With the early Thanksgiving now comes the extended Christmas Holiday Season .  Most everyone has started their Holiday season with Black Friday , Small Business Saturday or Cyber Monday.  Usually people eat out more often leading up to the Holidays meaning Foodservice should see a spike in sales the next couple weeks  even retailers have been offering  on the go , ready to eat meals .  Now that we are on the last leg of transition down to the southern  growing regions  quality is improving daily which should help drive sales. The weather will be ideal  which should bring about good supplies of most veg items.   Now is the time to  promote all veg  and most fruit items (except strawberries). Make sure to take time in between the Holiday rush  to enjoy a good meal with family and friends.

Weather forecast for the California Coast (norms:66/44-48) calls normal thru most of next week but with possible rain late next week  leading to below normal temps the following week. The Desert and Central Mexico  (norms:84/50) may also see a thunderstorm roll through the area the next weekend but otherwisenormal temperatures through next week with moderate temps to remain through mid April.  Central Valley California (norm:70/42) has forecast similar to the rest of the state with  average temperatures other than possible weekendthunderstorms predicted for next weekend followed by cooler temperatures the following week.

BROCCOLI- Quality along the coast has surpassed quality in the desert. Shippers  will be finishing production in the desert next week but Salinas should pick up the slack. Look for the crown market totemporarily firm next week until full transition back to Salinas. Santa Maria will continue to have good quality and supplies throughout the week. 

ASPARAGUS- Production from Mexico has peaked with additional supplies available from imports.  Salinas has also started with some production leading to a good supply of aspargus. Most shippers  firmed prices to meet their Easter Holiday ad prices but some shippers are offering deals to keep movement steady especially as the Mexican deal winds down. Look for prices to firm back up in a couple weeks. 

GRAPES-   Shipments are increasing again this week from Chile with better sizing expected especially the Reds although there continues to be a wide range in quality and sizing with  significant discounts available on off quality packs. Green varietals  continue to see increases in supplies and the market adjust but Reds should remain steady or even strengthen for the best quality.

CARROTS-  Carrot production has been steady but with strongHoliday demand.  The market is steady but bulk supplies from Mexico continue to keep pressure on the market.

ARTICHOKES- Artichokes production has started it’s seasonal peak especially the preferred Green Globe variety in Castroville/ Salinas. There also continues to be other globe varieties available and withmost “frosted” issues having past all shippers have been offering promotional pricing. Most production missed the Easter promo slot but now is the time to promote.  Sizing will peak on large sizes the next couple weeks and will transition to the medium 24-30 count by mid April with small sizes predominant by the end of the month. 

An overabundant supply is the general theme to most vegetable items in the concentrated winter growing areas in Desert Southwest andMexico. Many items are 1-2 weeks ahead of budgeted harvest schedule but changes in the weather forecast may slow production and may impact supplies in coming weeks.  Unfortunately the perishable nature of produce won’t allow for stockpiling supplies but aggressive purchasing and planning will be needed to insure fillingHoliday orders.

Weather for most of the West Coast has been mild but forecast calls for a major change in temperatures…..

Weather forecast DESERTS of SE CA amp; ARIZONA for Mon Dec 2nd thru Mon Dec 16th, 2013

Temps above seasonal averages today (Mon 71 to 78 degs), cooling up to 20 degs mid to late week as the anticipated unseasonably cold trof of Arctic origin envelopes much of theWestern US.  Wind gusts increase late tonight/early Tue up to 45 mphSECAand 30 mph elsewhere.  Winds increase Tue afternoon gusting to 60 mph SE CA and 50 mph western AZ.  Chance for isolated showers late TueSE CA.  Much cooler temps Wed, 56 to 65 degs cooling further Thu, 52 to 59 degs.  Light lettuce ice Wed easternYumavalleys, becoming widespread moderate to severe Thu.  Moderate-heavy to severe lettuce ice Fri as lows cool a few more degs, while max temps stay relatively the same.

OUTLOOK: Expect widespread lettuce ice from Sat Dec 7 thru Tue Dec 10 as a series of cold trofs from the Arctic pass thru the deserts, reinforcing the unseasonably cool temps.  Little change in max temps Sat – Sun Dec 7^th - 8^th as another trof passes.  Temps remain unseasonably cool Mon – Wed Dec 9^th - 11^th despite warming to the mid to upper 60’s while lows stay cold upper 20’s – upper 30’s.  High pressure builds from Thu – Sun Dec 12^th - 15^th warming max temps well into the 70’s and lows upper 30’s to mid-40s. Normal temperatures for the Coastal areas 63 hi : 42 low    Central Valley 60:40  Desert/Mexico 71:40.

Transportation rates continue to be relatively steady. There are some signs rates will ease this week but withHoliday demand and regulations scheduled to be enforced Jan 1 truck rates look to stay above previous years. Teams continue to remain in high demand with the increased regulations.  Plan ahead for best value and service.

 Lettuce –  Heavy production and postHoliday demand has kept the market flat. Limited labor seems to be the only thing keeping the market from completely bottoming out.  Look for tightening supplies with cooler temps forecast.

Leaf Lettuce – Romaine production continues to be steady with the best quality available in the desert.   Green and Red leaf supplies are also steady but with a wider range in quality.

Asparagus- Production from Coastal Mexico andPeru continues to be moderate. Increased production was predicted but with the change in the weather forecast look for continued light supplies.

 Carrots- Sizing has improved but good demand has kept the market active.  Cooler temps will likely result in smaller sizing moving forward.

Broccoli-   Broccoli production has peaked with most fields 2 weeks ahead of budget.  Great values on bunch and crowns can be found with even the top labels but with the change in the weather forecast broccoli will be one of the first items to be affected. Fortunately broccoli is grown in many areas (Salinas, Santa Maria, Central Valley, Yuma and Mexico) which will help reduce the affect of the weather.  Quality is much better and should continue to improve daily.

Cauliflower- Similar to broccoli, production has jumped significantly. The market looks to bottom out this week with cooler temps slowing production. With fewer growing areas Cauliflower will be much more significantly affected by change in the weather.  Quality has improved but still some issues with discoloration and bruising.

Celery- Production continues mainly from Santa Maria and Oxnard.  Quality has been good. The market is slightly easier with a few more shippers willing to deal from inventoried supplies. Pricing in Yuma will continue to be elevated as most celery is transferred for mixer business.  Cooler weather will also impact supplies.

Bell Peppers- Production from the Deserts andMexico have been steadily increasing but with good demand to match especially the Reds and Yellows. Quality has generally been very nice but could be impacted by possible freezing temps scheduled for next week.

Berries- Supplies fromOxnard have peaked and with possible rain and cooler temps forecast for later this week supplies will further tighten out West.Florida and volume fromMcAllen have been limited but should start to increase weekly.  The market has been active for good fruit that can travel but all fruit will have a degree of bruising and water damage along with a range of coloring. Look for the market to continue to be active untilFlorida andMexico can replace production  from the West. Lighter supplies on Blackberries and Raspberries will continue with increased pricing.

Citrus – Oranges California Navel shipments have been good with very good sizing and flavor profiles. Lemon production appears to be increasing as Coachella and Coastal valley volume and quality are improving daily.

Much like the  baseball trade deadline ,  there’s  a lot of talk and rumors  about local  production not holding up and possible higher markets  but we’ve only seen a few spikes in West Coast  Fruit and  Vegetable demand .  We’re expecting this trend to continue throughout the summer.  Long range weather continues to show little change on the West Coast with continued below normal pattern for the coastal regions and slightly above normal temperatures for the inland valley’s  and deserts.  The rest of the country appears to be near only slightly above normal. Trucks continue to be tight for most areas on the country, especially to the east coast mainly from the lack of backhauls although rates have eased slightly for mid week advanced notice.

LETTUCE- Production continues to be steady with good demand. Local production continues to be limited.  Quality is good in Salinas with occasional mildew and fringe burn.   Weights have been mostly in the mid 40′s.  Market appears to be stable with potential upside due to lack of local product.

BROCCOLI–Quality continues to be good to excellent few large stalk, hollow stem.   Market has held steady at modest levels with production coming out of Salinas and Santa Maria. The market appears to be steady for the next 7-10 days with slight upside.

CAULIFLOWER– Lighter supplies resulting from the continued below normal weather pattern has firmed up the market. Quality continues to be good with occasional black spotting reported. Market could remain fairly active until the weather pattern returns to normal.

LEAF ITEMS–    Production continues to be moderate and demand has been good. Romaine Hearts continue to be strong everywhere.  Market will continue to see surges of demand even with East Coast quality improved but still fair.  

CELERY– Production has leveled and the market seems to have settled but like the leaf market, demand from the  East will dictate market movement .  Quality on California celery continues to be good with few quality issues to report.

STRAWBERRIES–   Summer production has peaked in the Salinas/Watsonville area.   Quality ranges from fair to good with most fruit showing some signs of bruising  and fair quality showing occasional decay at shipping point.  Even with the best, expect some bruising on arrival.  Demand has been good with heavy promotions but with lesser quality prevalent look for fewer ads and a wider range market depending on quality.   Raspberry amp; Blackberry production also peaked from Salinas/ Santa Maria, with a wide range in quality. Most production being shipped to nearby markets. Quality won’t likely improve until the Fall crop starts in 3-4 weeks.

ASPARAGUS – Limited imports from Mexico amp; Peru have kept supplies  tight and the demand  limited  but strong. 

ARTICHOKES- Lighter Summer supplies have led to a boost in the market on all sizes.  Quality has been excellent.  The next spike in production will come next month.

WESTSIDE MELONS-Cantaloupe production continues to peak from the Westside  with Honeydews just starting to increase volume.  Both peaking on the larger sizes and most shippers  eager to promote. 

This time of year is all about the weather .  Most growers  over budget their production in case of disruptive weather. This year is no exception although there are a few growers reporting a slight cutback in acres due to poor returns last Winter. The overproduction combined with normal weather usually produces bumper crops which is the situation currently in the desert. Not til late December is the weather expected to drop below normal. As a result expect plenty of produce for the Christmas Holiday. Although nothing in the forecast but if cold weather does come it may affect availability for New Years promotions but we’ll update that in the coming weeks. In the meantime get out and do some Holiday shopping.

After a wet (2-5″) weekend along to coast the weather in Californiagrowing districts is predicted to be slightly above normal (65/40-44 Coast ) through most of December  with only a few rain events forecast along the coast . The desert is predicted to be dry and also slightly above normal (70/42 Desert) for December with no severe lows currently forecast

Rates  continue to ease sligh tly  before stronger Holiday demand kicks in by the end of the week. Plan ahead to get the best value and service.

LETTUCE-  Yuma quality is good and abundant. There will be strong supplies this week and shippers  will be  motivated to sell. Color, sizing and weight are all ideal..

BROCCOLI- Supplies of broccoli continue to increase with crowns likely to become more available as most growers are now breaking into their new fields.  Broccoli continues to be grown in multiple districts (Salinas, Santa Maria, Central Valley ,Yuma and Mexico) . Yuma tends  to be  the most convenient and centralized  loading location and prices generally reflect. There continues to be  plenty of broccoli available in Northern California .  Heavy discounts for volume are being offered but there is the risk of water spotting and pin rot due to the heavy rains over the weekend along the northern coast. The  desert is the  recommended loading location currently. .

CAULIFLOWER-    Salinas and Santa Maria continue to be the primary growing regions and  production has yet to fully get underway in the desert. There is currently light supplies of cauliflower on the market but look for additional supplies as the week progresses as conditions improve in the desert.

LEAF ITEMS-   Good growing conditions have resulted in ample supplies of all leaf  . There is  also a strong supply of Hearts.  Markets should remain steady  through the next couple weeks. Quality is very nice in the desert.

CELERY-  Most shippers  have started their southern production in either Oxnard or the desert .  The shippers who don’t grow in the desert continue to transfer Celery to their desert loading facilities for convenience.  This creates a wide range in markets during the Winter season. Best deals will come from  Oxnard  although heavy rains will delay harvest over the next few days . Look for larger sizes  to become more prevalent next week..

ASPARAGUS–  Mexican production has been steady.  Market is  expected to remain steady as well.

GREEN ONION-   There continues to be an abundant supply of Green Onions on the market especially small sizes Pricing on larger sizes is slightly higher  but look for more uniform pricing as we get closer to the Christmas Holiday demand.

CARROTS- Recent rains may affect harvest but above normal weather forecast should help get production back on track .  Market should remain active through the Holidays with heavy promotions.

BRUSSELS SPROUTS-  Supplies look to continue to be strong.  The  market is repeating its’ performance from early November with a good supply and a weakening market but  significant  promotions for the Holiday will again tighten the market rapidly.  Take advantage of promotional pricing before and during the Christmas Holiday.

STRAWBERRIES-  Heavy rains along the coast have wiped out production  for most of this week .  Mexico will be  the primary source of fruit until fields can recover. Florida fruit is in it’s early stages and will be  limited  Although Oxnard should recover by next week supplies  will be limited everywhere for the next 3 weeks. . Raspberries production will be  setback due to the coastal rains as well. Blackberries primarily from Mexico have increased and continue offer a good value.

A slow start to the Holiday pull should start to heat up as we get closer to Christmas.  There have been abundant supplies in the coolers and fields in anticipation of cold weather slowing production during the peak Holiday demand but inventories will be reduced quickly as most shippers have had limited harvest the past 5 days because of the frost conditions.

The severe arctic cold wave that hit the West Coast the past week is now headed East and should be replaced by normal mild temperatures the rest of the month. Although ground temps will take a week or so of mild temps to reach levels necessary for normal growth.

OUTLOOK:  Warming to above normal Sun – Wed Dec 15^th – 18^th as a ridge develops over the deserts.  Gusty winds and cooler temps Thu – Sun Dec 19^th – 21^st. as a Gulf of AK trof digs, that could bring a chance of rain Sat – Sun Dec 20^th-  21^st.  Max temps could cool to the mid 50’s to low 60’s and morning lows to low to upper 30’s.  Minor warming follows Sun – Tue 22^nd- 24^th. 

Normal temperatures for the Coastal areas 62 hi : 40 low    Central Valley 56:38  Desert/Mexico 70:36.

Transportation rates continue to be relatively steady. There are some signs rates will ease this week but with Holiday demand and regulations scheduled to be enforced Jan 1 truck rates look to stay above previous years. Teams continue to remain in high demand with the increased regulations.  Plan ahead for best value and service.

Lettuce – Heavy shipments continue early this week but limited production due to slower growth and limited harvest hours will shorten supply.  Quality will also start to show signs of blister, peel and discoloration over the next couple weeks. 

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Leaf Lettuce – Romaine production continues to be heavy but should also slow as the cold weather will have an effect on growth and quality.  Yuma valley which is normally cooler than the Coachella valley seemed to be spared the extreme cold temps but some blistering and

peel will start to show up with this week shipments. Green and Red leaf supplies and quality will also be affected by the freezing temperatures this past week.

Asparagus- Production from Coastal Mexico and Peru continues to be moderate. Increased production should commence once the weather on the West Coast returns to normal.

Carrots- Sizing has improved but good demand has kept the market active.  Cooler temps will likely result in smaller sizing moving forward.

Broccoli-   Broccoli production has peaked.  Great values on bunch and crowns were available earlier this week but supplies will likely shorten as the effects of the past weeks cold front will slow growth.  Supplies will be available but look for higher pricing through the Holiday demand period.  Supplies should rebound by the end of the month.

Cauliflower- The market has already reacted to shorter supplies due to the cold weather.  Looked for continued bump in prices until normal weather pattern sets in. Quality will also suffer to due exposure to the curd when the foliage freezes then thaws.  Cauliflower is much more significantly affected by change in the weather due to the limited production areas available.

Celery- Production continues mainly from Santa Maria and Oxnard.  Quality has been good but now with the freezing temps especially along the coast the celery quality will suffer mainly from blister and peel and possibly black heart. The market on larger sizes is likely to strengthen due to the fact the celery will have to be trimmed down significantly to remove the severe blistering. Pricing in Yuma will continue to be elevated as most celery is transferred for mixer business.

Bell Peppers- Production from the Deserts and Mexico have been steadily increasing but with good demand to match especially the Reds and Yellows. Quality has generally been very nice but freezing temperatures will have an impact on quality and supplies for the upcoming weeks.

Berries- Production in Santa Maria has been halted by the severe cold temperatures this past week. Whatever fruit was available has to be stripped down to the blossom. Even some blossoms were damaged.  Oxnard had slightly warmer temperatures but has similar issues.  The only fruit with sufficient quality to ship East will be from Mexico/Texas and Florida.  Supplies will take at least a month to rebound from the West Coast but should be improving daily from Texas and Florida.  Light supplies of Raspberries will continue with increased pricing but Blackberries should start to see better supplies. 

Citrus – Oranges California Navel shipments have been good with very good sizing and flavor profiles. Lemon production amp; quality had been improving from  Coachella and Coastal valley but it is yet to be determined if the recent freeze had the duration to affect the Navels or Lemons which tend to be heartier than the Mandarins.

Long range weather starting to warm on the West Coast with highs in the mid 70’s to high 80’s and continued  above normal temperatures for the inland valley’s,  deserts and the rest of the country.

If solicitations were an indicator of truck rates look for a drop in rates  soon even with diesel prices starting to inch upwards. Rates for now are holding steady for most of the country. Preferred rates are still available for mid week, advanced notice loading.

LETTUCE- Production continues to be steady  with good demand. Local production continues to be limited.  Quality is ranging from ok to good in Salinas with occasional mildew and fringe burn.   Weights have been mostly in the mid 40′s.  Market appears to be stable with potential upside due to limited local production.

BROCCOLI–Quality continues to be good to excellent.   Market has held steady  with production coming out of Salinas and Santa Maria. The market appears to be steady for the next 7-10 days with slight upside.

CAULIFLOWER– Lighter supplies  has firmed up the market but still with a wide range. Local production continues to be  limited but expected to increase going forward which should cap upside. Look for market to ease by the weekend.  Quality continues to be good with occasional black spotting reported.

LEAF ITEMS–    Production continues to be moderate and demand has been good. Romaine Hearts continue to be strong everywhere.   Market will continue to see surges of demand even with East Coast quality improved but still fair.   Quality issues also in California have limited volume and have kept markets  active. 

CELERY– Production has leveled and the market seems to have settled. Quality from Michigan  and subsequent demand from the  East will dictate market direction . Currently quality from Michigan is  reported as fair at best but improving.  Quality on California celery continues to be good with few quality issues to report.

STRAWBERRIES–   With Summer production past the peak the  market will start to  firm .   Quality ranges from fair to good with most fruit showing some signs of bruising  and fair quality showing occasional decay at shipping point.  Even with the best, expect some bruising on arrival.  Demand continues to be  strong and shippers  will be able to choose which markets  they want to ship.    Raspberry amp; Blackberry production also peaked from Salinas/ Santa Maria, with a wide range in quality. Most production being shipped to nearby markets. Quality won’t likely improve until the Fall crop starts in 2-4 weeks.

ASPARAGUS – With  Mexico production winding down , leaving imports  from Peru as  the  primary  source look for markets to become  more active especially as we near the  end of the  month.  

ARTICHOKES- Lighter Summer supplies have led to a boost in the market on all sizes.  Quality has been excellent. Market should  remain  active for the  duration of the month.

WESTSIDE MELONS-Cantaloupe production continues to peak from the Westside  with Honeydews  starting to increase volume.  Both peaking on the larger sizes and most shippers  eager to promote. 

As we settle into the Winter season much of the country has yet to experience any severe cold weather.  California and Arizona have been no exception. Ideal weather in most growing regions have led to a surplus in many vegetable categories due to crops maturing earlier than normal. This excess makes for a great opportunity to promote more veggies. So take advantage while supplies are at their peak because with the short days and possible seasonal cold weather lurking excess supplies could turn into temporary shortages quickly.