Following last week’s update, similar weather and quality challenges are expected to persist across the Salinas and Santa Maria growing regions this week. Continued warm temperatures, elevated humidity from monsoonal influence, and long daylight hours are accelerating crop growth and placing additional stress on lettuce and leaf supplies. Both commodity and value-added harvesting crews continue to sort, and heavily trim damaged leaves in green leaf, iceberg, and romaine lettuce supplies, resulting in variable weights and yields, and an increase in Markon Best Available (MBA) substitutions. Small amounts of burn and core material will begin to show in value-added iceberg and salad blends.
Attached are more recent examples of the challenges that Markon inspectors are reporting in various lettuce crops. They include, but are not limted to:
- Elevated insect pressure, particularly aphids
- Internal burn
- Long core/seeder
- Mildew pressure
- Weak tip/tip burn
As always, maintaining proper cold-chain management remains critical to preserving quality and maximizing shelf life.
Please contact your Markon Account Manager for more information.
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