Celery

Prices are rapidly rising in Oxnard and Santa Maria, California due to limited supplies and strong demand.

• Markon First Crop (MFC) Premium Celery is available
• Yields in many Oxnard and Santa Maria fields are being impacted by seeder (ranging up to five to seven inches), following two heat spikes in April
• The Florida season has ended, shifting demand to California
• Salinas production will start the first week of June; the Michigan season will follow in early July
• Oxnard supplies will ship through late June
• Expect elevated markets until the transition to Salinas is complete in mid- to late June

Oxnard, CA – April 2022

Grapes

The Chilean grape season will wrap up in early June; prices are expected to slightly increase through the transition. Mexican supplies will begin shipping in two weeks.

• Chilean-grown Lunch Bunch Grapes will be available through the end of May; Mexican-grown stocks are anticipated to start shipping the week of June 1

• Mexican-grown green seedless supplies will begin shipping the week of May 16; red seedless stocks will start shipping the week of May 23
• Prices will ease once Mexican volume ramps up in early June

Iceberg Lettuce

MFC Premium Iceberg availability is limited; Markon Best Available (MBA) is being substituted as needed due to low weights.

• Iceberg markets are rising
• Overall yields are tightening
  • More heads are exhibiting sun scald, wind burn, and disease pressure
  • Low nighttime temperatures have slowed maturation
  • Persistent wind has dehydrated some heads while increasing the occurrence of scarring and tip burn
• Markets are poised to keep inching up over the next 7 to 10 days

Live From The Field: Salinas Valley Romaine

Please click here to view a Markon Live from the Fields video regarding the current romaine lettuce quality out of the Salinas Valley growing region.

• Current romaine supplies are of great quality with minimal defects
• MFC Romaine lettuce case weights are ranging from 36 to 38 pounds 
• Markon Inspectors are anticipating very good quality, size, and weights to continue out of the Salinas Valley growing regions

Melons

Mexican cantaloupe and honeydew supplies are increasing. The Arizona/California desert season will start next week. Prices are easing.

• Offshore supplies from Central America into the West Coast are tight; Mexican volume is ample
• Offshore supplies from Central America into the East Coast remain steady; stocks will be on the market through late May
• The Arizona/California domestic cantaloupe season will kick off next week; honeydew production will start 7-10 days later
• A limited supply of MFC Cantaloupe will become available starting Tuesday, May 10
• Expect lower prices through May as the domestic season ramps up

Onions

The Northwest storage onion season will end next week. New crop onions are readily available out of California’s Imperial Valley. Texas-grown supplies are sufficient.

Northwest

• Washington MFC Onions will be depleted by May 11
• Markets have eased as shippers attempt to clear out remaining inventory
• Internal defects such as translucency, as well as dry and watery scale, will be present

California

• MFC Onions will be shipped out of the Imperial Valley through the first week of June
• Once the Imperial Valley season wraps up, onions will transition up to the San Joaquin Valley
• Abundant supplies of yellow onions are available; red onions have been limited to start, but will ramp up this week
• Prices are steady

Texas

• Texas-grown MFC Onions will be available through the end of next week, with limited supply the week of May 16  
• Yellow onion stocks remain strong; red onion supplies are adequate
• Prices are steady

New Mexico

• The season for MFC Onions is on track to open in early June
• New Mexico onions will be shipped into late August

Please contact your Markon customer service representative for more information.

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