Long range weather in the East shows little or no rain, which is certainly welcome for those areas ravaged by the relentless rain. Long range in the growing areas out West show some rain today, but the rest of the week looks good, with highs getting into the mid 70s, which should help bring on more product.
Trucks are tighter, as more strawberries are being shipped from California. This increase puts more pressure on available rigs, and are allowing truckers to demand for more money. For instance, we are paying around $500/load MORE than we were the past 2-3 weeks.
LETTUCE–rain is falling in Huron, where most of the lettuce is coming from, and is slowing down harvesting. But, no rain is forecasted for the rest of the week, so things should settle back to normal fairly quickly. There ARE a few shippers still going in Yuma, but that deal should be totally finished by next week. The overall market is fairly wide ranged, with as much as a $5.00/box spread, depending upon the shipper, area, and quality.
BROCCOLI–supplies are coming from Salinas to Yuma, and all points in between. With that kind of geographic spread, we are seeing an equal spread in the market. Also, we are seeing more crowns, which is now priced more normal to the bunch/crown ratio.
CAULIFLOWER–still good supplies and low market for both 9s and 12s. Check around for deals in Salinas, Santa Maria, and the desert.
LEAF ITEMS–supplies still coming out of the desert, as well as Huron, Oxnard, and Santa Maria. Like other items listed above, there are deals, depending upon the area and shipper.
CELERY–rain has been falling in Oxnard today, but will clear out later tonight. Still, harvesting has been slowed today, and you should expect to see mud and wet product, especially in the sleeve. The overall market is hanging in pretty firm, with Dole and T&A demanding as much as $5.00/box between them and the mostly market.
STRAWBERRIES–rain has fallen today in Oxnard and Santa Maria, which actually is welcome. There is just TOO much product out here. Oxnard only as another 2-3 weeks for the most part, then we will switch to Santa Maria and Salinas/Watsonville. Marketwise, there continues to be deals out there.
ASPARAGUS–as we enter the first week in April, the desert usually shuts down. But, the weather hasn’t been too warm yet, so they continue to produce. That is fine, since the Stoction/Lodi has had unseasonably cold, wet weather, which has slowed that deal. Since Easter is behind us, there are some deals out there, especially in the desert.
Ed Brem
ed@producewest.com
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.