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. 

jeux gratiut
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.