Weekly Produce Trend Report for Week Ending April 3, 2015 COMMODITY PRICE QUALITY Avocados–Californian & Mexican Blackberries, Blueberries, Raspberries Strawberries Moderate Moderate Low Good Good Good Grapefruit, Pineapples, Lemons, Oranges, Navels Moderate Good Limes High Excellent Green & Red Leaf Lettuces Low to Moderate Good Iceberg Lettuce Moderate Fair Romaine Lettuce Moderate Good Romaine Hearts Moderate Excellent Cucumbers Moderate Good Green Beans Moderate to High Good Green Bell Peppers Moderate Fair to Good Red Bell Peppers Moderate Good Yellow Squash Moderate Good Zucchini Low to Moderate Good Green & Red Seedless Grapes, Bok Choy, Napa, Spring Mix High Good Plums Moderate Good Cantaloupes High Good Honeydews Moderate Good Artichokes Moderate to High Good Arugula, Frisee, Fennel/Anise, Mache, Bunched Spinach Moderate Good Asparagus High Good Broccoli Moderate Excellent Carrots, Baby Spinach Moderate Good Cauliflower High Good Celery Low Good Peeled Garlic Extreme Good Green Cabbage Moderate Excellent Green Onions Moderate Fair Kale (Green), Parsley (Curly & Italian) Red Cabbage Snow & Sugar Snap Peas Red, Yellow, White Onions, Potatoes Round, Plum, Grape Tomatoes Roma Tomatoes Red & Golden Delicious, Granny Smiths, Galas, Fujis, Braeburns, Cameos, Bartlett Pears, Red Anjous D’Anjous Low to Moderate High High to Extreme Moderate Moderate Extreme Excellent Excellent Poor to Fair Good Good Poor Moderate Good High Good PRICE TREND Weekly Produce Trend Report for Week Ending April 3, 2015 MARKET OVERVIEW Similarly to last week, the wet veg markets continue to see a little volatility with the transition from Yuma to Salinas. Most notably, cauliflower and broccoli have experienced a significant gap in supply, so both markets are experiencing a demand-exceeds-supply situation, pushing market prices significantly higher. Other products (bok choy, celery, leeks, etc.) have seen slight increases in market prices, but nothing as extreme as the broccoli and cauliflower situations. Extreme market conditions exist for limes: poor weather and growing conditions will continue to negatively impact supply and price in the coming days and weeks. We are also seeing increases in Roma tomato prices and a shortage in Florida due to the freeze; there is a significant lack of color. APPLES & PEARS Washington prices remain low. Stocks are plentiful, particularly large sizes. Quality is excellent: sugar levels are high, measuring 14 to 18 Brix (sugar to acid ratio). Pear prices are stable. The D’Anjou season will run through July. Sugar levels range from 12 to 14 Brix. ARTICHOKES Lighter supplies are forecasted this week and for the coming weeks. The chokes are frost free with excellent quality. Sizing is estimated to be heaviest to 24s. Light supplies are forecasted on 12s and 18s. Prices should be steady to higher this week. ARUGULA Supplies of both baby and wild arugula are very limited with 10 week averages in effect. Expect some yellowing and mildew. ASPARAGUS The market remains elevated due to strong demand and tight supplies. Although new crop harvesting has begun in California, stocks will not reach volume levels until mid-April. Quality is excellent: flavor is grassy, texture is firm, and stalks are straight. AVOCADOS Prices are stable. Volume is rising in California and Mexico. Peruvian fruit will hit the market in mid-April. BANANAS In Central America, last December brought cooler than normal weather patterns, rain and less solar radiation negatively impacting the growing conditions and yield of bananas in Costa Rica. In addition, in the month of January, the Atlantic region suffered extreme high winds in the growing region. Growers lost thousands of banana plants. Guatemala suffered two extreme cold fronts, causing a significant loss in product. Problems are also being experienced with the government of Ecuador. They are enforcing a policy where growers cannot sell more than a certain percentage of their bananas on the open market, which is an “auction market” for the industry. This, combined with the strong demand from Russian companies, has led to extremely high prices for spot market bananas. This is estimated to continue through March. BLACKBERRIES The market continues to rise due to heavy rain and hail in the primary growing region of Central Mexico; good quality berries are tight. Stocks should start increasing and quality will improve next week. Sugar levels range from 12 to 13 Brix. BLUEBERRIES Prices will remain high until growers complete harvesting transitions in California, Florida, and Baja, Mexico. Pack size will change from 4.4-ounce to 6-ounce clamshells. Quality will improve with the introduction of new crop fruit. Sugar levels range from 14 to 18 Brix. The Chilean season has ended. BOK CHOY Tight supplies, high prices. BROCCOLI Expect a volatile market for the next two to three weeks. California supplies remain limited, but are increasing. The Mexican season is nearly over. Quality is best in California; stalks are firm and florets are deep green and compact. CANTALOUPE Market is steady with good volumes of 12’s and smaller on the east coast, and lighter supplies, stronger prices on the west coast. We expect to see the market keep steady and we should have a smooth transition from offshore fruit to domestic product starting out of Arizona and California around the first week of May, possibly sooner. The overall quality of the offshore fruit is good with some fruit showing some sunken areas but for the most part internal sugar, color and quality is very good. Sugar levels are high, ranging from 13 to 14 Brix. CARROTS Availability has improved for jumbo carrots in California. Quality is good. CAULIFLOWER The market has inched down and will continue to ease through next week; although production is slow in Salinas and Santa Maria, it is increasing. The Arizona desert season has ended. CELERY Price are slightly higher than last week, but remain low; the Arizona season is winding down. Stocks are plentiful in Oxnard, California. Quality is excellent. CUCUMBERS EAST: Higher FOBs due to gap situation between offshore and FL. WEST: Variable quality but improving as new fields come on-line. FOB prices down. EGGPLANT EAST: Market steady. WEST: Supplies have tightened up causing higher FOB prices. FENNEL/ANISE Good supplies at steady prices. GARLIC The garlic market has improved, although we are still facing issues with getting product from China. We are still seeing some Chinese pounds that have become available in the market. Although pricing still remains high, it has come down from where it was. It is anyone’s guess whether more pounds will continue to become available or if “the pipeline” will run dry again. On the domestic side, the demand continues to remain high/moderate, and supplies are still tight. However, we are seeing it ease up. GINGER The crop in storage remains tight. This is causing a lack of supply and very high prices, although they are not as high as they were several months ago. GRAPES Market is strengthening, as we have finished flames and now into crimsons and rouge red varieties. On the greens, there is plenty of fruit available with a very wide range in quality therefore a very wide range of prices, but in the next few weeks the green grapes will be much stronger on price as we ship our storage greens. We expect to see the bulk of the crimsons arriving over the next 3 weeks so the market should start to strengthen a bit as we try to bridge the gap between Chilean and Mexico/Coachella district which we plan on starting the new crop fruit by the first week of May as things look to be about 2 weeks ahead of schedule in Mexico and Coachella. GREEN BEANS Better volume in Florida has influenced prices lower in the east and west. Steady availability in Nogales through early April at higher prices compared to Florida. GREEN CABBAGE Good supplies and favorable prices from numerous districts in California, Texas and Florida. Quality is excellent with great color and size. GREEN ONIONS The market seems to be steady and supplies back to normal. Demand could improve due to Easter. Quality is forecasted to be good. HONEYDEW Market strong as demand has been excellent and supplies a little light on both west and east coasts. The overall quality is very good with a green to cream color and excellent sugar and internal condition. Expect the market to keep steady for the next 3 weeks and then start to see things ease a bit as we start some Mexico fruit and then some domestic production around the first week of May. We anticipate good volumes out of the desert region and if weather holds should have some excellent quality. Quality is very good: sugar levels range from 11 to 13 Brix. ROMAINE LETTUCE Strong demand persists; the market is high. The Arizona season will end soon; growers are harvesting in Huron and Salinas. Insect pressure and low weights are issues in new crop supplies. KALE (GREEN) Plentiful supplies continue. Overall quality and appearance continue to be very nice. Bunches are averaging 14-16” in length with dark green color. LIMES As of today the FOBs are @ $50-$53 if available. Still, old crop out of Mexico. New crop starts in 3 weeks. The word is ”The Cartel “is taking over the crop and forcing the market up, somewhat as they did last year. This would diminish the supply, as they would work to keep the majority of the crop in Mexico. We know supply will continue to tighten as the workers in Mexico prepare to go on holiday and celebrate Easter. Hopefully we will not see pricing reach the same levels as last year. KIWI Chile is the main supply area. California is starting. Italian is available off the east coast and will be available on the west coast in a week. LEMONS Market is strengthening as well as we are slowing down on our dist. 1 fruit and starting to pack a bit more of the dist. 2 fruit, but our pack days have been lighter out of dist. 2 and demand has been very good. We will continue on both districts and will pick up our Dist. 2 volume in the coming weeks. The overall market will continue to strengthen as we approach the summer months going forward, we do have a normal volume crop out of dist. 2 this year and will hopefully not run into our shortage situation that we have run into the last couple of years from July to September but we will keep you posted as we get closer. The overall quality is fair to good with some blocks a little weaker than others, the overall juice content is good and color is mixed. GREEN LEAF/VARIETY LETTUCE The market is up a bit from last week. The Arizona desert season is nearly over. Growers have started harvesting in Huron, California. Quality is very good: insect pressure is a slight problem in Huron. ICEBERG LETTUCE The market is low. The Arizona season is wrapping up; some growers have moved to Huron and Salinas, California. Insect problems are being reported in Huron. ROMAINE HEARTS Overall supplies will be average this week and harvesting solely in the Salinas growing area. Overall quality is good. The product is slightly more green and leafy this time of year. As we move more into the season, we will begin to see more cupped hearts. NAPA Limited supplies, high prices. ONIONS FOB prices jumped on every size, every variety this week except for medium yellow onions. Most shippers will be out of whites until we begin in Texas around mid-April. Supplies have tightened quite a bit on Supers and regular colossal as reflected by the big FOB increase. ORANGES Market steady to strengthening especially on 88’s and smaller as we are starting to get into some of our later varieties and gibbed fruit. Expect the market to continue to strengthen on the smaller fruit until we start Valencia’s around the end of April, which will help fill the void on the smaller fruit. The overall quality of the navels is good with excellent sugar and eating like candy. You will see a splash of green due to the gibbed fruit typically around the stem and bloom end, but that is a sign of strong fruit and eats as good as the full color fruit. The upcoming Valencia season is projected to be about 20% lighter than normal due to blocks being pulled out that do not have water, and also the lack of water is causing trees to be every stressed and consequently the fruit on those blocks will be weaker and not near the production we normally see. Sugar levels range from 13 to 14 Brix. PARSLEY (CURLY, ITALIAN) Plentiful supplies in coastal Southern California and Western Arizona. Bunches are averaging 9-10” in length and showing dark green color. PEPPER (GREEN BELL) EAST: Better quality and larger fruit higher; choice generally steady. WEST: Larger sizes lower; choice higher. PEPPER (JALAPEÑOS) EAST: FOB prices generally steady. Quality is good. WEST: Quality is good. FOB prices are down. PEPPER (RED AND YELLOW BELL) Prices are level despite declining volume in Mexico; the season is winding down. Quality is very good, although softness is a minor issue due to recent rain. PINEAPPLE The market is steady; stocks have returned to normal levels. Quality is good, although bruising is a minor issue in some lots. Sugar levels range from 13 to 14 Brix. IDAHO POTATOES The market on big potatoes is advancing again. Demand continues to outpace supply on 70cts and larger. There has been a particular strain over the past 2-3 weeks on 40’s and 50’s. Some of the increased demand has come from customers who have switched to Idaho after pulling product out of Colorado and Washington. Keeping a little heavier inventory than normal on large potatoes is recommended as pro-rating order could be in our future. RASPBERRIES Price are stable; stocks from Santa Maria, California are starting to increase. Fruit is firm and sweet. RED CABBAGE Fairly light supplies continue and high prices in California, Texas and Florida. SALADS & BLENDS Prices are unchanged; raw product stocks will be harvested in Arizona through mid-April. SNOW AND SUGAR SNAP PEAS Snow peas and sugar snaps are in tight supply (Peru, Mexico, and California). Prices remain in the highs for both. Quality is poor, and limited availability will continue through next week. SPINACH (BABY) There are good supplies of baby spinach and clipped spinach. Quality is fair with sightings of minor yellowing. SPINACH (BUNCHED) Tight supplies and high prices during the harvest transition to Central California. Yields have dropped due to issues with mildew. SPRING MIX Increased Yuma temperatures may affect tender leaf items as well as shorten shelf-life. ZUCCHINI & YELLOW SQUASH Good supplies for zucchini and yellow squash in Central Florida. Plentiful availability for new crop zucchini from Northern Mexico; only fair supplies of yellow squash, as the ratio of planted acreage is upwards of 4-1 in favor of zucchini. STRAWBERRIES The market is starting to inch up and will continue to climb through the Easter holiday. California’s recent heat has caused some soft texture, increased bruising and bleeding, and smaller berry size. Harvesting is wrapping up in Florida and Mexico. TOMATOES EAST Rounds 6x7s steady, 6x6s and 5x6s up slightly. Quality continues to be very good. Romas FOB prices down dramatically as more supplies come on-line. Quality is good. Grapes FOB prices stronger. Quality remains very good. Cherries FOB prices generally steady this week. Quality is very good. WEST/MEXICO Rounds 5x6s steady, smaller sized up slightly. Romas New fields, better supplies. FOB prices down substantially. Grapes Prices generally steady. Quality is variable. Cherries FOB prices are down slightly. Quality continues to be variable due to splits and color. TREE FRUIT The nectarine and red plum markets are stable. Peach prices are high; the Chilean season is ending. Quality is good, but light bruising and soft spots are slight issues. WATERMELON Although supplies are increasing, strong demand due to warmer weather is keeping prices elevated. Quality has improved: sugar levels range from 10 to 12 Brix.
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