Week 11 2024 market update:
Berries
Strawberries: The up and down year in Florida continues as last week brought cooler weather and little sunshine in Plant City and surrounding growing areas. Production decreased dramatically mid-week leading to prorations over the weekend. We continue to see gray mold pressure resulting in rejections on arrival, this is leading to additional shorts. We are two weeks away from volume coming on in North Carolina and California is just beginning harvest in the central regions of Santa Maria and Watsonville.
Lettuce and Leafy Greens: Markets have really come under pressure because of the heavy rain earlier in the year. We expect quality challenges for the next several weeks as the deal winds down in Arizona and the California desert area. We do expect tightening supplies. We are also seeing many credits and returns from a handful of stores on iceberg and romaine hearts currently. At this point of the winter, all lettuce will have some discoloration. The quality evaluation on all lettuce needs to follow two criteria and credit should not be requested if one of these things is not present:
- Decay
- Discoloration affecting the product deeper than the first three leaves.
If it is just brown or pink discoloration on the bottom of the iceberg head it is in tolerance and credit should not be requested.
Limes: Mexico is limiting production causing supplies to tighten and increase market pricing
Blueberries: Flush crop plenty of availability and different levels of quality product primarily arriving from Chile. Mexican harvest has begun as well, and Florida should ramp up in the next two weeks.
Asparagus: Supplies have improved as the Mexican harvest in underway. MPG is shipping 28# cases.
Avocados: Mexico is limiting production causing supplies to tighten.
Cantaloupe and Honeydew: We will receive products from South and Central America until Spring.
Clementines: California Clementines will be available going likely through May. However, this is an off-harvest year, and markets are going to be high all season with yields peaking this month.
Colored Pepper: Supplies are adequate but not promotable for another 3 weeks.
Eastern vegetables:
Cabbage: Good supplies for St. Patrick’s Day. Supply will meet this week’s demand for the holiday.
Cucumber: Extremely tight as the offshore Honduras deal is winding down and with the weather effects of the El Nino year impact the harvest. Florida and Mexico will begin harvest in a next week.
Green Pepper: Supplies are plentiful.
Zucchini and Yellow squash: Quality has become more inconsistent.
Grapes: The industry has moved to the Chilean season. We continue to have tightly supplied markets and expect that to be the case until Mexico begins harvest at the end of May.
Green Beans: Supplies have improved, and markets have stabilized.
Green onions: Quality and supply impacted by rain and cool weather in the Mexican and Arizona growing regions. We expect issues to persist through March.
Cilantro: Short term supply issues as quality this week has caused extremely low yields.
Lemons: California harvest is ongoing. Supplies have improved.
Limes: Supplies are meeting demand, but markets are high.
Mangoes: Harvest has begun in Mexico; supplies have improved significantly over the past two weeks.
Mixed Berries: Out of Mexico, Raspberry supply meets demand; Blackberries are abundant.
Onions: White onion supplies are extremely tight. Sweet onions supplies have also tightened. We expect there to be rising markets on the yellows until the Spring Mexican and California crops begin at the end of March.
Pears: Bosc, Anjou, and Red are in Washington. Bartletts have transitioned to Argentina.
Tomato:
Nature Sweet Snacking tomatoes: We have added the Nature Sweet snacking tomatoes back in the order guide unfortunately we are still experiencing significant supplier shortages and rejected much of this week’s supply of cherubs and constellation due to quality concerns. We are anticipating two more weeks of supplier prorations.
Hothouse:
Beefsteak Supply is now meeting demand and we are heading into some promotable opportunities in the next few weeks.
TOV – Supplies are plentiful.