January 2, 2008

ICEBERG LETTUCE:

Mexican lettuce continues to cross the border through Texas, and may be an option for many markets in the South, Midwest and East. Florida is harvesting lettuce, but with limited availability. The California market is mostly steady but there is talk of a slight increase later this week. Supplies are down, but so is demand so we will have to wait to see if the market will support an increase right now. Weights of palletized lettuce are in the 42 to 44 pound range on 24 count packs in Yuma and the Imperial Valley. Frost in the mornings is delaying harvesting efforts so be prepared to wait a little longer at pick-up points.

ROMAINE & LEAF:

Florida is harvesting, and the numbers are building, but cold weather there this weekend could affect availability and quality. The Romaine, Green Leaf, and Red Leaf markets are steady in supply, with demand starting to fall, and prices steady to lower. Quality is good overall, even though there are some freezing temperatures occurring occasionally now. For all of the Yuma / California crops, the cold temperatures and shorter hours of daylight are keeping the harvest from beginning until later in the day. Orders are being filled, but truck waiting time is up.

BROCCOLI:

The Broccoli market screaming upward as cold temperatures in California have practically halted growth in its tracks. Steady supplies are coming from Mexico, Florida, California, and Arizona, with quality being good, but that still is not enough to make up the deficit left by California. Watch the weather and you will be able to predict the broccoli markets in the coming weeks. Cold weather means slow growth and potentially higher markets, while warm weather means fast growth and potentially lower markets.

CAULIFLOWER:

With cooler weather slowing the growth of product, we are in a “demand exceeds supplies” situation. Some shippers do not have enough supplies to cover orders, and are buying on the open market to cover commitments. Cooler weather will mean slow growth in the coming weeks, which could keep the markets at the current levels or higher. Since cauliflower grows rapidly in warm weather, the supply side could change quickly. Do not keep inventories too high!

CARROTS:

No change in the carrot market. The Carrot market continues to remain steady on the West Coast. Both supply and quality are good. Canada continues to go strong. Quality is good and the Canadian market is steady. Georgia started with carrots last Monday and should last into April or May. Carrots from Mexico continue to be plentiful through Texas.

CELERY:

Florida celery is just starting their harvest, but cooler weather down south could slow growth and push the market higher, that hasn’t happened yet. California continuing to harvest in Oxnard and Coachella regions, the smaller sized celery, which retailers prefer, is more plentiful. The market is stable with the holiday pull over, and demand light. The quality of celery is nice with color ranging from medium to dark green.

BERRIES

Strawberries:

The rains in California have limited supplies severely already, and quality on the California fruit has been improving. Unfortunately rain is in the forecast for Thursday thru Saturday, again limiting supplies and making quality an issue. Mexican strawberries are available with fair to good quality. Florida strawberries are increasing in production, and quality is good. Florida is expecting cold weather so this market could also take off with supplies being limited and quality slipping. Weather will continue to play a role on strawberry supplies over the next couple of months, in all areas. If you need a source for Florida berries, Church Brothers, Cal Giant, or Colorful Harvest will be happy to assist you.

Raspberries/Blackberries:

As all raspberries and blackberries are now being imported, the supplies are light, and demand is good, supporting a firmer market. Quality is good, with a few quality issues arising, which may be due to a number of transportation, handling, and storage issues occurring after harvest.

Blueberries:

Blueberries are becoming more plentiful as air and sea shipments stay on schedule. Supplies are building, pushing the market down. Once again, as with the blackberries and raspberries, everything is being imported at the present time, and many things enter into the quality we see, since they are being shipped from such long distances.

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POTATOES:

Prices on the Idaho russet potatoes are steady to a little lower, with trucks still high, but with a few more available, It is hard to judge the market in these short weeks, and during these times of bad weather, but it does appear that the potato markets are steady for the most part. Keep in mind that the cold weather could be a factor as we enter the coldest time of the year, and transportation from the storage facilities to the packing facilities could become a factor. If it is too cold to move the potatoes to the packing sheds, then orders will not be filled in a timely manner. Keeping a few extra potatoes in inventory during this time of year is a good idea!

ONIONS:

Once again the market on yellow is stagnant. Yellow onions are being shipped from the storage facilities in all of the Northern growing regions at the present time, and quantities on hand are plentiful, so there does not appear that there will be any increase in prices in the near future. The white onions, which are used heavily in Mexican cuisine, are starting to push slightly higher in anticipation of the storage crop needing to last longer than originally anticipated, as new crop onions. Red onions are also showing some strength in their pricing.

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APPLES & PEARS:

Once again, there are no significant market changes to report this week. Demand had slowed down just a bit, but has already rebounded and remains strong overall. Trucks are still on the tight side.

BANANAS:

Expect FOB’s to continue to gain strength due to factors that include unusual demand and fuel surcharges taking effect. Product remains very tight and orders are still being prorated. Quality remains good with no reported issues.

SPECIALTIES:

Availability on Pineapple 5’s and 6’s may improve next week; FOB’s have strengthened. 7’s & 8’s continue to be plentiful.

Chilean stone fruit volume is improving and Cherries in particular are plentiful.

AVOCADOS:

Aggregate volume will be significantly increasing as CA 60’s get released today and another Chilean arrival on the west coast gets unloaded. Markets are mostly steady now but may ease next week. Overall quality is good to very good.

ASPARAGUS:

Although demand exceeds supplies, markets are fairly steady as we anticipate the start of new crop Mexican product. At least one west coast shippers is speaking of poor Peruvian quality and halting product flow for the time being, possibly until next week.

CITRUS

EAST

There are currently plentiful supplies on Tangerines, Oranges, and Grapefruit with heavy pickings currently scheduled. If freezing temperatures are kept at bay, pricing will continue to generally soften. Speculation concerning potentially freezing temps in the interior of FL has caused firmer FOB’s on Tangerines and Oranges—Grapefruit FOB’s remain steady.

WEST

Navel markets are stable and quality is very good. There is plenty of fruit from this large crop but production volumes were affected by holiday packing schedules. Anticipate export volume to be on the increase. Quality is good to very good.

Lemon markets are stable at still-high levels; demand is very strong. Once District Two production increases later this month, we’ll see pricing ease on larger fruit—expect FOB’s on smaller fruit to remain strong. In general, pricing will reverse and trend back up for the summer beginning in May. Mexican fruit remains available.

Lime markets are steady with good supplies. Within the next 2-3 weeks, anticipate FOB’s in general to ease. Rain damage is currently minimal to non-existent.

GRAPES:

New Crop volumes remain very limited, demand far exceeds supply, and FOB’s are holding at very high levels. The Chilean deal is starting about three weeks late compared to a normal season. We may see FOB’s ease within the next two weeks. Overall quality is good but sizing is on the small side to start out.

MELONS:

Cantaloupe markets are a little softer on 15’s and smaller and slightly firmer on larger fruit. Overall volume is decent and demand is solid. Quality is somewhat variable. Guatemalan volume is already dwindling and Honduras has yet to fully ramp up.

Mexican and off-shore Honeydew FOB’s are stronger. The excess volume of the past several weeks has definitely ended and supplies are tight. A few growers remain in southern Mexico and cooler temps in the tropics have hurt production.

Watermelon markets are stable. Demand is only fair at best and volumes are steady. Quality is good.

CUCUMBERS:

Eastern

Due to the potential of freezing temps overnight in central and southern FL tonight, FOB’s have firmed compared to the early part of the week. Cucumbers are somewhat less affected than other items because the majority of the deal is now sourced off-shore (but product is still coming out of the Immokalee and Pompano areas). Off-shore quality is good to very good and external color is solid.

Western

Markets are stronger due to cooler temps affecting production volumes on existing crops and have also delayed new-field volumes. By the weekend, we should see even stronger pricing. Demand is very good. Quality is slipping and is ranging from fair to very good; what is crossing the border is heavy to off-grades because older fields are playing out.

GREEN BELL PEPPERS:

Eastern

Just like Cucumbers, markets have firmed since the beginning of the week due to the speculation surrounding potential freezing temps. Current quality is good to very good. Many growers are trying to cover fields, especially around Belle Glade, Boca Raton, West Palm, and Immokalee but windy conditions are making this task difficult. Helicopters are also being readied to deploy to prevent freeze damage.

Western

Like Cucumbers, markets are stronger due to cooler temps affecting production volumes. Expect stronger markets within the next 7-10 days. There is better production out of existing acreage on Green Bells than Cukes. Quality is ranging from fair to very good with issues such as wet stems and turners.

RED BELL PEPPERS:

Western

Markets are slightly softer compared to last week. Production increases have been slow to materialize due to uncooperative weather. By the third week of the month, we should see much improved volume. Quality is fair to very good.

SQUASH:

Eastern

Like Cucumbers and Green Bells, FOB’s are up from this past Monday, but not as much. Volumes are down due to generally cooler weather that has skewed availability towards Fancy. Most volume is being generated out of Immokalee and Homestead with a handful only in the Pompano area. Current quality is good with no wind scarring being noted.

Western

Solid demand and cooler temps severely affecting production volume have combined to strengthen the markets. Quality on both Yellow and Zucchini is fair at best to just occasionally good; product is primarily out of older fields and is displaying issues such as scuffing. We expect a messy supply and quality scenario to last at least another two weeks; quality will continue to have challenges and the markets will strengthen. New-field production will be delayed until warmer weather hits.

TOMATOES:

Markets are fairly stable as we wait on the effects of any freeze in Florida. The Homestead deal is just getting off the ground and Immokalee/Naples volume has been on the increase. Overall Mexican volume continues its increase. Overall quality remains good.

For the week ending last Saturday, USDA-tracked large Mature Green FOB’s decreased by over 25% from the prior week and were at their lowest levels in almost two months. More Rounds continue to enter Nogales.

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