Quality issues are being reported fruit out of Santa Maria and Watsonville, California as both growing regions have moved past peak production.
Santa Maria
- Markon First Crop (MFC) Strawberries are not available due to quality problems; the remaining crop will exhibit at least 20% bruising and 3% decay
- Elevated temperatures have exacerbated the quality concerns; growers must heavily cull fruit
- Berry size is small, ranging from 24-30 berries per one-pund clamshell
- Quality will not improve through the month of August
- New crop fall production is on schedule to start in late August/early September
- Markon reccomends quick inventory turns due to the extremely limited shelf-life
Salinas/Watsonville
- MFC Strawberries are available
- Quality is average, at best, with berries exhibiting softness and bruising upon arrival, but not to the extent of Santa Maria’s crop
- Markets will continue to rise as supplies are not meeting current demand
Markon will continue to procure the best quality strawberries avaialble in both regions during this period.
Please contact your Markon customer service representative for more information.
©2023 Markon Cooperative, Inc. All rights reserved.