As mentioned in previous “Trends”, weather is the driving force with the Western veg markets and this year is no exception. Two weeks of below normal temperatures with ice has slowed growth on ALL veg items. Budgeted supplies previously ahead of schedule created an initial excess early combined with labor shortages has turned potential “shortages” into  “gaps” for many items . The icy temps are forecast to hang around for another week. In addition to the lack of supplies quality is taking a HUGE turn for the worse.**** WARNING****  BLISTER , PEEL amp; DISCOLORATION will be the norm with many commodities especially artichokes,romaine, leaf and lettuce but also celery, broccoli , green onions, etc…  creating further “availability” issues as product arrives.Weather for most of the West Coast (norms: 62-65hi/38-45lo)  has been below normal by 10-12 degrees with continuous icy conditions for the past 2 weeks. The forecast is to continue the below normal temps for another week bottoming out this weekend with season low temps before high pressure and warmer weather arrives next week. The deserts have had a similar pattern (norms:70hi/37-42lo) with 10-12 degrees below normal with morning icy conditions. ALL locations have had icy/frost with late harvest starting times which has begun the blister/peel cycle.  Cold but dry weather is expected to last for another week bottoming out this weekend with season low temps but  with a possible return to near normal temps by the middle of the month. Soil temperatures are at a season low, 6-12 degrees below the range  needed for  normal growth. It will take a week of above normal weather to get soil temps to rise. Central Florida and Mexico berry growing regions are expected to have above normal weather (72hi/50lo)  with occasional isolated showers the next couple weeks.

Transportation rates are expected to ease down the next couple weeks with lighter supplies  and fewer shipments out west. Plan ahead to get the best value and service available.

****WARNING**** Seasonal cold temperatures have resulted in harvest delays due to ice. This will eventually lead to blister,peel and discoloration issues on most vegetable commodities especially leaf and lettuce. 

BROCCOLI- Cooler weather along the coast and in the desert will continue to have an effect on supplies.  Previous rain along the coast had degraded quality with widespread pin rot and water spotting making much of the broccoli not suitable to ship East.   The desert has been 1-2 weeks ahead of schedule for most of the season and now we’re seeing gaps in production due to the cold weather. There will  be increasing supplies coming from alternate growing districts such as Nogales, Mexico but even those areas have seen below normal temperatures. The market will peak, especially on crowns, by the early next week.

CAULIFLOWER- With the cooler weather the cauliflower market  has finally started to get active. Quality has mostly been good with some reports of mold spots and bruising. Most expect the market to peak for another couple weeks.

****WARNING****LETTUCE- Production has begun to slow and quality is starting to diminish. Bottom rot and now blister and peel issues will become prevalent , causing lighter color with discoloration on arrival . ALL shippers have contract clauses  that prevent inspections to count blister as a scoreable defect although if serious enough decay will become an issue which is scoreable. The market will likely jump initially but if quality issues persist then sales will start to slow. Order minimum quantities until quality improves.

****WARNING****LEA
F LETTUCE- Similar to Iceberg lettuce , abundant supply has given way to shortages with quality being the biggest issue with blister, peel and discoloration. Ribby Romaine has also affected quality with mechanical damage and pink rib on arrival. Look for the market to continue to be active but shopping for the product least affected by the frost will be necessary. Some shippers  try to strip all affected leaves before packing and some prefer to leave on a few “wrapper” leaves for protection. Either way there will be issues from pale heads highlighting discoloration issues or decay from the breakdown of damaged outer leaves.

ASPARAGUS- Market continues to be  active with limited supplies coming in from Mexico and Peru.  Increased shipments should help supplies but strong  demand will keep pressure on the market to remain high.

BRUSSELS SPROUT- Production from California has all but finished but Mexico production is well underway. Recent cold weather will slow production slightly and the market is likely to firm. Quality will be significantly better from Mexico.

GREEN ONION- Supplies have been limited mainly due to labor in Mexico but also with light rain a couple weeks ago continuing with cold weather the last few weeks  and the  lack of labor available needed to harvest the Green Onions during the Holidays the market has been very active with limited supplies. Continued cool weather will assist in being able to hold the product in the field until sufficient labor starts returning this week but even with the cool weather expect better supplies of small green onions by the end of the week. 

CARROTS- Carrot production has been steady but starting to slow with seasonally cold weather.  The market is steady locally but an influx in bulk supplies from Mexico have deals on bulk packs. Good demand  through the heavy promotional period should help maintain pricing especially for the retail packs.

CELERY- The celery market continues to see strength as good demand and reduced acreage combine to keep market active. Quality has been showing signs of frost damage of late and will continue to have varying degrees of issues depending on production location. Small sizes have become more prevalent due to colder weather and stripping of damaged outer stalks.  Limited quantities being grown in the desert continue to result in a wide ranging market due to the fact most celery is transferred to Yuma for consolidation. The best values will continue to come from Oxnard.

CITRUS- Navel production continues with good volume and improving flavor and sizing profiles. Recent cold weather has yet to have an impact on either quality or production.  Steady increase in production will translate to better values as the season progresses.

STRAWBERRIES- Production is increasing mainly from Mexico and Florida. Central Coast California production is still very limited with quality not suitable to ship East although better quality is expected from production areas on the Southern Coast  within a couple weeks  The market continues to adjust until promotions start to get consumer demand peaking once again. Quality from Florida and Mexico is improving daily and shippers are optimistic quality will be sufficient for promotions. Raspberry production  has stalled with most production out West and the market is very active on limited supply. Blackberries primarily from Mexico continue offer a good value