Avocados

Supplies remain limited. Harvesting will be curtailed in Mexico this week due to Benito Juarez Day. Expect elevated prices for the next four weeks as Mexican growers are uncertain about the potential tariffs scheduled to begin April 2, 2025.

Mexico

• All sizes are tight; the Benito Juarez holiday is limiting production
• Size and grade substitutions may be requested to fill orders
• Quality is good; checkerboarding (uneven ripening within a case) has been reported
• Expect elevated markets and tight supplies for the next four weeks

California

• New crop production is in full swing
• California supplies will help fill the void from Mexican-grown product
• Supplies are dominated by medium sizes (48- through 60-count fruit)
• Quality is good; firm fruit has been reported even when ripe
• Expect high prices; demand is strong due to Mexican shortages

Colombia

• Imports will ship into the East Coast through May; these supplies only account for 5% of U.S. demand
• The crop is currently dominated by small sizes (60- to 84-count fruit)
• Quality is comparable to that in Mexico; texture is creamy and oil content is high

Bell Peppers

Green bell pepper production is past its peak in Sinaloa, Mexico and will wind down over the next month. Red bell pepper supplies are sufficient; markets are low.

Green Bells

• Markon First Crop (MFC) and Markon Essentials (ESS) Green Bell Peppers are available
• Florida’s production is adequate
  • All sizes are available
  • Quality is good
  • Recent strong winds have caused some scarring
• Mexico’s Sinaloa region is past peak production and will slowly wind down over the next month
  • Jumbo and extra-large sizes are tightening
  • Quality ranges from good to average
• The California desert season is expected to start with low volume on April 21
• Expect slightly higher prices over the next week

Red Bells

• MFC and ESS Red Bell Peppers are available
• Mexican volume is steady due to recent favorable weather
  • All sizes are available
  • Quality is good
  • Slightly less production is expected in April due to water restrictions in Sinaloa
• Florida stocks are limited this week
• Canadian greenhouses have started to ship in a limited manner
• Expect steady prices this week

Broccoli Seasonal Harvesting Transition

California

• MFC Premium Broccoli is being harvested in the Arizona/California desert region and Northern Mexico but will transition to California’s Salinas and Santa Maria Valleys over the next two weeks
• Markets are steady to slightly higher
• Supplies have begun to transition west towards California’s Central Coast (the Salinas and Santa Maria Valleys); by April 1 most or all domestic broccoli will be shipped from these regions
• A significant heat spike in the desert is expected to result in increased maturation, potentially hastening the end of the Yuma season; incidences of hollow stems, dehydration, and branchy crown structure will increase over the next 10-14 days
• Expect domestic prices to increase next week amid stronger demand and reduced supplies

Mexico

• Mexican-grown MFC Premium Broccoli will continue to ship into South Texas
• Quality is good; sporadic hollow cores and mechanical damage from packing oversized heads have been noted
• Markets have been volatile amid uncertainty surrounding trade policy but remain sharper than domestic markets
• • The promise of tariffs will incentivize suppliers to increase prices
  • The spread between the domestic and Mexican markets has shrunk under that upward price pressure, but freight and cost savings remain available
• Due to the rapidly evolving situation, expect some measure market volatility out of this region

Cauliflower

Markets continue to escalate as the Arizona-California desert season winds down; supplies are limited. ESS Cauliflower is available; packer label is being substituted as necessary.

• Production is ending in the Arizona-California desert region; supplies will ship through early April
• The Salinas Valley season is ramping up
• Volume is minimal in Santa Maria, California; heavy rain has limited yields, driving markets in the desert higher
• Quality ranges from fair to good; discoloration/black spotting, bruising, and smaller head size are occasional issues
• Warmer desert weather is forecast through the rest of the Yuma season; high daytime and nighttime temperatures will increase growth
• Prices will remain elevated this week, then stabilize within the next 7-10 days as the Salinas season starts

From the Fields: Desert Region Heatwave

The forecast calls for a heatwave in the Arizona/California desert growing region. Temperatures will climb into the mid-80°s through the weekend and may reach triple digits by Wednesday, March 26.

Growers will adjust harvesting schedules and pack ahead to avoid peak temperatures as much as possible. Markon inspectors will be closely evaluating commodity and value-added desert row crops while working with suppliers to minimize heat-related challenges. Markon First Crop (MFC) Lettuce items will become difficult to attain as the desert season winds down; Markon Best Available (MBA) will be substituted as needed.

Green Leaf, Iceberg, and Romaine

Green leaf, iceberg, and romaine markets have peaked. The season is winding down in the Arizona/California desert growing region.

• MFC Premium Green Leaf and Romaine are readily available  
• MFC Iceberg is being packed regularly, with Markon Best Available (MBA) substituted as needed due to low weights
• A heatwave is forecast in the Arizona/California desert next week, with some areas expected to exceed 100 degrees on Tuesday, March 25
• Insect pressure remains a concern, although the prevalence is lower than in prior weeks following February’s extended warm weather
• The Arizona/California desert season is winding down; some growers have finished harvesting while the balance will conclude by early to mid-April
• A handful of growers have started harvesting in Huron and Oxnard, California
• The Salinas season will begin in early to mid-April

Lemons

California lemons (165- and 200-count supplies) are beginning to tighten; crops are dominated by larger-size fruit (95- through 140-count stocks).

• MFC and ESS Lemons are available  
• Districts one and two (the San Joaquin Valley and Southern California) are currently in production
• 165- and 200-count sizes are becoming limited; size is dominated by 95- to 140-count lemons
• Expect a slow yet steady price climb, as demand increases over the next six to eight weeks

Limes

Lime prices continue to rise as the current crop finishes and new crop production starts; volume is low. Markon First Crop (MFC) and Markon Essentials (ESS) Limes are available.

Mexico (into South Texas)

• Current crop production is winding down, greatly reducing supplies of 110-, 150-, and 175-count sizes
• The new crop dominates the majority of harvests, shifting the peak size from large fruit to smaller, 230- and 250-count supplies
• Expect elevated markets in April as cold, dry weather earlier this year shortened the harvesting window resulting in lower volume
• Prices for larger sizes will be significantly higher than for small fruit
• New crop quality is good

Colombia

• Packer label limes are available for loading out of Florida
• All sizes are available but the crop is dominated by 175- and 200-count fruit
• Prices will increase, following Mexico’s trend, but the Colombian market will remain lower
• Quality is good; blanching is a minor issue being caused by overcast weather

Strawberries

Clear, warm weather is forecast for Santa Maria and Oxnard, California; expect volume to rise. The Mexican season is ending.

Santa Maria

• MFC Strawberries are available
• Quality is very good: white shoulders and light color are occasional issues
• Size ranges from 9 to 15 berries per 8/1-pound clamshell
• Expect markets to stabilize as fruit becomes more readily available

Oxnard

• MFC Strawberries are available
• Quality is very good: white shoulders and light color are occasional issues
• Size ranges from 11 to 16 berries per 8/1-pound clamshell
• Expect steady prices as volume increases

Mexico (into South Texas)

• The season will end by March 24
• Size currently ranges from 18-26 berries per 1-pound clamshell
• Quality is good; uneven ripening and light bruising have been reported
• Expect markets to decline as the season ends and quality diminishes

Florida

• MFC Strawberries are available
• Supplies have increased; the season will run through mid-April
• Size currently ranges from 15-22 berries per 1-pound clamshell
• Quality is improving with ideal weather
• Expect flat markets

Please contact your Markon Account Manager for more information.

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