Asparagus

Prices are easing. Mexican supplies are increasing, especially jumbo and extra-large sizes.

Mexico

• Markon First Crop (MFC) Asparagus remains limited out of Baja, Mexico; packer label is being substituted where necessary
• Mexico’s supply chain is recovering after several tropical storm systems passed across major growing regions over the past few weeks
• Jumbo and extra-large asparagus are gradually increasing as production returns to normal
• Overall size distribution remains skewed towards smaller-sized spears
• Quality ranges from fair to average; undersized and wrinkling spears have been reported, as well as spreading/seeding tips
• Expect lower pricing and improved availability of jumbo and extra-large sizes over the next 10 days

Peru

• Peruvian supplies are steady amid fair weather and favorable supply chain conditions
• Quality is good from newer fields in Northern Peru; spears are firm with minimal spreading/seeding
• Expect lower pricing and improved availability over the next 10 days

Brussels Sprouts

Prices are easing as supplies increase across West Coast growing regions. MFC and Ready-Set-Serve (RSS) Brussels Sprouts remain limited; packer label is being substituted where necessary.

• Volume is gradually increasing in the Salinas and Santa Maria Valleys
• Quality ranges from fair to average; discoloration, excessive seeder, and small size have been reported
• Jumbo sprouts have been especially affected by excessive seeder (long internal stems), skewing yields towards smaller sizes
• Weather interruptions on California’s Central Coast and Diamondback moth pupa/larvae continue to reduce overall volume
• Expect lower pricing and improved availability until holiday demand increases over the next several weeks

California Navel De-Greening

De-Greening (Gassing)

• By law, oranges must be fully mature when harvested in the United States but some may exhibit yellow-green skins
  • Three levels of maturity must be met before harvesting
    • Juice content
    • Brix percentage (sugars)
    • Citric acid levels
• When necessary, ethylene gas is applied to oranges to change the rind color from yellow or green to orange
  • The process of applying ethylene gas is known as de-greening, gassing, or curing
  • Ethylene gas only helps with the outside skin color, it does not change any other characteristics of the orange
• The length of the de-greening process depends on skin color upon harvest
• Currently California Navel oranges are being de-greened 96 to 120 hours

California Strawberries

The strawberry market is in a demand-exceeds-supply situation. Recent rain impacted yields, causing this spike.

Santa Maria/Oxnard

• MFC Strawberries are available

• Quality ranges from fair to good; clear weather is forecast for the next 10 days
• Some shape issues and green shoulders have been reported
• Size ranges from small-medium to medium (23-26 berries per 8/1 clamshell)
• Maintaining the cold chain will be vital for shelf-life; Markon recommends ordering for quick turns
• Expect tight supplies and elevated markets

Salinas/Watsonville

• Stocks continue to diminish as the season is coming to an end
• Size currently ranges from small to medium (22 to 27-count per 1-pound clamshell)
• Quality ranges from fair to poor; softness and early decay have been reported

Mexico/South Texas

• Yields were affected by last week’s rain
• Supplies are limited due to quality problems including white shoulders, skin bruising, and green tips
• Expect low volume and high prices

Cantaloupe and Honeydew Melons

Production is shifting to the Arizona/California desert region, as California’s San Joaquin Valley season ends. MFC Cantaloupe and Honeydew Melons are available.

Cantaloupe

San Joaquin Valley, California

• Harvesting has finished early for most suppliers
• Recent rain has prevented growers from re-entering fields

Arizona-California Desert Region

• The season’s first harvests have begun
• Size is dominated by nine-count fruit, followed by jumbo nine-counts; size will increase as the season progresses
• Quality is fair, as early October rains caused some issues
  • Growers report a heavy presence of dirt and mud on the netting
  • Soft melons and ground spotting are possible problems due to excess moisture
• Expect prices to remain elevated, as desert acreage is down this year

Honeydew

San Joaquin Valley, California

• Harvesting has finished early for most suppliers
• Recent rain has prevented growers from re-entering fields

Arizona-California Desert Region

• The season’s first harvests will begin later this week
• Early season supplies are dominated by five-count fruit, followed by jumbo five-counts; size will increase through the season
• Quality remains decent, with some scarring and occasional discoloration being reported
• A potential gap between growing regions may occur, though the Mexican crop is helping offset any significant shortages
• Pricing has inched higher due to tighter overall supplies and limited overlap with the Westside season; expect prices to remain at higher levels as acreage is down in the desert

Sonora, Mexico

• Seasonal harvesting has started
• New crop supplies are helping offset tight domestic stocks

Cilantro

Cilantro quality remains below average due to inclement weather on the West Coast.

• RSS Cilantro is available
• Recent rains across California’s Salinas and Santa Maria Valleys, as well as in Oxnard, have exacerbated quality issues
• Yields are average across Southern and Central California
• Quality is below average
  • Yellowing, seeder, discoloration, thick stems, and overall reduced shelf-life have been reported
  • Reduced quality will persist until the Arizona-California desert season starts in late November
  • Expect improved quality after suppliers transition to new crop growing regions

Green Leaf, Iceberg, and Romaine

Markets are extremely elevated amid low yields and reduced quality in the Salinas Valley as the season winds down.

• Markon Best Available (MBA) is being substituted due to low weights
• Quality and yields continue to decline following recent rains and lingering humidity, coupled with a hailstorm last week that severely damaged some mature lots
  • Additional rain is forecast starting Friday evening and continuing through Saturday
  • Less than 0.25” total precipitation is expected
• Disease pressure is also increasing as the Salinas season comes to a close; some fields are exhibiting yield loss as high as 50%
• Iceberg and romaine production is ongoing in Huron, California; product is being transferred to Salinas
• Salinas lettuce harvests will conclude the week of November 10
• Arizona-California desert region production will start the week of November 3
• Expect markets to remain elevated through the transition to the Arizona-California desert season in mid-November, at minimum

Red and Yellow Potatoes

New crop, fresh-run MFC Red and Yellow Potatoes are available in Idaho, North Dakota, and Wisconsin. Harvesting is near completion with the majority of shipments coming out of storage. Demand is strong.

Idaho, North Dakota, and Wisconsin

• MFC Red and Yellow Potatoes are available
• Idaho has year-round availability; Wisconsin will ship through February, while North Dakota supplies will be available into June
• Ideal growing conditions are leading to ample supplies of large size No. 1 grade potatoes; occasional skinning will be seen in fresh-run lots
• Markets are holding steady but prices for reds are poised to rise as increasing demand will continue into November for the upcoming holiday season

Colorado

• New crop storage supplies have started shipping
• Reds will run through March while yellows will ship into May
• Overall quality is good; occasional skinning will be seen in fresh-run lots
• Markets are stable with active demand

Michigan

• The new crop season starts in early November

Please contact your Markon Account Manager for more information.

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