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UPDATE SUMMARY: WEEK OF JUNE 27, 2022

June 30, 2022

Apples

Sufficient storage supplies of Washington Markon First Crop (MFC) Golden Delicious, Granny Smith, Fuji, and Red Delicious Apples remain available.  The MFC Gala Apple season is beginning to wind down; volume is low.       

  • Washington MFC Gala Apple orders will require size and grade substitutions until new crop harvesting begins
  • California Gala apples will come available in mid-July, which will help bridge the gap between the Washington seasons
  • Please see the grid below for a quick reference regarding Washington apple transitions and current size profiles:
Availability Fuji Gala Golden Delicious Granny Smith Red Delicious
Storage crop ends: Early September Early August Early August Early September Early September
Current size profile: 72- to 88-count 72- to 88-count 80- to 113-count 80- to 125-count 64- to 100-count
Most limited supplies: 100-count and smaller 125-count and smaller 138-count and smaller 150-count and smaller 150-count and smaller
New crop starts: Mid-September Mid-August Early September Mid-September Early September

Bell Peppers
Red bell peppers remain in a demand-exceeds-supply situation. Prices are extremely high due to harvesting transition gaps in California. East Coast green bells are transitioning farther north.

Red Bells

  • MFC and Markon Essentials (ESS) Red Bell Peppers are limited; packer label will be substituted this week
  • Coachella Valley, California’s season ended early due to abnormally hot weather, while Bakersfield, California’s fruit ripening process has been slow (due to past weather fluctuations)
    • Supplies are extremely limited; growers will continue to light harvests this week
    • Prices are elevated
  • Mexican production out of Baja and the Central region (crossing into South Texas) is tight
  • The East Coast has a limited availability of colored peppers
  • Orange bell peppers may be substituted on a case-by-case basis; yellow bell peppers are also scarce
  • Expect escalating markets heading into the Fourth of July weekend

Green Bells

  • MFC and ESS Green Bell Peppers are available
  • California’s San Joaquin Valley volume is steady
    • Quality is very good; all sizes are available
    • The Gilroy/Hollister region is expected to start in mid-July
  • East Coast production has transitioned from Georgia to the Carolinas quickly due to past heat/rain; overall stocks are snug
    • North Carolina quality is good
    • Local summer programs (including Kentucky, Virginia, and New Jersey) will start in mid-July
  • Expect slightly higher markets over the next two weeks

Blueberries

Supplies continue to tighten in most growing regions. Prices will climb over the next two to three weeks.

  • Harvesting is finished in Central Mexico
  • North Carolina is in its final week of production
  • New Jersey is in their peak season
  • California season is ending early due to high Central Valley temperatures
  • Baja production is winding down; stocks will be depleted in approximately two weeks
  • Pacific Northwest harvesting has been delayed up to three weeks due to inconsistent weather
  • Once the Pacific Northwest season kicks off it will become the main growing region for blueberries
  • Production is expected to start in two to three weeks
  • Expect tight supplies and high prices over the next two to three weeks

Strawberries

Supplies are tightening; demand is steady. Expect volume to continue declining in early July as the Salinas/Watsonville season moves past peak production.

Salinas/Watsonville

  • MFC Strawberries are available
  • Volume is anticipated to decline starting next week as the season moves past its peak
  • Quality will improve as lower temperatures are forecast this week
  • Fruit size is medium (18-22 per 1-pound clamshell)
  • Expect markets to rise as production falls

Santa Maria

  • Fields are entering the back half of the season
  • Warm weather has increased stocks
  • Fruit size is medium (18-20 per 1-pound clamshell)
  • Quality is good: some green shoulders have been reported

Oxnard

  • Supplies are extremely limited; most growers are finished harvesting for the season
  • Remaining quality is fair at best

Cucumbers

Markets are climbing. East Coast supplies are limited due to recent moisture and high temperatures. MFC and ESS Cucumbers are available.

  • The East Coast supply is low as both Georgia and North Carolina production has ended early due to heat and rain
  • Quality is subpar on any remaining inventory
  • New Jersey volume is slowly increasing; quality is very good
  • Harvesting is expected to start in Michigan the week of July 10
  • The Baja Peninsula is shipping sufficient stocks despite strong demand
  • Quality is very good
  • Supplemental supplies are coming from Central Mexico fruit (crossing in South Texas)
  • Expect higher prices over the next two weeks

Grapes

The Mexican grape season will wrap up by the end of next week. The California season will start approximately July 6.

California

  • California-grown MFC Lunch Bunch Grapes will start shipping when the Mexico Lunch Bunch season comes to an end July 10
  • California-grown green seedless supplies are expected to begin shipping on July 12; red seedless stocks will start shipping by the middle of the week of July 6
  • Expect higher prices to start the season but markets will ease once California volume ramps up in mid-July
  • Good quality is anticipated at the start of the season

Mexico

  • The Mexican season will begin to wrap up the week of July 4 and end that week
  • Steady demand and good quality are anticipated

Onions

The New Mexico growing areas are experiencing scattered showers and thunderstorms this week. Expect supplies to tighten and markets to inch up.

  • Muddy, wet fields will slow harvesting
  • Onions will require extra time to dry before packing; wet onions will be soft and may develop rot and decay
  • Load times may be affected, as result

Potatoes

Idaho, Oregon and Washington storage potato supplies continue tighten. Demand is outpacing available stocks. Prices are climbing. Potato sheds will be closed Independence Day.

  • Idaho, Oregon, and Washington potato sheds will be closed Monday, July 4 in observance of the holiday
  • Tuesday, July 5 will be an extremely slow loading day as suppliers will also not produce over the weekend; the four-day work week will tighten further volume
  • Several Northwest suppliers are expected to experience a 7- to 14-day supply gap in early August, creating an even larger shortage of available supplies
  • MFC suppliers have implemented a six-week average for shipping that will persist through mid-August
  • Quality remains fair in storage stocks: hollow heart, along with pressure and shoulder bruising will be seen
  • Pressure and shoulder bruising (soft, external indents) result from constant contact with adjacent potatoes, or the floor, while raw product sits in storage piles
  • Hollow heart (small, irregularly shaped internal craters) develops internally during the season when potatoes grow faster than normal due to adverse weather

2022-2023 Season

  • New crop Norkotah harvesting is expected to begin August 15.

Red and Yellow Potatoes

Idaho storage crop MFC Red and Yellow Potato supplies continue to diminish. Elevated prices persist.

Idaho

  • Many suppliers have depleted Idaho storage stocks and are hauling potatoes from other regions to continue shipping out of Idaho
  • MFC Red and Yellow Idaho Colored Potatoes will ship through July; remaining stocks are limited
  • New crop Idaho potatoes will become available the first week of August

Arizona

  • Red and yellow potatoes will begin to ship in mid-July

California

  • California red and yellow potato harvesting has begun; supplies will ship through early August
  • Early yields are thin-skinned, resulting in mechanical damage in pack-outs
  • Prices are elevated

Texas

  • Similar to Arizona, the Texas season will get underway mid-July

Minnesota/North Dakota

  • Minnesota potatoes will begin to ship the first week of August
  • North Dakota potatoes will hit the market in late September

Washington

  • The Washington new crop season is expected to get started in September

Wisconsin

  • New crop harvesting of Wisconsin Potatoes will begin in early August

Please contact your Markon customer service representative for more information.

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