November 14th, 2024 Market Report
Lettuce: Alert
Lettuce markets are very active and sold out. Demand for this commodity significantly exceeds supply and is expected to remain tight through the Thanksgiving holiday. Production in Huron is nearly complete, and supplies in Yuma are moderate at best. Expect to see pinking, discoloration, and lightweights. Weights are ranging from 28-37 pounds which is a widespread issue throughout the industry. There is an AOG increase on all value-added products. Quality is fair to good.
Leaf: Alert
- Romaine markets are still active. Demand for this commodity significantly exceeds supply and is expected to remain tight through the Thanksgiving holiday. There is an AOG increase on all value-added products. Expect to see slight tip/fringe burn and light weights. Quality is fair to good.
- Romaine Heart markets are still active. Demand for this commodity significantly exceeds supply and is expected to remain tight through the Thanksgiving holiday. Expect to see slight pinked ribs. Quality is good.
- Green Leaf markets are up. Expect to see slight tip/fringe burn and light weights. Quality is fair to good.
- Red Leaf markets are up. Expect to see slight tip/fringe burn and light weights. Quality is fair to good.
Lettuce Tender Leaf: Alert
Arcadian, Spring Mix, Spinach, Cilantro, Arugula, and Italian Parsley. All tender leaf items are tight as we head into the transition period. Some processors in Yuma are harvesting to help supplement the shortage in the north. These markets are expected to remain elevated for the next 2 weeks. Quality is fair to good.
Broccoli: Alert
Markets are very active out West. Shippers are reporting brown bead, pin rot, and mechanical damage. There is an AOG increase on all value-added products. Product coming out Mexico is in better supply. Quality is fair to good.
Cauliflower:
Markets are coming off. Expect to see some instances of brown spotting due to recent heat. There is an AOG increase on all value-added products. Quality is fair to good.
Carrots:
- Cello markets are steady out West. Canada crop is in great shape with great quality. Costs are steady on Canadian product for this coming week.
- Loose market remains high on Mexican crossings with good quality. Canada market is steady to up just slightly. Quality has been very nice.
- Value-add Snack Carrots are steady. Quality is good.
Celery:
California markets are slightly up. Quality is good.
Strawberries & Bush Berries: Alert
- Strawberry markets are still up and active. Supplies from California remain limited as colder days and shorter daylight hours slow production. Central Mexico and Baja volumes are expected to increase by next week. Quality is fair to good.
- Raspberry markets are steady. Lighter crossings from Central Mexico and Baja are anticipated, keeping markets elevated and limiting the availability of open market fruit. Quality is good.
- Blueberries markets are off just a little on Peruvian imports with good supplies arriving. Costs are a little softer for next week. Quality has been very good.
- Blackberries markets are steady. Lighter crossings from Central Mexico and Baja are anticipated, keeping markets elevated and limiting the availability of open market fruit. Quality is good.
Pineapples:
Market is steady for next week on product from Costa Rica. Quality has been good on recent arrivals from Costa Rica. We may see an increase as holiday demand picks up.
Potatoes:
The Potato market is steady. Quality has been good.
Onions:
The onion market is steady. Quality has been good.
Cucumbers:
- Cucumber The market has come off on both selects and supers. NJ is done for the season. The Carolinas and Georgia are into better supplies. Florida has started harvesting. Quality has been good on inbound.
- Euro Cucumbers markets are steady at the lower end. Quality has been fair to good. There are a lot of poor to fair quality cucumbers at very cheap costs.
Squash:
The green squash market is up slightly, but still at the lower end with good supplies in the Carolinas and Georgia. Yellow squash is also up slightly with limited supplies of good quality squash.
Eggplant:
New Jersey Eggplant is finished for the season. Market is lower on new crop Georgia eggplant and the quality has been sharp.
Peppers: Alert
- Green bell market is extremely tight on quality green pepper and costs remain high. Quality on inbound has been fair to good. New Jersey has finished for the season and product is very tight on new crop Georgia.
- Red Pepper markets remain high with only fair supplies. Quality has been good on recent inbounds.
- Chile Pepper Jalapeno pepper market is about steady. Quality has been sharp on recent arrivals.
Herbs:
- Basil: quality is fair.
Citrus:
- Orange Markets out of California are coming off. The Navel season is underway, with peak sizes in the 138ct, 113ct, and 88ct ranges. 72ct and larger will remain limited for the foreseeable future. Gas times are around 72-96 hours, and Brix levels are in the 12 range. Quality is good.
- Lemon Markets out of California are steady. District 3 (CA Desert/AZ) is performing well and will continue through February. District 1 (San Joaquin Valley) has started slowly but is expected to ramp up in the coming weeks. Quality is good.
- The Chilean season is just about done. Costs are higher. We will transition to Mexico and California in the coming weeks.
- Limes
With the recent rains, and overall good weather lately, the current crop has really started to size up quickly. Overall crop profile has once again shifted higher with the bulk of the crop in the 150/175ct sizing, and 200ct and smaller sizes have tightened up some. Large 110/150cts are also showing good supplies. As the crop sizes up, look for larger fruit to show up sized by diameter, not exact counts. With the Thanksgiving pull starting next week, look for demand on limes to increase, which could push the market back up slightly. We are currently near the bottom of the market for growers. If it goes much lower, they will b
- Green Cartons: Markets are steady on green cabbage. Cooler weather is slowing volume. Canada, New York, Pa, and NJ all in production. Cabbage from the South remains light in volume with higher costs. Quality has been sharp on inbound.
- Red Cartons: Markets are up slightly with good supplies. Quality is good.
- Bagged Cabbage: Market is steady with fair to good supplies out of NY and Canada.
e at the breakeven/losing money point and will begin to slow down harvests or begin to keep more fruit locally. Overall quality has been pretty nice with just minor scarring showing up occasionally.
Grapes:
Markets are steady on red grapes, but up on green grapes. Domestic grape season is nearing its end. Green grapes will likely be wrapping up by the end of November and red grapes are projected to finish by the first week of December. At this point, we don’t anticipate a gap between domestic and imported grapes. Imported greens are already arriving on the East Coast. Reds will start arriving the week after Thanksgiving. Quality is good.
Tomatoes: Alert
Markets on rounds remain very strong. Supply is light overall. Florida has started harvesting only a few days per week. Mexico crossings are light. Cherry tomatoes, grape tomatoes along with plum tomatoes are in short supply and costs remain elevated.
Cabbage:
Market Alerts:
The items listed below are either being prorated or are in short supply.
1.) Yukon Unclassified Potatoes
2.) Avocados
3.) Corn
4.) Round tomatoes
5.) Cherry and Grape Tomatoes
6.) Plum Tomatoes
7.) Green and Red Pepper
8.) Specialty Pepper
9.) Value Added Lettuce
10.) White Jumbo Mushrooms
11.) White Large Mushrooms
12.) Silver Dollar Mushrooms
13.) Spring Mix 3lb
14.) Spinach 4/2.5lb