October 19th, 2023 Market Report
Lettuce:
Lettuce markets are steady. Production has begun in Huron and Salinas production will continue through the month of October. Weights are 36-42 pounds depending on the shipper. The plants are a bit tired, so shelf life of value-added products has been shortened from 3-4 days. Quality is fair to good.
Leaf:
Romaine markets are steady. Production has begun in Huron. Slight fringe and tip burn are some common defects reported. Quality is fair to good.
Romaine Heart markets are steady. Production has begun in Huron. Slight fringe and tip burn are some common defects reported. Quality is fair to good.
Green and Red Leaf markets are steady. Production has begun in Huron. Slight fringe and tip burn are some common defects reported. Quality is fair to good.
Lettuce Tender Leaf:
Due to recent and current warmer days and nights, Parsley, Cilantro, Arugula, Spring Mix, Arcadian, and Spinach is slightly tighter. Yellow/brown/black leaves may appear at receiving due to heat-related quality issues. Quality is slowly improving, but overall is fair.
Broccoli:
Markets are starting to come down. Quality and yields are steadily improving as well. There is still an AOG price increase on broccoli florets for next week. Quality is fair to good.
Cauliflower:
Markets are active. In recent weeks, warmer weather has brought fields forward and is causing quality issues resulting in lower yields. There is a AOG price increase on cauliflower florets. Quality is fair to good.
Carrots:
Cello markets are steady out West. Canadian carrots remain strong and appear to be getting stronger. Quality is good.
Loose market is steady. Quality is good.
Value-add Snack Carrots are steady. Quality is good.
Celery:
Markets are still coming down. Demand has dropped off for this commodity, which has stabilized the market. Salinas production remains limited, Oxnard/Santa Maria will have ample supplies to meet market demand. Quality is good.
Strawberries & Bush Berries:
Strawberry markets are steady. Fruit is beginning to arrive in Texas from Central Mexico in small quantities. Over the next few weeks, supplies will gradually increase out of McAllen, TX. Over the next two to three weeks, the Salinas and Watsonville growing areas will finish up. We will transition into the Oxnard area with the Central Mexico season following shortly in mid to late November out of Texas. In another month, Florida will begin. Quality is fair to good.
Raspberry markets are steady. There is a good amount of fruit transferring from Baja daily. Quality is fair to good.
Blueberries markets are very active. As Central Mexico begins to produce more fruit in mid-November, markets should soften. Out of the East Coast, Peruvian imports are still sporadic. Small numbers of fruit have begun to arrive at the border from McAllen, TX. Quality is fair.
Blackberries markets are up and active. Very small numbers are coming in from Mexico and Baja. It is expected that volume will pick up in late November, which will ease the current limited availability. Quality is fair.
Potatoes:
Quality is good, just seeing some skin Immaturity from the potatoes not being able to set yet.
Onions:
The onion market is stable. Overall quality is good.
Cucumbers:
Cucumber market is steady. Quality is good.
Euro cucumbers markets are coming down slowly, but still tight. Canada is gapping and expect markets to be active until Mexico gets started in November. Quality is fair to good.
Peppers:
Green bells market is steady. Quality is good.
Red Pepper markets are steady. Quality is good.
Herbs:
Basil: We are still seeing minor quality issues. Overall, quality is fair to good.
Citrus:
Orange markets remain strong and active. The price of 113ct and 138ct will remain elevated through the remainder of the Valencia season. With the hot temps in the Central Valley, shippers can expect fruit to begin re-greening soon (normal this time of year). This is purely cosmetic and does not affect the fruit’s flavor. Mid/late October is expected to be the start of domestic Navels. Other quality issues in play are softer fruit/pack pressure & stem-end aging due to increased temperatures in the growing region. Quality is fair to good.
Lemon markets remain strong and active. District 2 is approaching the end of its season. Lemons are tight across the board. District 3 (California desert/Arizona) has begun lightly. Quality is fair to good.
Lime Harvests are still down from previous weeks. The majority of fruit being harvested still falling in the 230ct/250ct sizes. 110ct size is getting extremely tight, and the 150/175ct sizes will tighten up more as well. Hopefully the rain Mexico got over the last 10 days will help size up the fruit on the trees, but we are still a couple weeks away from seeing if it was enough to help sizing or not. Quality continues to be hit or miss on inbounds. Skin breakdown, and stylar continue to be the main issues, and shippers continue to have to regrade fruit and rerun it before shipping to make grade at delivery.
Grapes:
The grape market continues to be active. The recovery from the tropical storm is going well. The majority of shippers believe they will have supplies until the middle of November. It is possible there will be a short gap in November between the end of the domestic crop and the start of the Peruvian import season. The grape market has leveled off in price as the industry continues to harvest the remaining crop. This market will remain high and tight for the balance of the domestic season. Quality is fair to good.
Tomatoes:
As we transition south, supplies are light on both coasts. Quincy has begun, and FL is just around the corner. Few Florida shippers have started on grapes and cherries. Out west, Baja is in its fall crops and volume is expected to gradually increase. CA is done in about 2 weeks. Expect light colors on Rounds for the next couple of weeks.
Cabbage:
Green Cartons: Markets are steady. Quality is good.
Red Cartons: Markets are steady. Quality is good.
Bagged Cabbage: Markets are steady. Quality is good.
Market Alerts:
The items listed below are being prorated by Shippers.
1.) Broccolini 18ct & 3/2lb
2.) Blueberries
3.) Snipped beans
4.) Sugar snap peas
5.) Snow peas
6.) Hand peeled carrots
7.) Rainbow hand peeled carrots
8.) Haricot vert
