Labor day will soon be upon us and people will be heading outside to enjoy the last holiday of the summer.  The northeast has seen some excellent weather this year, and labor day will be no exception.  This week is expected to be slow for west coast fruits and vegetables because the general labor day pull is over, and product is already on the road or in stores. Temperatures remain mild and warm across the board for the northeast.  Salinas weather still remains in the high 60s to low 70s, and is not expected to change for at least another 10 days.  Markets are down on just about everything, with the exception of only a few items.  Trucks remain plentiful, and rates continue to decline ever so slightly as a result.

LETTUCE — Not much change from last week.  Plenty of product in the fields and coolers.Quality has been good, structure has been firm, weights have been heavy.  Shipper are looking to move and taking offers.

BROCCOLI — East coast states continue to produce and is having an effect on west coast business. Some “delivered” prices for broccoli to the East is about the same as some West coast FOB prices! That makes it tough to sell.  This week is expected to be slow, and shippers are bringing prices down.  Be on the lookout for special deals and ad opportunities.

CAULIFLOWER — Plenty of product around, and good supplies throughout the industry.  There is a $4 spread between some labels, but favorable weather conditions have kept quality standards high, with comparable product throughout the industry.

LEAF ITEMS — Romaine and green leaf are tight.  East coast product is still growing, however, quality has been marginal at best.  Many east coast buyers are looking out west for better quality leaf, which, in part will lower supply and raise the market.  Romaine and green leaf have seemed to be hit the hardest, and should see a stronger market as we head into the next few days.

CELERY — Good prices on all sizes, plenty of product that has yet to harvested.  We expect the market to stay generally flat through this week and next. Shippers are taking offers and looking to move.

STRAWBERRIES  — VERY tight. Currently, the only shipper confident enough to deliver to the east coast on a daily basis is Driscoll, and they cannot keep up with the demand.  Prorates are getting worse, as orders are now being cut back 70 – 80%.  That means if you have a load booked (2808 cases) , you will only receive approximately 500 cases if you are lucky.  It is a frustrating predicament, but things are expected to continue like this for at least another week.  Hopefully, as September begins, coastal weather will warm, and production can get back to a more manageable level.