Bell Peppers

Coastal California red bell peppers are extremely limited due to heavy rain and cold temperatures. Markets are escalating.

Red Bells

• Markon First Crop (MFC) and Markon Essentials (ESS) Red Bell Peppers are extremely limited; packer label will be substituted as necessary

• The Hollister and Oxnard growing regions are experiencing heavy rains over the next 24 hours
  • Harvest has been curtailed until Thursday, November 10
  • Cold evening weather is reducing overall yields and slowing the ripening process
• The Coachella season is expected start in a limited manner on November 14
• Mexican production (crossing into Nogales) will start mid-December
• Canadian greenhouse production is ending due to winter conditions
• Orange bell peppers may be substituted over the next week
• Prices are escalating

Green Bells

• MFC and ESS Green Bell Peppers are available

• The California desert has steady volume; light rain this week is not expected to hinder production
  • Quality is very good
  • Extra-large peppers are limited
• Georgia and North Florida growers will harvest early due to Tropical Storm Nicole heading towards Florida this week
  • Light production is starting in the hurricane affected region of Labelle this week
  • Quality is average

• The Nogales season will start with light volume over the next week
• Expect markets to increase heading into the weekend as demand shifts west

Broccoli and Cauliflower

Broccoli

• Supplies from the Salinas and Santa Maria valleys are diminishing as the season comes to an end
• Widespread pin rot continues to impact the appearance and shelf-life of crowns
• Cooler weather, especially low nighttime temperatures, and rain in the forecast this week will slow head maturation and possibly increase the occurrence of mildew in finished packs
• Expect elevated markets and limited supplies until the third week of November

Cauliflower

• Cauliflower markets continue to escalate as supplies are becoming increasingly limited
• Supplies from the Salinas and Santa Maria valleys are extremely tight; the desert region has not come online yet, creating a potential for a gap for most suppliers
• Quality is poor throughout the industry
• In addition to pin rot, early breakdown, off color, brown spotting, and low temperatures this week will slow growth and reduce yields at the field level
• Suppliers are cutting ahead of scheduled acreage to avoid quality defects
  • 12-count packs will be extremely limited
  • 16-count cases will dominate availability as growers are forced to harvest immature fields

Arizona and California Desert Growing Regions

• Production is scheduled to begin by mid- to late November
• The Salinas Valley season will conclude by the first week of December

California Strawberries

No harvesting is expected in the Santa Maria and Oxnard growing regions Tuesday, November 8 through Wednesday, November 9 due to rainfall. Supplies will be extremely tight in all regions the next 7-10 days.

Santa Maria

• The region received upwards of 0.75-1.00” of rain this week
• Harvesting has been canceled Tuesday, November 8 through Wednesday, November 9; expect possible limited harvesting to return Thursday, November 10
• Packer label will be substituted as needed; plastic clamshells will be substituted for the corrugated packs
• Supplies will continue to tighten over the next 7-10 days

Oxnard

• The region received upwards of 0.75-1.00” of rain this week
• Harvesting has been canceled Tuesday, November 8 through Wednesday, November 9; expect possible limited harvesting to return Thursday, November 10
• Packer label will be substituted as needed; plastic clamshells will be substituted for the corrugated packs
• Supplies will continue to tighten over the next 7-10 days

Salinas/Watsonville

• The region received .75 – 1.00” of rainfall
• The season has come to an end two to three days sooner than expected due to heavy rainfall

Celery

Markets are rising due to increased demand and reduced industry supplies.

• The Michigan season has ended, shifting demand to California
• Oxnard production is underway; disease pressure in initial lots is reducing harvestable yields
• The Salinas season is winding down and is expected to be finished mid- to late November
• Santa Maria production will continue year-round
• Arizona and California desert production will start in early to mid-December
• Expect elevated markets and strong demand through the holiday season

Grapes

California grape volume appears to be lower at this point in the year compared to previous years. The California season is estimated to wrap up in late December. The offshore Peruvian/Chilean season is expected to begin in mid-December. Expect pricing to gradually rise as the California season winds down.

Green Grapes

• ESS Green Grapes are available 
• California green grapes are expected to be in season until mid-December
• Quality is good; some rain-damaged fruit is being reported
• Offshore Peruvian/Chilean green grapes are expected to begin shipping in early to mid-December
• Expect gradually rising prices through the end of the California growing season

Red Grapes

• ESS Red Grapes are available 
• California red grapes are expected to be in season until late December
• Quality is good; some rain-damaged fruit is being reported
• Offshore Peruvian/Chilean red grapes are expected to become available in late December
• Expect gradually rising prices through the end of the California growing season

Portioned Grapes

• MFC Lunch Bunch Grapes are available
• California portioned grapes are expected to be in season until mid-January
• Quality is good; some rain-damaged fruit is being reported
• Offshore Peruvian/Chilean portioned grapes expected to ship in mid-January
• Expect prices to rise through the end of the California growing season

Green leaf, Iceberg, and Romaine

Supplies remain extremely limited; record-high market levels persist. Rain in Huron, Oxnard, Salinas, and Santa Maria on Monday November 7 and Tuesday November 8 has further tightened remaining supply. Suppliers of all three commodities have not been able to fulfill 100% of their weekly contract commitments or regular open-market business over the past six weeks.

• Production in Oxnard, Salinas and Santa Maria, California will continue through next week; Huron production is anticipated to finish this week
• Quality challenges including bottom rot, mildew pressure, premature pinking, and shortened shelf life may be observed in finished packs following the recent rain events
• Many suppliers started harvest in the desert regions of Yuma, Arizona and Imperial Valley, California this week; production will continue to ramp up over the next two weeks
• Initial quality in the Arizona/California desert regions is very good; light weights, seeder, and wind damage are present in some of the first lots
• Expect markets to remain firm through the end of this week; markets will begin to soften next week as supplies in the Arizona/California desert increase

Potatoes

The market continues to strengthen; expect elevated prices to persist over the next several weeks.

• Active demand from potato processors is affecting markets
• Strong retail demand for Thanksgiving holiday persists
• Growers estimate 7-11% fewer acres were planted in most regions this year due to water restrictions and high input costs
• Most growers harvested two weeks later than normal due to a cold, wet spring, further delaying the growing cycle at the start of the plant development
• Growers have gained control of supply levels and are holding back raw product to push prices upward and extend supply
• Burbank stocks are extremely limited; most suppliers have postponed Burbank production until early January to extend supply throughout the season
• Expect tight supplies on all counts and sizes

Salinas Valley Weather

California’s Salinas Valley started receiving light showers early this morning with heavier rain forecast this evening through Wednesday morning, November 9. Rainfall totals are expected to range from 1”-2”. Markon suppliers of commodity and value-added lettuce, tender leaf, and other Salinas row crop items have packed orders ahead of the rain to minimize any delays or product shortages and will work to keep boxes as clean and dry as possible moving forward.

Markon inspectors will be monitoring field conditions in the coming days and will continue to update as needed on any rain-related quality or shelf-life challenges, such as:

• Bottom rot/decay
• Increased dirt/mud in product
• Increased mildew pressure
• Pin rot in broccoli
• Premature pinking
• Shortened shelf-life

Thanksgiving Holiday Schedule 2022

The Markon office will be closed on Thanksgiving Day (Thursday, November 24), but open for regular business on Friday, November 25. All times listed below are Pacific Standard Time.

• Idaho, Oregon, and Washington onion and potato suppliers will not load trucks on Thanksgiving (Thursday, November 24)

• • Sheds will operate on a limited basis on Wednesday, November 23, Friday, November 25, and Saturday, November 26
  • All orders must be placed no later than 10 a.m. on Monday, November 14 (for loading Wednesday, November 23 and Friday, November 25)
  • Trucks must call ahead for loading arrangements

• All Arizona, California, and East Coast suppliers will be closed on Thanksgiving (no loading available Thursday, November 24)

• • Expect some suppliers to operate under restricted shipping hours on Wednesday, November 23 and Friday, November 25
  • Trucks must call ahead for appointments

• Taylor Farms will be the only exception with limited loading on Thanksgiving Day (Thursday, November 24)

• Taylor loading hours will run from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on Thursday, November 24

• • Taylor loading hours for Friday, November 25 will be normal schedule
  • Trucks that need to load at Taylor later than 8:00 p.m. on Friday must call to make arrangements
• 4-Earth Farms will close at 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday, November 23 and will reopen at 12:00 a.m. on Friday, November 25
• Many suppliers’ sales offices will be operating on a restricted basis Wednesday, November 23 and Friday, November 25

Tropical Storm Nicole

Tropical Storm Nicole, currently traveling westbound in the Atlantic Ocean, is expected to increase into a Category 1 Hurricane when it makes landfall along Florida’s eastern coastline on Thursday, November 10. The storm will bring heavy rain and wind throughout Central Florida on Thursday before heading north towards Georgia and North Carolina (the current anticipated path). Many regions of Florida are still recovering from Hurricane Ian (Category 4) which caused devastating damage to citrus, tomato, and vegetable crops on September 28.

• Heavy rainfall and winds will postpone harvests for many crops including bell peppers, cabbage, citrus, cucumbers, eggplant, green beans, squash, and tomatoes
  • Farmers are packing early this week to help mitigate
  • Plant damage and fruit quality may be affected during severe storms
• Expect supply routes in Southeastern states to be delayed this week

Markon will continue to monitor Tropical Storm Nicole’s path and update as more information becomes available.

Please contact your Markon customer service representative for more information.

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