 5/23.

Texas has beautiful onions and so does California. Trucks are available and demand is good for right now. What could possibly go wrong? Weather in the Imperial Valley will heat up this week end and probably drive some problems into the Cal deal. So far the California shippers haven’t killed the Jumbo market and the prices remain the same as last week…$14-$15 with occasionally deals being made on multiple orders. Reds are nice and remain I the $18-$19 range.

Indiana has started and Michigan is going now too. That means there will be less demand for the Mexico and California asparagus deal. Look for ad ideas from the western growers to try to compete with the local Midwest deals in the near future.

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 mostly 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 until June.

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 Redleaf  . 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.  Valencia  production has begun with limited volume but good sizing.  Grapefruit supplies should be improving from Mexico and the Central Valley through Mid May.

Stone Fruit    Production is expected to ramp up next week with supplies and quality anticipated to be strong

Melons     Production on Watermelons and mini’s has begun shipping from Nogales. Supplies started strong along with demand. Production is expected to also begin in the Southern California Desert next week . Cantaloupes and Honeydews will begin late next week with a short season window

Production from the Desert will begin at the end of the month with current production coming from Mexico

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