California strawberry quality is of major concern. Markon inspectors recommend only ordering for very quick turns, or to bypass strawberry purchases altogether this week.

• California’s two major strawberry producing areas for the month of March and April include  Oxnard and Santa Maria; these areas received one to two inches of rainfall from last Sunday, March 27 through Monday, March 28
• Due to rain damage/quality concerns, growers have been forced to send between 65%-75% of this week’s harvest to processors/juicers compared to 5% on a normal day
• Quality challenges include cracked skin, soft tips, and heavy bruising
• Strawberries that have been harvested for fresh sales are being sold locally (kept within California’s state border), as longer transit times will accelerate arrival problems

Please contact your Markon customer service representative for more information.

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