Asparagus

Markets are weakening as Peruvian imports increase. Expect prices to continue to tick downward over the next 7 to 10 days.

Mexico

• Baja, Mexico is North America’s primary growing region
• Strong winds and flooding caused by Hurricane Hilary did minimal damage to crops; growers have worked to cull scarred and bent stalks
• Jumbo sizes are limited; large and standard sizes dominate availability

Peru

• Volume remains lower than normal due to an early onset of El Nino weather patterns, but supplies are set to increase through September
• Newer growing regions in Southern Peru are coming online
• FOB pricing out of Miami is comparable to Mexican product crossing at the southern border

Blueberries

Supplies are becoming extremely limited, as domestic production ends and import volume is delayed. Elevated markets and limited supplies for the next four to six weeks.

• The Michigan and Washington seasons have both ended
• Oregon growers are winding down rapidly with minimal volume of organic fruit
• British Columbia, Canada harvests will end in approximately 10-14 days; cool weather and rain have slowed production
• Mexico
  • The new crop season is getting a slow start
  • Baja volume is slowly increasing; consistent rain has delayed harvests
  • Adequate stocks aren’t expected until October
• Peru
  • Shipments are slowly arriving into the U.S.
  • El Nino conditions have raised temperatures and caused poor fruit set
  • Consistent volume is not expected until mid-October
• Argentina and Uruguay shipments are expected to arrival into Miami, Florida and Los Angeles, California in mid- to late October

Brussels Sprouts

Markon First Crop (MFC) and Ready-Set-Serve (RSS) Brussels Sprouts remain limited; packer label is being substituted to fill some orders.

• Supplies are not meeting demand, driving markets higher
• Size is dominated by small and medium sprouts
  • After beginning the Salinas, California season late due to heavy precipitation this winter and cool weather this spring, growers were forced to harvest ahead of schedule
  • Suppliers continue to harvest immature fields to keep up with strong demand
• Prices are expected to remain elevated through mid-October

Celery

Celery markets are rising as supplies decrease.

• MFC Celery is available in Salinas, California
• Demand is strong in California as East Coast regional production winds down
• Additionally, volume in Michigan is lower compared to prior weeks; this season is expected to finish one to two weeks earlier than normal, in early October
• Yields in Salinas have been reduced by disease pressure, black heart, and pith
• Oxnard production is scheduled to start in early November; disease pressure is present in some young plantings
• Expect markets to continue to inch up through September

Grapes

The market is rising as the initial estimated California grape losses from Tropical Storm Hilary continue to climb.

Markon has challenged our Markon First Crop (MFC) portion pack grape supplier to extend Markon’s overall supply of red seedless grapes and cover the membership’s demand from October through December, as Chilean fruit begins shipping into the U.S. in early January.

The most practical solution is to incorporate both green and black seedless grapes into the MFC Lunch Bunch and Grape Escape packs to extend our overall grape supply through December 2023.

MFC Lunch Bunch

• Markon will offer all three colors in Lunch Bunch packs (black, green, and red)
  • MFC Lunch Bunch Grapes will only be available with the red grape varieties due to the hard print on the MFC box stating “Red Grapes”
  • HMC brand will be utilized for the black and green grape packs; each pack will contain only a single variety/color, all black, all green, or all red
  • Price per case: all three varieties will be sold at the same price
  • Quality and shelf-life will be consistent across all packs/varieties
  • Taste will be indicative of variety

Grape Escape 

• Markon will offer all three colors in the Grape Escape packs (red, black, and mixed red & green)
  • HMC brand will be available with all options; each pack will contain one type (red, black, or mixed red & green)
  • Price per case: all three packs will be sold at the same price
  • Quality and shelf-life will be consistent across all packs/varieties
  • Taste will be indicative of variety

Destemmed Grapes

• The destemmed packs will be shipped with the red seedless variety only, due to our limited weekly velocity

Green Onions

The green onion market remains elevated. RSS Green Onions are available; packer label green onions are being supplemented as needed to ensure order fulfillment.

• Strong winds, heavy rainfall, and flooding from Hurricane Hilary greatly reduced supplies
• Additional rain, power outages, and infrastructure repairs have proven to be lingering effects of the storm and are further impacting volume
• Large-size packs remain limited; ‘longtop’ green onions are especially tight
• Elevated markets will persist through mid-October

Limes

Lime markets remain firm despite improved weather conditions in Veracruz, Mexico this week. Premium grades are limited due to overall crop quality. MFC and Markon Essentials (ESS) Limes are available.

• Mexican lime growers remain challenged with quality concerns; QC checks have doubled and packing lines are running slower to remove poor-quality fruit
  • Oil spotting, stylar end breakdown, and yellowing (not to be confused with blanching) are the main concerns
  • Current yields for US No. 1 Fine Appearance have been reduced to 20-30 percent
  • Increased blanching pack out percentages are higher than normal for US No. 1 Mixed Color; blanching is caused by a lack of sunlight, often blocked by a leaf or a branch, and is not considered serious damage affecting shelf-life (see attached image)
• Size is dominated by 175- to 230-count fruit; larger 110- to 150-count sizes are extremely limited
• Expect steady but elevated lime markets into October
• Markon recommends ordering for quick turns

New Crop Apples

The Washington State Tree Fruit Association (WSTFA) predicts the 2023-2024 apple crop will be up as much as 28%, compared to the 2022-2023 season.   

Washington

• The WSTFA projects approximately 134 million cases (40-pound) will be shipped during the 2023-2024 season, up from nearly 104 million cases in 2022-2023
• The ample supply expectation for 2023-2024 follows last year’s short season, that was hindered by cold, rainy, and snowy weather during the growing process
• Suppliers saw yearly averages of approximately 120 million cases prior to last year’s short crop
• Expect level or below-average markets depending on variety

Michigan

• Growers saw a record-setting crop in 2022-2023, at nearly 32.4 million bushels (40-pound) harvested; ideal weather conditions in spring and summer 2022 bolstered the crop
• Currently, Michigan apple growers aren’t expecting another record year, but are expecting close to 90% of last year’s crop total
• Average seasonal yields prior to last season’s record crop were at 24 million bushels
• Markets will ease once the new crop season is in full swing in September

Oranges

Small-size California Valencia supplies continue to tighten, particularly 113- to 138-count packs. New crop harvesting will start in California, Mexico, Florida, and Texas between late October and early November.

California  

• MFC and ESS California Valencia Oranges are available
• Supplies are dominated by large sizes (56- to 88-count packs); smaller sizes (113- to 138-count packs) are tightening
• Expect to make size and/or grade changes to help fill orders as needed
• Initial reports project California Navels will begin shipping in late October/early November
• Expect increasing markets and tightening supplies until new crop Navels begin shipping

Chile

• Chilean fruit will start shipping into both coasts in mid-September

• Low volume is expected at the start, but it will rise week over week
• Supplies will be dominated by 113-count and larger packs

South Africa

• Fruit will start shipping into the East Coast in mid-September
• Low volume is expected at the start, but will rise week over week
• There is limited availability of 88- to 113-count packs

Mexico

• The season will begin in mid- to late October
• The Early orange variety will be available in both McAllen, Texas and Nogales, Arizona

Florida

• New crop fruit will start shipping in late October and run through June
• Supplies are expected to be dominated by 100- to 125-count and larger packs
• The majority of fruit will be choice and standard grades

Texas

• Oranges will begin shipping in early November
• Navels will be the predominate variety available, but Early oranges will be on the market also

Pears

New crop Washington Bartletts pear harvesting is ramping up. Abundant California Bartlett supplies remain available.

Washington

• With more Bartlett pears hitting the market, prices have eased
  • Quality is excellent
  • Size is dominated by 90- to 110-count pears in early pack-outs; sufficient supplies of 120- count and smaller fruit are available
• D’Anjou production is set to get started at the end of this week

California

• Bartlett pears will ship well into October
• Sizing favors 90- through 110-count; 120-count and smaller stocks are adequate
• Growers pack and sell by the count as opposed to the volume-fill method used in Washington
  • California suppliers ship 40-pound packs (36-pounds net); Washington growers use 48-pound cartons (44-pounds net)
  • Due to this pack difference, California ships approximately 6 to 10 fewer pieces of fruit per unit compared to Washington
  • The attached photos show Washington and California pear packs

Potatoes

Fresh-run, new crop MFC Norkotah Potatoes are currently be shipped out of Idaho and Washington. Expect the market to continue easing for the next few weeks.

Norkotahs

• New crop harvesting is expected to be completed in late October
• Large-size Idaho Norkotah supplies (40-through 50-count potatoes) are plentiful; small-size potatoes (80-through 100-count supplies) have tightened
• Norkotah quality remains great; skinning and excess moisture may be observed in fresh-run potatoes
• New crop potatoes have not gone through the sweat process yet
  • Potatoes may release moisture as they cool, causing very light, white surface residue that can be easily be brushed off
  • The white residue may be present and will dissipate as potatoes dry and does not pose any quality problems
• MFC Norkotahs will begin to ship out of storage in mid-October

Burbanks

• New crop Burbank harvesting will begin in late September; packer label cartons will be available to ship
• MFC Burbank Potatoes will be available once the sweat process is completed (approximately late October/early November)

Please contact your Markon customer service representative for more information.

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