Phone: (801) 359-2081
Fax: (801) 532-3859
[email protected]
www.azproduce.net
366 West 500 South
P.O. Box 1782
Salt Lake City, Utah
84110-1782
*** THE A & Z MARKET REPORT ***
A Weekly Produce Report for Our Produce Buyers
May 4, 2015
GENERAL OUTLOOK: A high pressure system centered over California will bring warmer, drier weather this week. For most crops this is good-but above normal temperatures (in the 90s) are expected for the parched San Joaquin Valley. Spring vegetables and GRAPES got off to an
early start in California’s Coachella Valley. CORN, CHILI & BELL PEPPERS, GREEN BEANS and EGGPLANT have all started.
*** T I G H T
I T E M S ***
CAULIFLOWER & BROCCOLI: These companion markets continue to be very active! CAULIFLOWER production is gapping in both
Salinas and Santa Maria because of the early start to the season. BUNCH broccoli continues to be plagued with quality issues
(knuckling & branching) that is making availability very light. CROWN supplies are a little better. Strong holiday demand will keep
these veggie prices elevated.
STRAWBERRIES: With rain a week ago and increasing Mother’s Day demand, this market continues to be tight. Recent warmer weather in California is helping the plants
rebound and quality improve, but demand continues to outpace supply! However, too much heat isn’t good either as temps rise in the Salinas Valley. Northern production
continues to build as SoCal volume diminishes. Prices are firm!
LEAF LETTUCES: GREEN LEAF continues in demand-exceeds-supply mode. Supplies are very limited as shippers have little for the fresh market as they struggle to cover
contracts. RED LEAF supplies are a little better while ROMAINE is steady.
ICEBERG LETTUCE: This market is rising because both Salinas and Santa Maria are ahead of schedule due to the warm spring. This scenario has created a gap in production.
Strong holiday demand will make the fewer available supplies more expensive.
ASPARAGUS: Supplies coming from all growing areas are limited. The California deal is short due to adverse weather and fewer plantings. Northwest harvesting is light
while Mexican production is gapping. Peru is unable to send much to the U.S. because Mother’s Day flowers are stealing the limited air freight space. Prices are up!
STONE FRUIT: New crop California NECTARINE and PEACH supplies are still a little sketchy as the season begins. It will really be another two weeks before volumes build,
steady supplies become available and prices ease. Early quality is good but sizing is small. New PLUM harvesting is still farther out. APRCIOTS also have started. CHERRIES
are available, but very expensive. It will probably be mid-May before we see any relief. Any new tree fruit with size is very expensive.
*** PROMOTIONAL ITEMS ***
MELONS: WATERMELON BIN PROMOTIONS ARE AVAILABLE NOW!! Harvesting has finally spiked in Sonora, Mexico allowing BIN
prices to fall to promotable range. Quality is GREAT! Mexican HONEYDEW harvesting is increasing with smaller sizes attractively
priced. Mexico is also shipping new crop CANTALOUPES. Here too, the smaller sizes are the best value. (Note: The first domestic
lopes are now being picked in Brawley, CA as desert production gets an early start this year. Last year growers had problems with
Mosaic virus, losing about 30% of the crop. Hard freezes early on knocked down the white fly population which carries the virus
as growers anticipate a good season this year.) Call for melon prices!
CUCUMBERS: This market remains fairly steady as Mexican production is coming from Sonora (on the mainland) and Baja. Recent warmer weather is spurring growth in
both areas. Now is the time because these low prices won’t last forever. Please call!
RED PEARS: The big 44-lbs. boxes of Anjou variety are really reasonably priced this week—less than 50 cents per pound! Call!
MANGOS: The bottom has fallen out of the Mexican market as prices are really low. The high blush 12-count size is cheaper than we have seen in months. Call for details!
HARD SQUASHES: New crop SPAGHETTI and BUTTERNUT supplies are abundant and prices are low. ACORN isn’t too far behind.
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APPLES: Deals a plenty continue! Large size FUJI, BRAEBURN and PINK LADY varietals are all unbelievably inexpensive. Call to find out just how promotable they are!
(Note: The HONEYCRISP season is rapidly winding down.)
TOMATOES: ROMA volume from Baja, Mexico is increasing. GRAPE TOMATOES are more abundant too. ROUNDS are in good supply with larger sizing as
growers pick from new plants. Tomato quality and availability are good and increasing weekly. Call!
BELL PEPPERS: While the GREEN market is tighter as California begins and Mexico ends, COLORED BELLS are attractively priced this
week. REDS are the best value, although GOLD and ORANGE BELLS are reasonable too. Call for details!
AVOCADOS: The California HASS crop is ahead of schedule and producing good volume of larger fruit. Mexican imports remain prolific especially with the
smaller 70-size. Quality and flavor are superb--the best of the season. Please call for prices!
POTATOES: Idaho RUSSET storage inventories are steady as the overall market is weak. Large count bakers remain in short supply while retail poly packs and
small count bakers are plentiful and inexpensive. (Note: The Bakersfield, CA new crop has started with REDS, WHITES and YELLOWS.) Call for spud details!
DOLE BANANAS: Excellent value continues to be available on this popular commodity. Call our sales staff today to line up an in-store promotion.
*** FRESH FRUITS & VEGETABLES ***
FANCY BERRIES: Mexico continues to be the main source, but that will soon change as California ramps up. Warmer weather will make a big difference. The
BLACK market has been steady. RASPBERRY volumes continue to build. Mexico will peak soon while California harvesting slowly increases. BLUES remain
expensive and in short supply this week--but volumes are increasing.
SEEDLESS GRAPES: Storage imports from Chile continue to be abundant and of high quality for the most part. Two-tier pricing due to size has developed for
both REDS and GREENS. Early new crop harvesting has barely started in Mexico and in the Coachella Valley. Initial pricing will be high for the next few weeks,
but quality is excellent.
CITRUS: Murcott MANDARINS are finished! Note that MINNEOLA TANGELOS are winding down. Larger size NAVEL ORANGES are moving at a fast clip with
excellent color, flavor and condition. Small size navels are in short supply, but new crop VALENCIAS are now available. The LEMON market is rising as larger
sizes are not as readily available as the smaller ones. The Texas and Florida GRAPEFRUIT seasons are history, but the new crop from California has started and
looks very nice. The LIME market is a little lower on smaller fruit while the larger sizes are firm. The supply chain is expected to be uneven at least through May
because of recent weather issues.
DRY ONIONS: The Idaho/Oregon storage season is getting close to the end. Some remaining shippers are offering discounts on YELLOWS. New crop production
in Texas and Mexico has been hit and miss because of recent rains. The California new crop is just starting. Vidalia, Georgia SWEET YELLOWS have started too.
CELERY: The California market has firmed because Mexico and Florida are ending. National demand will now focus on the West Coast. Growers in Oxnard
planted fewer acres this year because of water shortages. Salinas and Santa Maria are also producing.
MUSHROOMS: Strong national demand this spring has made for tight supplies around the country. In response, there have been some product shortages and
firmer pricing.
CORN: New crop harvesting in the Coachella California has started and YELLOW, WHITE and BI-COLOR quality is very nice. Prices
will fall as volumes increase and eating quality will only improve day by day.
DID YOU KNOW – Corn outside North America, Australia and New Zealand means any cereal crop, its meaning understood to vary
geographically to refer to the local staple. In the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand, corn primarily means maize;
this usage started as a shortening of "Indian corn". Indian corn" primarily means maize (the staple grain of indigenous Americans),
but can refer more specifically to multicolored "flint corn" used for decoration. In places outside North America, Australia, and New
Zealand, corn often refers to maize in culinary contexts. The narrower meaning is usually indicated by some additional word, as in
sweet corn, sweetcorn, corn on the cob, popcorn, corn flakes, baby corn. Most historians believe maize was domesticated in the
Tehuacan Valley of Mexico. The Olmec and Mayans cultivated it in numerous varieties throughout Mesoamerica, cooked, ground or
processed through nixtamalization. Beginning about 2500 BC, the crop spread through much of the Americas
CALIFORNIA DROUGHT UPDATE: Demand for fresh imports from Mexico has risen significantly due to the ongoing water woes in the Golden State. January
and February export totals for 2015 were 38% ahead of the same period in 2011. This situation has also allowed Mexico to maintain a surplus in trade balance
with the U.S. California normally produces half of the fruits and vegetables in the U.S. as well as 99% of all nuts too. According to the state’s Department of
Agriculture and Food, 17,000 jobs have been lost and 988,000 acres have been abandoned by California growers as a result of the four-year drought!—Fresh
Plaza
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