After multiple rain events in the Arizona/California desert growing regionover the past week, many row crop vegetables are developing quality and shelf-life issues. One of the first significant concerns observed by Markon inspectors is pin rot, found in both Markon First Crop (MFC) Broccoli Crowns and Ready-Set-Serve (RSS) Broccoli Florets. This defect is commonly brought on by rain or above-normal moisture/humidity and is extremely difficult for harvesting and processing crews to detect and remove. Sporadic yellow bead and/or brown bead is also being observed in some broccoli supplies; this is a condition caused by environmental factors such as rapid temperature fluctuations and/or water stress (too much or too little water).

More rain is forecast this evening through Saturday morning, November 22, so conditions that favor pin rot will exist throughout next week or longer. Commodity and value-added broccoli suppliers are allocating their best product for Markon orders but will not be able to completely avoid pin rot issues which can lead to reduced shelf-life.

Ordering for quick turns is recommended, and as always, maintaining the cold chain throughout distribution is critical for maximizing quality and shelf-life.

Please contact your Markon Account Manager for more information.

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