The Source - June 27, 2016

Washington - Red delicious are steady on all sizes. Most shippers continue to peak on extra-fancy 72-88s so small fruit is limited. Golden Delicious are steady on all sizes and are still peaking on Wash-Extra 100/113s but storage supplies are very short. Most suppliers still don't have much larger than an 88-size Golden. Granny Smith are steady on all sizes and continue to peak on 88-113s. Most suppliers still don't have much larger than an 88 or smaller than a 125. Galas are higher on all sizes and the market is firm due to strong demand and lighter supplies. Most Gala suppliers still don't have much fruit larger than an 88. Washington will only be shipping Galas for another couple weeks. The Fuji market is higher and will continue to slowly rise until the end of the season. The remaining Fujis continue to peak on extra-fancy 80-100's. Washington will only be shipping Fujis for another couple weeks. Pink Lady's are steady to higher and the market is firm due to very strong demand. The quality for all varieties has been good.
Michigan - Red delicious are steady but remain firm due to light supplies. Red delicious are peaking on 80/88s. Galas are still available in limited quantities. Call for the availability on both varieties. The quality for both has been good.
New York - Red delicious and red Romes are steady but supplies are very short. Small fruit remains limited for in both. Call for the availability in both. The fruit quality has been good.
Chile - Chilean Gala supplies are very limited now and they only have 90's and larger left. Imported Braeburns are peaking on 90s and larger and are steady on all sizes.

Alerts:
Washington is almost finished with Galas and Fujis for the season and the markets are up. They will both be finished in 2-3 weeks.

Transitions:
California will start packing new-crop Gala apples at the end of July.

Asparagus supplies are still steady from Mexico and Peru. Quality is good from both regions.

California is the major supplier at this time and is only supplying about 50% of the current demand created by Mexico's short fall. They are trying to get more harvested, but labor shortages are holding growers back.

Alerts:
Demand exceeding supplies. Market continues to rise.

Mexican fruit shipments are at a historic low and supplies are very limited. Some of the Mexican shippers are out for fruit and others have very little to ship. Mexico's summer crop (Flor Loca crop) looks to start in a very light way this week, but will be very slow getting started to insure maturity of the fruit. It will take several weeks to get to truly get supply lines going with useable volumes.

Alerts:
Demand far exceeds supply and will for awhile. Markets keep rising.

Due to high temps in California many grower's have been hurt with their crops out of the Coachella Valley. Green supply are steady, with red supply gapping.

We expect the market of red and green will be challenging for the next few weeks. Extreme heat still expected this week for Southern California.

Supplies remain steady with production out of all CA berry growing regions, Oregon, North Carolina and Georgia. Indiana and Ohio production will begin very soon! Quality is good out of all areas.

Supplies remain steady with production in North Carolina, New Jersey, Oregon, Washington, British Columbia and Indiana! Quality has been very good out of all areas. Demand is steady as retail promotions continue to include blueberries for Independence Day and summer ads.

Transitions:
GA has ended major production for the season.

CA raspberries have now passed peak production and will continue to decrease out of Oxnard and Salinas. The abundance we've had available over the past several weeks has slowed down significantly this week. Crops peaked in June where we do not typically see that high volume until July. The Santa Maria and Watsonville production regions will increase over the coming weeks. Central MX production has pretty well finished for the season. Quality has remained good out of all regions.

Transitions:
Central Mexico has finished major production for the season. Oxnard and Salinas are winding down as Watsonville and Santa Maria will increase production over the coming weeks.

Peak Seasons:
CA crop peaked in mid June. Overall volume will decrease.

Supplies remain steady across California's strawberry growing regions. Summer production is rolling as we head into Independence Day! High temps have cooled down to the upper 70s and low 80s. The higher temps we experienced over the previous weeks did increase quality concerns with sun scald, soft, overripe and bruising but harvesting crews are spending extra time to ensure only quality berries are making the packs. Berry sizing is smaller with counts ranging 18-24 per 1 pound clamshell. Demand remains steady as retailers continue to promote for Independence Day ads this week.

Broccoli supplies remain steady with a more abundance of broccoli crowns versus bunched. Quality is really nice from the Salinas and Santa Maria growing regions. Mexico is still quoting some hallow heart but quality remains nice as well. The market is competitive with some suppliers offering volume deals.

Now that we have three growing regions supplying us with Brussel Sprouts the market has finally settled to competitive levels. Quality is excellent out of Salinas and Oxnard, with Mexico quality improving as well.

Transitions:
Salinas has started harvesting Brussel Sprouts this week.

The Bakersfield crop is in full production. Growth is good and starting to yield good percentage of Jumbo size and supplies are getting much better. Supply of baby peeled carrots are good.

The cauliflower market is stable in both the Salinas and Santa Maria growing regions. Quality is really nice with little arrival issues. Supplies look to be decent for this week.

This market is stronger. Oxnard is finished in production, Santa Maria however continues. Large sizing that has been so abundant these past weeks have tightened up in availability. Small sizes continue however to demand a higher cost to purchase. Good quality is being reported from all shippers. Supplies will be moderate in Salinas and Santa Maria all week. Production of this commodity in Michigan will start approximately the second week in July.

The cherry market is stronger with lighter supplies and strong demand for the Fourth of July holiday. The fruit has been coming off several weeks ahead of anticipated harvest dates and most suppliers are currently facing a "down cycle" in supply. The yellow Rainier Cherries are especially short with the season winding down rapidly. We expect to see a strong market on red cherries until the seasons end; about the third week of July.

Alerts:
Rainier cherries finishing in the Northwest.

Serrano - Quality remains good with better demand. Mostly medium to large size.

Anaheim - Sizing and quality remain good. More product being offered. Excellent size and color.

Pablano - Slightly lighter supply with some growers finishing. Good quality and condition expected to continue.

Tomatillo - Good supply of tomatillo crossing from Baja .

Jalapeno- good quality on new crop pepper, mostly large sizing with good color.

Cilantro supplies look to be stable for the front side of the week. There have been little complaints upon arrival with cilantro. Yellowing and some slimy leaves have been the complaints. The market is steady from all loading locations.

The Ventura crop is our main supplier. Demand is very strong and continues to build. We are seeing 140s/165s/200s supplies clean up daily and many shippers sold out for the week by mid week.

The lime market on the110 & 150ct is finally coming down. Demand is good on all sizes across the board. The peak size has remained in the smaller sizes such as 250ct and 230ct. The overall long term upward market trend has broken and lower prices are happening. Quality is good overall. The overall supplies are now increasing. The market is lower on the 175 - 250ct limes.

Valencia volumes are increasing as Navels wind down, Shippers have good supplies of Valencias and peaking on 88s/113s/138s. There will still be a few Navels available into the first week of July. but peaking on 88s/72s/56s choice grade fruit. Labor to harvest fruit is an issue for some growers.

Good quality and condition on cucumbers coming out of Northern Baja coast. Better production has picked up from multiple grower's this week. All sizes are being packed in 1 1/9 bushel boxes. Also 24's-36's-42's being packed. Color is just fair due to hotter temps.

Extreme heat in Coachella Valley making it difficult for eggplant to be harvested there. First cuts out of Fresno showing good quality but limited volume. There is a lot of cosmetic issue with egg plant out of Coachella.

The green seedless grape market is about steady with good supplies out of Mexico and Coachella. Most of the fruit has been impacted by the recent heat events. Quality is generally just fair with amber, splits, and soft berries showing up in many lots. Shippers are anticipating a start to the Arvin District with green grapes by the end of this week. Early reports on quality have been good. We expect to see a split market based on quality between the southern regions and the San Joaquin Valley grapes.

Alerts:
Green grapes out of Mexico and Coachella showing some heat damage.

Transitions:
The Arvin District of the Southern San Joaquin Valley expected to begin harvest of green table grapes this week.

The red seedless grape market is about steady. We are currently finishing the Mexican and Coachella harvests with the Arvin District in the San Joaquin beginning. Quality in the Southern deals has been seriously impacted by the recent heat wave. The Arvin growing region has had marginally better weather but supplies are not sufficient to cover all current business.

Alerts:
Red grapes out of Mexico and Coachella finishing with marginal quality due to recent heat wave.

Transitions:
Red grape have started in the Southern San Joaquin Valley with limited supplies.

There are good supplies of green onions from Mexico. And now with the start of domestic green onions out of Salinas has kept the market at competitive labels. There have been minimal quality complaints with arrivals.

The Kale market has be steady for weeks. Shippers have definitely kept up with the demand for this super food. Supplies are steady with excellent quality.

The market is stronger to start the week. Suppliers continue to see quality issues arising due to warm temperatures in the growing regions. Mechanical damage, discoloration, pink ribbing, lightweights as well as puffiness have been reported upon arrivals. This is an industry wide issue. Weights continue to fluctuate amongst the different suppliers up to six pounds. Pricing gaps have closed up. Expect this market to be stronger throughout the week.

The market is firm on all leaf items. Romaine hearts will be very light in availability all of this week. Very warm temperatures are causing havoc to the quality of all leaf items. Expect to see defects like fringe and tip burn, internal burn, and insect damage. Romaine is the worst. but green and red leaf as well as butter are having the same issues. Although school business is off, demand is steady. There continues to be pricing gaps in the marketplace.

The desert supplies are steady to slightly less than last week. The San Joaquin Valley has started shipping this week and supplies will start increasing from here. Quality out of the desert has been very nice although it has been extremely hot lately in the growing regions down in the desert. Quality will be effected in some lots. The market is steady.

Transitions:
The San Joaquin Valley has started shipping this week and supplies will increase steadily from here.

The desert and Mexico are supplying our markets with honeydews with a majority of the supplies. A few growers started harvesting today in the San Joaquin Valley. The desert honeydews have been nice so far. Extremely hot weather has been going on in the desert for the last several days and quality will be effected in some lots. The market issteady to a little higher than last week due to a slight decrease in volume and a little stronger demand.

Transitions:
The San Joaquin Valley has started harvesting honeydews this week in a small way. Volume will steadily increase from this point on.

Demand for Western Watermelon has risen. Watermelon is being shipped from Northern Mexico, Western Arizona, Southern and Central California. Quality is good with mostly Large sizes being harvested. Extreme heat has reduced the yield.

Onion market is steady out of both growing areas the start of this week. (Central California & New Mexico). Sizing is going to switch from peaking on Jumbo's and larger to Jumbo and smaller in the New Mexico growing as this week moves on. This will affect the pricing on the Larger sizes and give relief on the smaller sizes. Sizing in California will continue to the larger sizes of Jumbo and larger. Quality is still be reported as good out of both areas. California is getting hit with temperatures hovering around 105 degrees for the next couple of days. This could affect the quality and supplies coming out of California if the shippers get behind on keeping their supplies moving.

Alerts:
High temperatures in the California growing areas could affect the quality and supply.

Washington - D'anjou pears are steady and the market remains very strong due to light supplies. The remaining C.A. fruit is peaking on US#1 70-90s so expect small D'anjous to remain extremely short! The quality has been good.
Chile - Chilean Packhams are steady and are still peaking on US#1 70-100s. Chilean & Argentinian Bosc are both steady and continue to peak on 70-100s but there is some smaller fruit available. The quality for all the imported varieties has been good.

Transitions:
California will start packing Bartlett and red pears between July 5th and 8th.

It's rainy season in the tropics. We are starting to see some water translucency show up in the pineapples and a greener shell color. Shippers will picking the fruit a little earlier to help prevent the water translucency, this leads to the greener shell color. Shell color is not an indication of ripeness. Supplies are tight and are expected to be so through July.

Idaho and Washington - supplies continue to be good peaking on larger cartons with light demand is causing the market to be slightly weaker on 70 count and larger. 80 count and smaller have a steady market. Quality is hit and miss with internal black spotting being the main issue and occasional light decay showing up in the packs. New crow is just over a month away. This should keep the markets in check.
Colorado and Wisconsin - supplies continue to peak on 80 count with moderate supplies larger and smaller sizes. This is keeping the market steady out of these growing areas.
The biggest issue this week will be trucking getting limited as we get closer to the 4th of July holiday.

Alerts:
Internal black spotting showing up in some lots of Idaho potatoes

Bakersfield, California - reds, whites, and golds are steady to higher due to lighter supplies. The availability will be good for most of this week and will drop as we get closer to Friday. Reds, whites, and Golds are still peaking on A-size. The quality has been good.
Phoenix, Arizona - red and gold potatoes are steady and both continue to peak on A-size. They will ship through this week and most of next week but the availability is limited. The quality has been good.
Alabama - Red potatoes are steady with better carton availability than last week. The skin-set and quality are good.
North Florida - The red potato market is steady but supplies are light. The quality is reported as good to fair.
North Carolina - red and gold potatoes are steady on all sizes and the availability will be light early. Whites are steady to lower have good availability and a good range of sizes. All colors are peaking on A-size and larger with only light availability of B-size. The quality is good.
Texas - Muleshoe will start packing red potatoes today. Golds will be a couple weeks.
Missouri - they will start packing red potatoes today.

It is still very hot in this area. Hard squash is now coming out Coachella. Extreme heat causing condition and quality issue for squash being harvested in Southern California .Italian and Yellow S/N are being harvested in Santa Maria and Fresno with good quality.

Peaches, Plums and nectarines are all reacting to the recent run of warm weather in the San Joaquin Valley. Sizing is markedly increased with very good supplies of all available. Quality continues to be excellent. The very large tray packs have come into their own as a result with promotable volumes for retail.

Warm weather in the eastern region of the US is causing harvests to curtail in Arkansas and sun scald is common in fruit this week. Hot temperatures have caused an increase in grade outs. Carolina and Florida are continuing to produce fruit of good quality and the market is unchanged from last week. The roma market is steady with quality varying by growing area. The Southeast has recovered from the rain and grape tomatoes production is pumping back up to seasonal norms with markets adjusting downward. Demand for grape tomatoes has forced price upward in the southeast and remained flat out west. The are plenty of cherry tomatoes available in the market and shippers are offering good prices to move fruit out the door.

Warm temperatures in the west are bringing out the fruit in greater harvest softening the market slightly from last week. Roma tomatoes are also widely available from both Mexico and California with US grown priced just bellow suspension agreement minimums. Grape tomato production remains steady in Baja and price is flat. Supply is outpacing demand and there is not enough need in the market to show an increase to overall prices. Overall market conditions are steady and quality has been good. There are no major changes forecasted looking ahead to next week.