The Source - April 11, 2016

Washington - red delicious are steady on all sizes and grades and they continue to peak on 72/80/88s. Most suppliers are still subbing up to higher grades to cover volume orders of the fancy grade. Golden delicious are steady on all sizes and grades. Goldens continue to peak on Wash-Extra 100/113s and most suppliers don't have much larger than an 88-size. Granny-smith are steady on all sizes and they are continue to peak on 88-113s. Most suppliers still don't have much larger than an 88 or smaller than a 125. Galas are steady to slightly higher on all sizes and grades and the market remains firm. Most Gala suppliers still don't have much fruit larger than an 88. Fujis are steady on all sizes due to light supplies. Washington Fujis continue to peak on extra-fancy 80-100's. The quality for all varieties has been good.
Michigan - Red delicious are steady on all sizes but volume flex for 113s and larger remains. Reds are peaking on 80/88s. McIntosh are steady on all sizes but supplies are very light. Galas are steady to higher on all sizes due to light supplies. Golden delicious are steady to higher but the market remains firm due to light supplies. Jonathans are steady to on all sizes but supplies remain limited. Jonathans are still peaking on 150/138/125s. Fujis are steady to higher due to light supplies. Red Romes are steady on all sizes but supplies remain light.
New York - Red delicious, Red Romes, and Empires are all steady. Gala supplies are light and the market is firm. Empire volume is hit and miss but there are occasional deals. Small fruit availability is light for all varieties. The fruit quality has been good for all.

The Asparagus market is firming up. For the most part Caborca is finished and the remaining asparagus from that region is tired with seeding in the tips. The California crop had some harvesting delays due to the rain in the Salinas Valley. This allowed suppliers to raise their prices due to availability. There have been sporadic shipments of Peruvian asparagus on the East Coast. And the market is following the Domestic and Mexican markets. There are still supplies of all sizes. Quality out of California is excellent.

California harvest has picked up and are now seeing fairly good volume coming in to he packing houses. Volume looks to continue to build through April. We still continue to see more smaller fruit than we would typically would see this time of year. Fruit is just not sizing up as growers had hoped due to the lack of water in the southern growing area.

Volume from Mexico is still very good. Fruit is coming from higher elevations with good quality and oil content. The size curve is peaking on 40s/48s/60s.

Green bell pepper continue to improve with supply. Product is mostly small to medium with very few large x large or jumbo .Most growers in Mexico are finishing fields.

Red pepper is becoming very available this week. Quality with mostly number one product being offered in both the blocky and elongated variety. Many volume deals being offered in 25,15 and 11lb units.

Yellow pepper in both variety and all pack styles. yellow and red are more available with better color due to warmer weather.

Supply has improved some to start this week. Some grower-shippers are still struggling with availability and transfers from MX but others have better supplies. We are seeing less issues with red cell and soft, broken berries.

Alerts:
Supplies are still lighter but are improving with most shippers.

Chile has ended major blueberry production for the season. There is still some storage product in the pipeline but it is drying up very quickly. Central Mexico and Baja are still in steady production and FL and CA are beginning to produce on a small scale. Supplies will continue to be short over the next 2 weeks at least and markets continue to get stronger. Supplies are very limited, demand exceeding. Domestic production is not coming on quick enough to avoid a supply gap.

Alerts:
Blueberry supplies are still extremely limited, demand exceeding. Domestic production is not coming on quick enough to avoid a supply gap. This current shortage is expected for another 2 weeks.

Supply got very tight by mid-week last week and looks to remain short for the near future, demand is exceeding. We are right on the cusp of production increasing in California and availability being better but we are not there yet. Quality has been good overall, with a few reports of sun scald.

Alerts:
Limited availability, demand is exceeding supply this week.

CA received rain over the weekend in all 3 growing regions: Oxnard, Santa Maria and Salinas/Watsonville. Many grower-shippers picked/packed ahead of the rain on Friday but were unable to harvest much over the weekend due to showers. This also resulted in many shippers using Monday's labor to clean-up plants and/or diverting acreage to juicing to avoid packing for fresh market and avoid subsequent quality issues. Temperatures will remain in the mid 60s for most of the week and that will also keep production from picking back up very quickly. Rain comes into the forecast again on Thursday and the long range forecasts shows systems moving in throughout the month of April. Availability is light to begin the week and demand is good. Harvesting crews and quality control teams will be focusing on minimizing damage/quality issues in the packs this week.

Alerts:
Rain over the past weekend has limited availability and raised concern for quality issues, damage later in the week.

The broccoli market has firmed up off the bottom. Some growing regions such as Phoenix and Yuma have finished. And most suppliers are feeling increased demand. Supplies in the remaining regions are steady. But the increased demand and possible supplies gapping by the end of this week have created an upward trend in the market. Quality remains excellent with nice crown size with limited yellowing.

Brussel Sprouts continue to be a problem. Not only are supplies extremely limited, prices are extremely high as well. Quality is fair at best with arrivals showing brown discoloration and some black decay. Unfortunately there still isn't any forecast for relief.

Alerts:
Still in extremely short supply and an active market

We still are not seeing size is coming back as we had hoped in the Coachella and Imperial Valley crop. Carrots are still small, and still not getting much supply on Jumbo size carrots. Jumbo size still very tight, and still looks like it will be awhile before any real improvement of size is seen. Supplies of medium size and baby peeled carrots are is good.

The cauliflower market remains active this week. Supplies are limited on all packs. Also there will be possible substitutions from 12 count to 16 count from some shippers. The quality of cauliflower is showing creamy color to some yellowing upon arrivals. Look for limited supplies and active markets for the rest of the week.

Alerts:
Limited supplies and active markets for the rest of the week.

Large sizing has firmed up. This market is stronger to start the week. Small sizing is slightly higher in price. Good quality continues with most suppliers. Moderate supplies continue out of the Florida region. Expect pricing to get stronger throughout the week. Production in Yuma has finished up.

Domestic cherries are about ready to start. We currently have an estimated start date of April 26. Early reports show a good fruit set. We expect good volume on the early fruit with sizing running heavily to the 11 row and smaller.

Transitions:
Domestic Cherries starting the last week of April.

Serrano; Some growers are finishing and supply has dropped. Quality remains good with better demand.

Anaheim; Sizing and quality remain good, more product being offered.

Pablano; Slightly lighter supply, good quality and condition expected to continue.

Tomatillo; Very good supply and quality ,extra large sizes available.

Jalapeno: heavy supply are available with very good size and Quality. Light scarring on some lots.

As we transition to Salinas, there has been minimal supply gaps. This has kept the market steady at competitive pricing. Cilantro quality has been good with minimal dehydration and yellow discoloration of the leaves.

The central valley and the Ventura crops are going and both are peaking on 140s and smaller size fruit. Larger sized fruit is tight and strong demand for 140s/165s has them cleaning up daily. Demand remains very strong.

The lime market has continued higher on all sizes. Demand is good on all sizes across the board. The peak sizes are shifting back towards larger sizes now. This is the time of year where overall supplies are low and will remain at lower levels until the first or second week of May. The overall long term upward market trend will likely continue with the lower supplies through to first part of May. Quality is excellent overall. Supplies continue to remain extremely short. The short supplies will carry into the end of next week.

Some rain over the weekend will slow picking for a day or two for shippers. Bin inventory of small fruit was low going into the weekend, so pickers need to get back out to the groves. Eating excellent and look beautiful, with peak sizing on 72s/56s/88s. Demand is very good on 113s/138s, leaving these sizes somewhat tight in supply.

Supply on cucumber is improving. More supply from the northern district. Quality is better on all sizes and pack styles. Peaking on Super Select and Select.
Color is good with very few quality Many euro cucumbers are available with large volume and good availability

Eggplant will continue with lighter supply from both central and northern Mexico. Excellent color and condition will continue
with many number two product being offered. Many growers in the south are finishing and supply will lighten

With the marketing order taking affect this week there will be no new grapes coming in from Chile. This leaves us with storage green's that are very expensive. Quality continues to be an issue with the last of the Chilean green grapes (amber, soft wet berries). Late seasonal rains and an earlier than normal finish on the green grape harvest means the fruit that went into storage was less than ideal. Quality and supply will continue to be an issue until we see the first of the Mexican fruit; around the first week of May.

Alerts:
Chilean green seedless grapes struggling with quality.

Transitions:
Mexican green grapes estimated start date of May 10.

The red seedless grape market is about steady with adequate volume to meet current demand. Quality on the late season Crimson's out of Chile continues to be very good with a wide range of sizes available. This market looks to remain steady through the coming week. Mexico is estimated to start with red grapes about mid-May with volume coming on by the end of May.

Supplies remain steady as shipments from Mexico have not been delayed. Both iceless and iced green onions are in decent supplies. The market for this week will be steady. Quality has been good with minimal browning to yellowing of the tops.

There are plenty of supplies from all growing regions. The market remains steady even through transition. Quality has been excellent with nice green color, minimal dehydration, and yellowing.

Huron is expected to finish up by the end of this week. Santa Maria has started with a few suppliers. Insects are seen along with some irregular shaped heads in Huron. Decay has also been an issue. The weights are averaging 39-44 pounds on palletized. Salinas is expected to have better production next week. Defects in Santa Maria are similar to Huron with some suppliers. A few shippers began the week sold out for the day. The growing regions have had rains over the past three to four days. Temperatures have been fluctuating as well. Overall, this market is up.

Production in Huron should be finished by the end of the week. Salinas and Santa Maria currently are the main growing regions for leaf items. There is a gap in pricing on romaine by as much as three dollars. This market is getting stronger. There are quality issues. These issues include blister, insect damage and cupping. This is occurring on green and red leaf as well, not just romaine. This market will likely get stronger throughout the week.

The quality is good overall with some lots being exceptionally nice. The peak size is currently 9ct. The current market has turned higher on all sizes. Demand has increased but supplies are lighter than last week causing it to rise up. 15ct lopes being packed now with virtually zero 18ct coming over.

Demand has picked up on honeydews and supplies have decreased since last week causing the market to come up a bit. The peak size for the offshore is 6ct and the Mexican dews are peaking on 6ct, very few 8ct are available. Honduran and Guatemalan grown honeydews are really good. Mexican dews ship out of Nogales AZ and the volume is beginning to pick up. The Mexican dews are also very nice. The market is higher across the board.

Spring crop has finally arrived and product is now being shipped from southern and northern Sonora Mexico. The supply has increased and the availability will be increasing everyday. Shippers The spring will look to promote and increase the movement. Quality condition and brix are all very good. All sizes being offered peaking on larger fruit,
36s, 45s some 60s.

Onions are still coming out of Idaho, Washington, Mexico and Texas. Southern California will start up with Yellow next week followed by reds the following week The Northwest storage will go out of Idaho till the end of this month with supplies out of Washington going into the first week of May. Quality out of Idaho is good for being this late in the season with transparency showing up in some of the outer layers in both the Yellow and Reds. Quality on the new crop Mexico and Texas onions is being reported as good. Supplies out of Mexico have peaked and are winding down quickly with Supplies out of Texas increasing. Markets are steady out of the northwest with some activity on the new crop onions our of Texas.

Transitions:
Supplies are about to start up in Southern California with supplies finishing in the Northwest and Mexico

Washington - D'anjou pears are steady and still peaking on 80/90/100's. US#1 110-count and smaller supplies remain limited along with all sizes of the fancy grade. Most packers are finished packing D'anjous only have whats in their respective CA rooms. Bosc pears are steady and continue to peak on US#1 90/100/110s. Fancy grade Bosc remain short in all sizes. Most shippers still have CA Bosc pears but are on their final room so supplies are limited. Red pears are steady on all sizes and they are peaking on half carton 45/50s and full carton 90/100s, but supplies remain light. Red pears should finish in the next week or two. The quality on domestic D'anjous, Bosc, and red pears have been good.
Chile - Chilean Bartlett pears are finished coming in and supplies are limited to small fruit on the west coast. Packhams are steady and continue to produce US#1 80/90/100s. Argentinian Bartletts are steady and are peaking on US#1 70-100s. The quality on all of the imported varieties have been good.

We are back to a more normal demand for the lighter, but steady supplies that we have. Still looking for supplies start to come back as we move through April.

Demand is moderate on cartons and very light on retail bags out of all areas (Idaho, Washington, Colorado and Wisconsin). Markets are steady on 70 count and smaller with a slightly stronger under tone on 60 count and larger. There has been some reports of internal bruising or black spots showing up in some of the lots out of Idaho. Looks for the markets to stay fairly steady into the end of May.

Bakersfield, California - new crop white, red, and gold potatoes are all steady and all three colors are peaking on A-size. The new-crop quality has been good.
Idaho - reds and golds are steady but supplies remain limited. Both colors continue to peak on A-size. One Idaho supplier will finish next week and the other two will pack through April. The quality has been good on all colors.
Wisconsin - they continue to buy from other areas and repack but aren't a factor in the market. They have mostly red and gold A and B-size and prices are steady.
North Dakota - Reds and gold supplies are light and are in never few hands.
S. Florida - reds and gold's are steady to slightly lower but the market remains strong due to poor yields. Both reds and golds are peaking on A-size. Whites are still not available. The quality has ranged from good to fair.

Transitions:
Arizona will start to pack new-crop red potatoes the week of April 20. Gold potatoes will be two weeks behind.

Hard Squash will continue to lighten in supply. Acorn and butternut are becoming more scarce. Spaghetti is abundant and Kabocha is becoming less available.

Yellow and Italian squash are being harvested with large volume and deals being offered, great quality on most volume from all growers. Many lots of yellow showing scarring on arrival.

The domestic stone fruit season is kicking off over the next few weeks with peaches, apricots and nectarines starting around the 20'th of April. Early indications are for excellent fruit with a good range of sizes. The Chilean deal is essentially done with a few shippers still cleaning up some inventory.

Transitions:
Chile is finishing and the domestic stone fruit deal will be starting around the third week of April.

Rounds - The market is steady. Supplies are more available in Florida, with Ruskin / Palmetto beginning harvest soon. Mexico looking better on supplies, with additional supplies crossing. Quality is Good / Fair.
Roma - The market is steady. Supplies in Florida looking better. New crops are becoming available for harvest. In Mexico, additonal supplies crossing. Quality is Good / Fair.
Cherry - The market is Steady. With a few more shippers in Florida, supplies are looking better and better. Mexico is also crossing additional supplies. Quality is Good / Fair.
Grape - The market is Steady. Supplies continue to look better in Florida and Mexico. Additinal supplies available in all areas. Quality is Good / Fair.

Rounds - The market is steady. Supplies continue to look better out of mexico, with additional product crossing. Florida looking better with supplies, with Ruskin / Palmetto beginning soon. Quality is Good / Fair.
Roma - The market is steady. Volumes are looking better out of Mexico.
Additional product crossing. Florida also looking better on supplies. Quality is Good / Fair.
Cherry - The market is Steady. Supplies in both Mexico and Florida increasing. Mexico is crossing additional supplies and additional shippers in Florida harvesting product. Quality is Good / Fair.
Grape - The market is steady. Supplies looking better in all areas. More supplies continue to cross from Mexico. Florida is also increasing supplies. Quality is Good / Fair.