MARKET UPDATE WEEK # 29 - 2020

Good Afternoon,

Temperatures are slightly warmer in the Salinas Valley this week. We continue to see stronger demand for most CA VEG commodities.

BROCCOLI came off this week but has ticked back up due to many shippers grading out less than favorable product. CAULIFLOWER might be the lone item this week with some great volume to be had, making it a great item to special next week!

LETTUCE and LEAF are seeing fair supplies; not bad, but not plentiful. Look for leafy greens and iceberg lettuce to feature middle of the road pricing and availability next week.

CHERRIES are going to come off slightly as we move past the holiday and supplies improve.

PLANTAINS are going to be tight for at least the next 3-4 four weeks. Shippers are cutting back orders due to some serious challenges in the tropics. The factors that affect produce markets can be vast and interesting, and right now, that holds true for PLANTAINS. STORMS in Guatemala have caused erosion damage to roads, delaying transportation of fruit to the port. A volcano eruption in Ecuador rained down ash on farms, leaving the acres of plantains ruined. We are also seeing labor shortages from COVID-19. Due to these limiting factors, shippers will be on SERIOUS ALLOCATION for the next several weeks. Please get your orders in early for the best chance of fulfillment.

All varieties of BELL PEPPER continue to see limited supplies this week. GREEN BELLS should improve as Michigan becomes more of a factor. RED, YELLOW, and ORANGE, PEPPER will depend on Mexican supplies significantly improving to see any drastic changes in the marketplace.

MELONS and GRAPES are in a similar spot. MELON markets are improving as domestic supplies pick up. GRAPE supplies are getting better in CALIFORNIA, but with Mexican production finishing, there will be two tiers in the RED SEEDLESS market. The higher pricing is for new crop, California fruit, and worth it.

BOSC PEARS are wrapped up for the most part. There are some 20# boxes available, but quality has been a problem. ANJOU pears are still available in Washington, but mostly only in US#1 quality on the smaller sizes; there will be a price increase there. CALIFORNIA pears will start in the next few weeks, which should help move things along.

Make sure to check out our Weekly Fresh this week for some great deals!

More as it happens,
Parker Tannehill