Apples

Demand is higher for Washington Gala apples as the Michigan and New York seasons wind down; prices are rising.

Washington

• This year’s Gala crop is smaller than previous years; growers are experiencing reduced yields following abnormally high temperatures during the growing season
• Expect Gala prices to slowly rise through the remainder of the storage season until new crop harvests begin in August
• All sizes are available; supply is heavy on larger sizes
• Red Delicious, Golden Delicious, and Fuji supplies are adequate; Honeycrisp are somewhat limited facing similar conditions to the Gala crop

Michigan

• Gala storage supplies will finish in ten days
• Red Delicious, Fuji, and EverCrisp supplies are adequate
• All sizes are available; smaller (150- through 163-count) Reds are somewhat limited
• Prices are steady

Bell Peppers

While green bell pepper supplies are limited, red bell peppers are virtually nonexistent. Mexico is struggling to meet demand due to lower harvestable yields caused by past weather. Florida production is starting to increase, but overall volume is low. Markon First Crop (MFC) and Markon Essentials (ESS) Green Bell Peppers are tight. MFC and ESS Red Bell Peppers are extremely limited; packer label will be substituted.

Red Bells

• Mexican supplies are extremely limited due to poor yields caused by past weather
  • Less acreage is available due to reverse color harvesting earlier in the season (unripe green bells)
  • Labor shortages due to Holy Week reduced production
  • Quality ranges from average to poor; color issues and over-ripeness are being reported in choice grade stocks
  • Buyers are advised to keep tight turns due to shorter shelf life
• Florida volume is extremely low; expect day-by-day pallet volume only
• Expect elevated prices through April

Green Bells

• Mexican supplies are tight
  • Holy week reduced overall production
  • Quality ranges from fair to average as growers harvest final fields
  • Choice grades and small/medium sizes are most prevalent
• The California desert season will start in mid-April
• The Florida production is increasing post-freeze, but supplies will remain limited through April
• Expect high markets until new regions are well established in late April

Broccoli

Broccoli markets are expected to remain elevated through April due to low industry supplies. MFC Broccoli is available in Salinas, California and South Texas (from Mexico).

West Coast

• Harvests in the Arizona/California desert will end this week; recent elevated temperatures have impacted quality and reduced yields in the final lots
• Production is ramping up in Salinas
  • Initial quality is good
  • Diamondback moth pressure has been observed in some lots already
• Harvesting continues year-round in Santa Maria, California
• Roughly 0.25” of rain is forecast daily, this Friday and Saturday, with trace amounts on Sunday; Markon is working with growers to pack ahead of the rain

East Coast

• Florida production is winding down; supplies are expected to be depleted by next week
• The Georgia season will begin in mid-April
• North Carolina harvests will start in late April
• South Carolina production will begin in early May

Central Mexico (into South Texas)

• Production continues year-round
• Quality remains strong with ideal color and shape
• No cat-eye or hollow core has been reported

Brussels Sprouts

Prices are trending higher as supply tightens and import costs rise. MFC and Ready-Set-Serve (RSS) Brussels Sprouts are available.

• Markets are up as the initial glut of supply out of Mexico has passed, resulting in marginally lower overall volume
• Transportation costs are increasing
• Sporadic delays at the Mexican border continue to impact imported supplies
• Quality is great; good color, shape, and minimal seeder are being reported
• Good growing conditions are supporting strong quality, but lighter volume will influence the market
• California’s Central Coast season will begin in mid-July
• Expect pricing to incrementally rise through April

Celery

Celery prices are rising as the Arizona/California desert season comes to an end. Oxnard, California will serve as the primary growing region until the Salinas season starts in early June.

Arizona and California

• MFC and RSS Celery are available
• Harvests in the Arizona/California desert will end this week; recent elevated temperatures have reduced yields in the final lots
• Quality is good; the stalk size profile is balanced
• California’s Oxnard season will run through early to mid-June; new crop Salinas production will begin in early June
• Production runs year-round in Santa Maria, California

Florida

• The Belle Glade season will continue through the first week of May

Michigan

• The Michigan season will begin in early to mid-July

Chile Peppers

Prices for all chile pepper varieties remain elevated due to low volume in Mexico and Florida. The upcoming California season will get underway in mid-April in the Coachella Valley. MFC Chile Peppers are limited; packer label is being substituted as needed.

Mexico

• Yields are low due to insect and disease pressure
• Quality ranges from fair to good
• Central Mexico will start production in the next couple of weeks
• Prices will likely remain elevated even after the Central Mexico season begins

Florida

• The major freeze event in February severely limited the South Florida chile crop
• Production remains a few weeks away in North Florida
• Georgia peppers will not be harvested until early May
• Expect better availability and lower pricing once East Coast production picks up in April/May

Lemons

The 165- through 200-count lemon segment is still experiencing elevated pricing domestically, which can be attributed to ongoing low volume paired with robust demand. Looking ahead to May, we expect offshore and Mexican lemons to play a key role in supplementing domestic supplies, helping to alleviate some of the pressure in the market.

Domestic

• MFC and ESS Lemons are available  
• Small-size lemons (165- through 235-count fruit) remain limited
• Quality is good (especially strong choice-grade fruit)
• Elevated pricing is forecast for the next six weeks

Offshore

• Offshore fruit will begin shipping in May and run through early December
• The size profile will be dominated by large lemons (95- through 140-count fruit) but smaller sizes will be available as well
• Expect higher pricing compared to domestic and Mexican fruit due to better quality

Mexican

• Mexican shipments are expected to begin in June and will run through late November
• The size profile will be 165- through 235-count fruit but larger sizes will be available
• Expect pricing to be comparable to domestic fruit until volume rises

Onions

The seasons for MFC Onions sourced from Idaho, Oregon, and Washington are winding down. Fresh-run MFC Onions are available in Texas.

Pacific Northwest

• Washington, Idaho, and Oregon storage supplies are expected to become depleted the week of April 20
  • Several suppliers will continue to ship into early May
  • Some growers have ended their storage seasons
• Quality on remaining stocks ranges from good to fair; growers are culling end-of-season issues such as internal browning, bruising, decay, sprouting, and translucency
• White onions are extremely limited
  • Some growers are now transferring product from Texas to fill demand
  • Prices are expected to increase until Southern California production ramps up later this month
• Markon recommends ordering for quick turns and limiting inventory to avoid quality problems
• Expect prices to rise over the next two weeks as the season winds down

Utah

• The storage season has ended
• Some sheds remain in operation, transferring supplies from other regions to fill orders as needed

Mexico

• Yellow, red, and white onions crossing into South Texas are decreasing as some growers have stopped shipping for the season
• Quality varies by grower and region; green cast, soft texture, mechanical damage, and thin skins are to be expected with fresh-run onions
• Prices are higher this week following decreased production last week in observation of Holy Week and Easter

Texas

• Fresh-run red, yellow, and white onions are available
• All sizes and colors are being shipped
• White onions are extremely limited; demand has increased as other growing regions wind down
• Due to a Texas marketing order, No. 2 grade onions are not available
• Quality is good; fresh-run onions will exhibit higher moisture content, thinner skins, and overall shorter shelf-life
• Markon recommends ordering for quick turns
• Rain this past weekend limited production, further increasing demand
• Expect prices to rise over the next 7-10 days

California

• The Southern California desert season will begin in a limited manner the week of April 20

Strawberries

California’s key strawberry growing regions—Santa Maria, Oxnard, Salinas, and Watsonville will receive light to moderate showers, Thursday, April 9 through Sunday, April 12. To ensure orders are filled, growers will pack ahead in anticipation of these weather conditions.

Santa Maria, California 

• MFC Strawberries are available
• Berry size is medium; counts have gotten smaller, averaging 18 to 22 pieces per 1-pound clamshell
• Quality is good; issues include bruising and white shoulders
• Maintaining the cold chain will be vital for shelf-life; Markon recommends ordering for quick turns
• Expect strong demand and elevated markets through next week

Oxnard, California

• MFC Strawberries are available
• Berry size is medium; counts have gotten smaller, averaging 18 to 22 pieces per 1-pound clamshell
• Defects are minimal; growers report some white shoulders and packing-related bruising
• Maintaining the cold chain will be vital for shelf-life; Markon recommends ordering for quick turns
• Expect strong demand and elevated markets through next week

Watsonville/Salinas

• MFC Strawberries will start shipping the week of April 12 
• Berry size is large; counts range from 10-15 berries per 1-pound clamshell
• Maintaining the cold chain will be vital for shelf-life; Markon recommends ordering for quick turns
• Expect strong demand and high price through the next two weeks

Tomatoes

All tomato varieties are extremely tight. Round tomatoes are especially scarce this week and will remain so through April.

Rounds

• Florida
  • The South Florida season is just getting underway
  • Supplies are limited
  • Average volume is not expected until early May
• Mexico
  • Yields are extremely low, with only a few growers offering pallet quantities
  • Production should remain constrained through next week
  • Markon recommends substituting the Roma variety
  • Quality is mixed

Romas

• Florida

• • Supplies are limited
  • Romas are more available than rounds
  • Yields are forecast to increase over the next two weeks

• Mexico

• • Stocks are tight
  • Production levels will remain below normal through next week
  • Quality ranges from fair to average
  • Prices are rising as buyers use Romas to cover round tomato demand

Grape and Cherry

• Florida

• • Supplies remain extremely limited following the January/February freeze
• Mexico
  • Volume is declining as the Sinaloa season winds down due to unfavorable weather and disease pressure in the fields

Summary

• Supplies remain extremely tight across all tomato varieties; rounds are the most limited
• Markets are elevated (record-level for this time of year), and buyers are using Romas to cover round demand
• Order flexibility (size/variety) and quick product rotation are recommended due to reduced shelf life
• Near-term relief is limited: some improvement may begin in mid-April (including grape/cherry supplies as new fields come online), but Florida growers are not expected to reach typical round volume until early May

Please contact your Markon Account Manager for more information.

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