Arugula and Tender Leaf Varieties

Supplies of tender leaf and spring mix varieties are limited in the California growing regions.

• Markon brand suppliers are meeting Ready-Set-Serve (RSS) Spring Mix and RSS Heritage Blend demand
• Recent rain events in California the past two weeks have taken a toll on tender leaf items
• Demand has shifted to arugula and tender leaf items due to shortages on lettuce and leaf items in California
• Arugula supplies are the tightest within the tender leaf category due to sensitivity to abnormally low temperatures
• Quality is average; yellowing leaves and product breakdown are main quality challenges

California Strawberries

The strawberry market is in a demand-exceeds-supply situation due to rains last week in the Santa Maria and Mexico growing regions.

Santa Maria/Oxnard

• Markon First Crop (MFC) Strawberries are available

• Quality ranges from fair to good; clear weather is forecast the next 10 days
• Some issues have been soft skin, bruising, light decay, and mishappen fruit
• Size ranges from small-medium to medium
• 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 winds down
• Size currently ranges from small to medium
• Quality ranges from fair to poor; softness and early decay have been reported

Mexico/South Texas

• Yields were impacted by last week’s rain
• Supplies are limited due to quality problems including white shoulders, skin bruising, and green tips
• Supply will increase in mid-November
• Expect low volume and high prices

Lemons

Price relief is expected to start next week as domestic new crop lemon production has begun in the California desert region.

Domestic      

• MFC and Markon Essentials (ESS) Lemons are available  
• New crop California lemons are in full swing
• Quality is good; some minor scarring has been reported
• Expect slowly declining pricing and increased supplies over the next two weeks

Offshore

• Offshore fruit from Argentina and Chile is past its peak
• Quality is average; brown spotting, early decay, and scarring are being reported
• Expect higher pricing compared to domestic and Mexican fruit

Mexico

• Mexican shipments have started and will run through late November
• Size will be predominately 165- through 235-count fruit; larger sizes will be available
• Quality is good; some brown spotting is being reported
• Expect slowly declining pricing to be comparable to California

Oranges

California Navel orange prices are easing; supplies are becoming more plentiful as multiple growing regions are now producing fruit.

California  

• MFC and ESS Navel Oranges are available 
• Large sizes (56- and 88-count fruit) are limited; smaller sizes (113- and 138-count fruit) are plentiful
• Navel quality is great; sugar levels range from 12-13 Brix
• Expect easing markets and increased supplies

Mexico

• Mexican imports (crossing in Nogales, Arizona) are expected in mid-November
• Great quality is forecast; sugar levels will range from 12-13 Brix
• Prices will be comparable to those in Florida and Texas

Texas

• Early variety seeded oranges will ship through February before the start of the Valencia season
• Harvesting has been slowed due to an unexpected rain event earlier this week
• Quality is good; sugar levels range from 11-12 Brix
• Expect elevated markets and limited supplies

Florida

• The new crop Hamlin season has begun
• Supplies are dominated by 138-count and smaller sizes
• Quality is fair; sugar levels range from 10-11 Brix
• Choice and standard grades will dominate the crop

Imports

• Fruit is being imported to the East Coast
• South African-seeded Midnight-variety oranges are shipping
• Quality is good; sugar levels range from 12-13 Brix
• The season will end in late November

Squash

Zucchini supplies will increase in early November. Yellow squash supplies are more plentiful; markets are lower. MFC Zucchini and Yellow Squash are available.

• Mexico’s Sonora season was slow to start due to stormy weather in early October
  • Sunny weather with temperatures in the mid-90s is aiding growth this week
  • Quality is very good
• California production is getting underway in the Coachella desert region
• Cooler weather and rain have slowed production in South Georgia
• Florida has avoided major storms so far this season
  • Fall harvests have begun
  • Growers report high volume
• Markets are expected to inch down over the next two weeks as Florida and Mexico move into peak production

Stringless Sugar Snap Peas:

Prices remain elevated; supplies are extremely limited industrywide due to poor quality.

California – Salinas and Santa Maria Valleys

• MFC Sugar Snap Peas are extremely limited out of California; packer label is being substituted as needed
• Rain, cooler nighttime temperatures, and hail from a few weeks ago have contributed to continuing poor quality on domestically grown sugar snap peas
• Scarring, discoloration, dehydration, and pitting are present in most lots, severely reducing yields on the West Coast
• Expect very limited domestic supplies to persist until imported volume from Mexico increases in the next two to three weeks

Imports – Northern Mexico, Guatemala, and Peru

• Supplies are limited; demand has shifted to imports as quality and yields have deteriorated domestically
• Imported stringed varieties are generally more available than stringless
• Quality is marginally better in Peruvian and Guatemalan stocks
• Northern Mexico supplies will enter the market over the next few weeks heading into November
• Expect limited availability and higher pricing until imported volume increases in the next three weeks

Please contact your Markon Account Manager for more information.

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