The Source - July 24, 2019

Eastern Region
New York
Ginger Golds are expected to start 8/10-8/15. ‘Early’ Reds (Polar, Jersey Macs) to start 8/15-8/20 with ‘Late’ Reds (Jonamac, McIntosh, and Gala) coming mid to late September.

Michigan
Golds expected to start 8/22 with Gala and McIntosh expected 9/10. We should see Red Delicious and Fuji late September and Jonagold the first or second week of October.

Western Region:
Washington
The apple market is very active. Most shippers are struggling on Golden Delicious and the overall market availability is gapping. Ginger Golds should be available in the first week of August. Many shippers are reaching the end of their stored product (ie. Golden Del., Granny, Fuji, and Gala) and the need to sub sizes/make multiple picks has become unavoidable.

Schools are re-opening in some parts of the country and we will continue to see smaller shippers ‘clean up’ on certain varieties—adding pressure to the large shippers who have year-round fruit. Pre-book orders are increasing and so are FOB/Delivered prices.

We should see Wildfire Galas start the first week of August and Royal Galas the mid to late August. Ginger Golds and early Honeycrisp to start the week of August 5 or 12.

SEND ORDERS EARLY. Flexibility on subbing sizes/grades/varieties is essential—especially on smaller, foodservice sizes (113ct, 125ct, and 138ct).

California
Buckeye Galas should start towards the end of July/beginning of August (heavy, spring rains have affected CA start dates). Granny Smiths should start at the end of August/first week of September.

Chilean Braeburn – 70-90ct XFCY (available now)
Chilean Pink Lady – 70-90ct XFCY (available now)
*Fresh harvest (not C.A.)—FOB L.A.

Alerts:
Golden Delicous are gapping in Washington. Many shippers are done for the season and are unable to fill minimal orders.

Transitions:
California Gala apples have started and are available to load in the San Joaquin Valley.

Central Mexico (Guanajuato) production remains very low due to weather in the region. The larger sizes are still limited and will continue to be limited for the next 7-10 days depending on the weather. There has been little change in supply from Peru and the cold weather continues to dominate both regions. Due to the weather, both regions in Peru have limited availability on the larger sizes. Markets on both coasts are still active and should remain the same for the next week.

The California season has surpassed its peak volume. We are about a few weeks out before the season is done for the year. Quality and shelf life have been great. We are also seeing some growers offering the Lamb Hass variety. It is a cross between a traditional Hass and a Gwen. It appears with a very light difference in shape. Lamb Hass is a late-season fruit that cuts well and eats great.

Alerts:
California crop tapering off as we are approaching the end of the season.

Rain expected throughout the week in the growing region of Michoacan Mexico. New crop fruit "Flora Loca" is slowly trickling into the pipeline. Early season fruit has lower dry matter then late-season fruit. That being said, the fruit will take longer to ripen. As the season progresses, the dry matter will increase and shelf life will decrease.
With California fruit tapering off and Peruvian done by mid to late August; Mexico will be our only option until Chilean fruit comes along in September. The market has recently come off in price. We can expect prices to shoot right back up in the next few weeks.

The bell pepper supply is extremely tight. They're very light supplies along the east coast in Virginia and New Jersey. There is some light supply in the mountains of North Carolina and Tennessee but rain over the last couple of days has slowed harvest in all regions. Demand exceeds supply by a wide margin. Quality has been hit and miss in all regions. All the pepper growing regions have been experiencing very high temperatures and some product has arrived with soft spongy areas and turning color. The next large growing region will be Ohio and Michigan, they are supposed to start light volume this weekend but will not have much supply until the first week of August.

Alerts:
Extremely tight supplies.

• Green Bell Pepper- Moderate supplies of green bell peppers are being harvested in Bakersfield and Fresno, CA growing areas. Mostly choice grade being packed and is meeting demands. Few large and extra-large retail grade bell pepper are being packed. Quality on green bell pepper from these areas is good. Retail grade green bell pepper demand currently exceeds supply. Green bell peppers from Mexico is also available to load in San Diego, CA and McAllen, TX.
• Red Bell Pepper- Good supplies of red bell pepper are being harvested in the Bakersfield and Fresno growing area. Both retail and choice grade currently being packed from these districts with good quality and good supplies. Market on red bell peppers is steady. Light supplies of Red bell pepper also available to load in McAllen, TX.
• Yellow Bell Pepper- Moderate supplies of bell peppers are being harvested in the Bakersfield and Fresno Growing area. Steady supplies of yellow bells expected to continue through the week and quality have been good. Market on yellow bell peppers is expected to remain steady through the week. Moderate supplies of Yellow hot house bells are also available to load in McAllen, TX.

Blackberries remain in short supplies. The weather has set these plants back a few weeks delaying peak harvests. We should see steadier numbers next week. Quality has been fair with some red cell being the main problem found in some samples. Look for the market to remain snug into next week.

Blueberries remain readily available out of several locations on the West Coast and Pacific North West. On the East Coast, we Have Michigan, New Jersey, and North Carolina all pitching in to produce a softer market. Quality has been good out West with some rain-related issues occurring in the Eastern fruit. Look for the market remain lower as we move into next week.

Raspberries remain in light supplies with most shippers while they wait for the larger production to begin. Many shippers have said that their plants were set back 2 weeks by the same peculiar weather that affected the strawberries so intensely. Look for the market to remain firm into next week. Quality is good.

This market remains fairly firm with most shippers having a very limited open market product. The numbers are looking to improve slightly moving into the week with lighter overall demand expected for the weekend. Quality has improved and will continue to do so after a much-needed streak of optimum weather occurring. Look for the market to remain steady to slightly lower next week.

The broccoli market continues to stay steady with steady supplies in the pipeline. This recent warm weather has brought fields forward the last couple of weeks and has affected the overall quality. Quality is fair with slight purpling, some mechanical damage and occasional yellow cast.

The brussels sprouts market remains steady as there is plenty of supply that is in the pipeline. The recent warm weather has brought on yields. Look for the Brussels sprouts market to continue to adjust going into next week.

The cello carrot market out of the Central California area remains steady in both price and supply. The Mexican carrot market crossing in through South Texas is strong with light supplies due to sporadic rain events impeding harvests. When ordering the carrots out of either location please give 48-hour notice so that they can be staged properly for prompt loading.

Alerts:
Jumbo carrot market is still tight shipping out of McAllen and Laredo Texas

The recent warm weather in the Salinas Valley continues to keep supplies at a moderate level. Cauliflower fields are slightly ahead of schedule and seeing a slight gap in supply. Overall, the quality is good with minor bruising and yellow cast with weights in the 25 to 28-pound level. Look for the market to continue to adjust going into next week.

Steady supplies of product continue out of Salinas and Santa Maria. The best availability continues on large sizing, twenty-four counts in particular. A few shippers are flexing for volume type orders. Thirty-six counts are the least available but there is enough to meet demand. Michigan has started production. This will inevitably ease the pressure on California production to meet demand in the marketplace. Some minimal quality issues include leafy tops, insect damage and mechanical, but the overall quality continues to be reported as strong. The weights are averaging 48 -54 pounds.

Transitions:
Michigan has begun production.

Washington
The cherry market is up. Many shippers are selling through inventory and some smaller shippers are done for the season. Product availability is ‘drying up’ and shippers are cleaning up inventory at higher prices.

• Jalapenos- Moderate supply of Jalapenos still available to load in Los Angeles from Mexico. Jalapenos are being harvested in Baja California where the quality is good. Domestic jalapeno peppers are also being harvested in Santa Maria, CA. Mostly medium to large size are available from both regions. Market on jalapenos has maintained in the mid-teens.
• Pasilla- Good supply of Pasilla peppers available to load in Los Angeles from Mexico. Pasilla is being harvested in Baja California. Quality on Pasillas from this region is mostly good. Size on the pepper is mostly medium. Market on Pasillas is higher/steady. Pasilla from Mexico also available to load in McAllen, Texas.
• Anaheim- Moderate supply of Anaheims available to load from Baja California. Quality from Baja is mostly good. The market for Anaheim is in the mid-teens and is expected to stay there through the week.
• Serrano – Moderate supplies of Serrano peppers available to load in Los Angeles, from Mexico. Supplies are expected to remain steady throughout the week. Supplies currently meet demand. Price on Serrano pepper is currently in the high teens and is expected to remain the same through the week.
• Tomatillo – Husk tomatillos are available to load in Los Angeles, from Mexico. Quality of husk variety is good. Good supplies on husk tomatillos are expected to continue through the week. The tomatillo market has increased slightly on both husked and peeled. Both Husked and Peeled tomatillos are increasing in the teens.

The cilantro market continues to pick up a bit with a slight reduction in supplies. The cilantro quality is fair with an occasional yellow leaf. Look for the cilantro market to continue to adjust going into next week.

Domestic supplies continue to remain tight on 140’s and smaller, this will continue for most of the summer. Inventory on large fruit remains readily available. Market prices on small size fruit continue to stay strong, looking at mid $30’s on choice and fancy fruit. Offshore supply continues to improve weekly on inbounds on both coasts which will help offset domestic supplies. We’re hearing great feedback on the export quality.

Lime supplies have taken a turn due to wet weather and low packouts in Mexico. Prices have jumped to the mid-teens on the 40lb since last week and we do not foresee them going down until the rains subside. Expect markets to continue to rise, especially if importers continue to have issues with replacing existing supplies. Sizing is still peaking on 175/200.

We’ll have plenty California Valencia supplies on all sizes and grades with great quality the rest of the month. Markets on both grades are in the mid-teens. Import Navels continue to increase weekly on both coasts, please contact us for any interest import on Navels. On Specialty Citrus, the Bloods have a few more weeks left and a few suppliers have started import Clementine Mandarins on both coast. Supplies will gradually increase weekly. Grapefruit supplies are looking plentiful through the summer, plenty of opportunities to push volume.

Cucumber supply is steady with Virginia, New Jersey and Pennsylvania shipping along the east coast. None of the east coast deals have a lot of planted acreage which is just enough to be a factor. Michigan and Ohio are picking up in volume as they approach the peak of their season. The east coast had storms early this week that slowed harvest and could cause some short term quality issues. The mid-west temperatures have cooled considerably this week which will slow harvest but also help the quality tremendously. Expect supply to increase and pricing to be a little lower as the week goes on and more mid-west growers begin for the season.

Transitions:
Cucumbers are in Transition to the mid-west

The cucumber market is decreasing lightly, but remaining steady. West coast cucumbers are currently being harvested out of Baja California with good supplies produced. All sizes and pack styles currently being packed. Supplies are currently exceeding demand on both retail and foodservice quality. Quality from Baja is good. Moderate supplies of Mexican cucumbers crossing through McAllen with good quality.

Eggplant supplies are light with Georgia still harvesting late-season product. North Carolina is harvesting light supplies and New Jersey is coming into the peak of their season. Quality is only fair on the southern eggplant. Quality in New Jersey has been good, the next region to start will be Ohio and Michigan in the first week of August. Demand has been low, so pricing has stayed steady for the past week and should remain steady through the weekend.

Good supplies of eggplant available to load in Los Angeles. Eggplant is currently being harvested in the Bakersfield and Fresno, CA districts. Good supplies of eggplant are expected to continue through the week. Both fancy and choice grade being packed. Quality of domestic eggplant is good.

Green grape supplies have been a little lighter than reds as we transitioned into new California harvest. However, production numbers are expected to continue to climb as we move forward. Quality is excellent on what we have seen so far. All sizes are available. The green grapes are showing good color, consistent size, firm berries, and good sugar levels. Market prices have been slightly higher and firm but will slowly adjust down as we move forward. We expect volumes to increase over the next 3-4 weeks and reach peak season by mid-August. We will have plenty of promotional opportunities throughout the domestic summer season.

Peak Seasons:
Peak season will approach mid August and we expect plenty of promotional opportunities.

California's central valley is in full production. Red Grape volumes continue to increase as we move forward. Quality is excellent right now, see pictures below. All sizes are available, berries are firm and crunchy, good color, good stems, and high sugar levels. Flames are the main variety currently. Market prices have been slowly coming down. We expect to have a robust domestic summer season with plenty of promotional opportunities. There are still some Mexican grapes being traded, but the quality is poor and I would highly suggest transitioning into the new harvest.

Peak Seasons:
We are approaching peak season for California grapes. We expect production numbers to continue to climb over the next 3 weeks and then be in peak of season by mid August.

The green onion supply continues to be plentiful with the recent nice weather in Mexico and Salinas. The cooler weather in April/May is causing occasional leaf minor and mechanical damage. The market will continue to stay steady going into next week.

The kale market continues to remain steady as supplies continue to stay plentiful. Quality is fair with full bunches and an occasional yellow leaf being reported due to the recent heatwave.

Demand has fallen off and the quality is much stronger with this commodity. Escalated pricing on value-added items is still in play, but expect normal pricing towards the end of the week. The problem of lightweights has gone away. Expect wrap lettuce at 39-44 pounds with multiple suppliers. Processors are still watching averages but there is more availability compared to past weeks. There have been minor reports of insect damage, puffiness, and some mildew but minimally. The overall reports on this commodity are above average. Expect good availability for the entire week.

Alerts:
Good weights on wrap lettuce is more readily available with multiple shippers.

Better availability on romaine continues with most shippers. There is no escalated pricing on value-added romaine items as well as green and red leaf. Romaine hearts have better availability compared to past weeks but availability is still moderate to light, overall. Green and red leaf have been reported on the strong side. Aside from occasional insect damage, mildew and light fringe burn, reports are very good for all the romaine and leaf items. The weights on romaine are averaging 32-37 pounds and green and red leaf range from 22-25 pounds.

Alerts:
There is no escalated pricing on value added items with romaine as well as all leaf items.

Tender Leaf supplies continue to be plentiful as the weather in the Salinas Valley continues to spur growth and produce better yields. Curly parsley, spinach, and arugula have reacted to the recent warm weather and supplies look to be in good shape going into next week. Quality is good with occasional yellowing and bruising of the tender leaves.

San Joaquin Valley-Larger fruit has been tight but, we are seeing good supplies on all sizes this week. The market is a little stronger, quality is consistent and with great Brix levels.

San Joaquin Valley-The market is a little stronger this week on domestic fruit. We are seeing good demand for both small and large fruit. It has solid internal and external quality with great brix levels. Nogales will be done this week making this domestic market stronger.

Watermelon’s currently being harvested in Phoenix, Arizona. The seedless watermelon market is steady with steady demand. Watermelon quality out of Arizona is good.

Yellow onion markets out of California remain firm as supplies are meeting demand. The New Mexico yellow onion markets are declining as production is improving. Red onions in both regions are in good supply while white onions are limited with high markets. New Mexico is exhibiting very good quality at this time. Northwest onions are expected to come into the picture the first week of August with limited supplies out of Idaho/Oregon. Washington is anticipating a mid-August start. As more onions start to fill up the pipeline over the coming weeks, expect to see a declining market on yellow onions as we approach August. White onions will remain limited until mid-to-late August.

Alerts:
Markets on yellow beginning to ease. White onions to remain limited for the next 3-4 weeks.

Transitions:
New crop Northwest harvests in Idaho/Oregon to begin early August. Washington will start mid-August.

Washington:
D’Anjou pears are all that is available out of Washington and prices have firmed up. We do expect some shippers to come down with new crop. California Green Bartletts are starting up this week (light volume) and as the week's progress, we should see prices soften in both areas.

California:
IMPORTED PEARS: Chilean and Argentinean Bartlett pears are available to load in Los Angeles. Also, Chilean Packems (70-120ct) are available.

CALIFORNIA BARTLETT pears are currently available and volumes should increase as shippers continue to pack. CALIFORNIA BOSC pears are expected to follow the week of Aug 12.

Alerts:
Washington shippers only have Green D'Anjou pears available. California shippers began packing Green Bartlett pears this week and should increase volumes by next week.

Transitions:
CA Bartlett pears have begun with Red pears (Starkrimson) available early to mid August. Also, CA Bosc pears are expected mid-August.

Pineapple supplies have continued to remain tight on both coast, but most customers have been flexible with subbing sizes around to fulfill orders in full. Quality has been becoming more of an issue. We’re seeing occasional browning on the interior of the fruit which is usually attributed to excess water absorption from when the pineapples were in the fields. Markets continue to remain steady in the mid-teens. We’ll continue to take it week to week on supplies.

Idaho potato markets continue to climb with the Burbank storage season in Idaho winding down. Suppliers are limiting the number of potatoes released from cellars or cutting back production schedules to stretch out the remainder of the Burbank season as far as possible. Quality on late storage Burbanks will exhibit more external and internal bruising with an occasional hollow heart. New crop Idaho Norkotahs are expected to start harvests mid-to-late August. Expect markets on all sizes to continue inching upwards over the next 5-6 weeks as we will see limited supply and heavy demand during this time period. Colorado and Washington's markets have also increased with added demand. Kansas will begin with russets late July and run through August. Nebraska will start early August and run through January. New crop in Wisconsin is expected to start August 12.

Alerts:
Markets will remain active over the next 4-6 weeks. Supplies will be limited; especially larger sizes. Advanced lead time on russet orders crucial during this time period.

Transitions:
Kansas starting late July. Nebraska to begin early August. Wisconsin and Idaho new crop harvests will being mid-August

Color potatoes continue to be scarce as supplies are limited industry-wide; in particular, red potatoes. California has moved into the Stockton area with a very active demand. Texas continues to produce supplies of red and yellow and winding down for the season. North Carolina/Virginia is producing limited numbers of red, yellow and white potatoes. There is some light at the end of the tunnel with new crop Washington starting up with red and yellow but with heavy demand, supplies are going quickly to start the season. Minnesota is right around the corner with expectations of starting the first week of August followed by Wisconsin mid-August. We will see an improving supply chain as we move into August.

Alerts:
Markets remain active with heavy demand and low volume. August expected to see improving production with new crop starting.

Transitions:
Washington red and yellow potatoes have started. Minnesota to start first week of August; Wisconsin mid-August.

Squash supplies are light on yellow and steady on zucchini. Rain along the east coast has slowed harvest early this week and much cooler temperatures in the Midwest have slowed harvest in that region. Squash supply is coming from many different growing areas, the Mountains of Tennessee and North Carolina, Virginia, New Jersey and Pennsylvania in the east and Michigan and Ohio in the Midwest are all producing steady supplies. Demand has been good keeping pricing steady throughout the week. Supplies may tighten up late in the week as most regions are experiencing cooler temperatures.

Both Italian and yellow straight-neck squash continue to be harvested in Santa Maria, Fresno, and Baja California. Good supplies on both Italian and yellow s/n squash from the Santa Maria and Baja areas. Lighter volume is being produced from the Fresno growing region. The market on soft squash is remaining steady. Quality from all three growing districts on both Italian and yellow s/n is good. Good supplies are expected to continue for both Italian and Yellow s/n through the week. Both Italian and yellow s/n are available to load in McAllen, TX where markets are steady and quality on both varieties are good.

All varieties of stone fruit are currently available, but sizes are heavy on large side. Most of the smaller volume fill size fruit (70's and 80's) are not being harvested and growers are focusing on larger volume fill and tray pack sizes. As schools demand builds over the next several weeks, we expect to see smaller fruit get harvested. Quality continues to be very strong. Demand has been exceptionally lower this year than in previous years. We hope to see that change as schools get started. Market prices on the larger fruit have remained fairly steady as most of the business has been retail-driven. That being said, we will have plenty of opportunities to plan ahead and put some programs together for late summer / early fall. Plums and Pluots are always popular items for school menus and we expect good supplies for the next 2-3 months.

Alerts:
Mostly larger size fruit is being harvested during this time of year, but we will have smaller fruit available for school demand as we move forward.

Eastern summer programs are currently scattered between Alabama, Kentucky, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia. The round market is mostly steady to lower by next week with more volume coming into supply from Tennessee. Roma tomatoes continue to fill the eastern supply chain out of farms in TN and NC helping to stabilize the market. Supply has been light to start but will begin to improve over the next few weeks as more growers enter the mix. Grape tomato harvests in Virginia remain short of demand but have improved by $5 or more as availability continues to build. Eastern TN and North Carolina are also coming into better supply this week.

California is steadily producing strong volumes of mature greens amidst triple-digit heat in the valley this week. Sizing has been trending large but as the heat increases farms will be challenged to pick fruit before it begins to color up and mature on the vine. Vine ripe tomato supply has contracted in the short term while Baja rotates between fields and western Mexico finishes up. Eastern Mexico will have decent volume for summer out of Jalisco, San Luis Potosi, and Torreon. Like vine ripe tomatoes, Romas out of Baja have been light amidst farm rotations. California has consistent availability, but the quality is mixed. Heat in the valley is causing some scarring, sun scold, and advancing the condition of fruit in transit causing rapid maturity in color and firmness. Mainland Mexico is slowly improving Grape tomato harvests while Baja continues to produce better quality as they move into new fields. Western pricing has already improved by a couple of dollars this week and should continue to settle by the end of the month.