The Source - March 10, 2016

Washington - red delicious are creeping slowly higher on all sizes. The lower grade reds remain limited and most suppliers are having to sub up to cover orders. Most shippers are still peaking on 72/80/88s. Golden delicious are steady on all sizes and grades but the market remains firm. Golden delicious are still peaking on Wash-Extra 100/113s and most shippers don't have much larger than an 88-size. Granny-smith are steady on all sizes and are still peaking on 88-113s. Most suppliers still don't have much larger than an 88 or smaller than a 125. Galas are slightly higher on all sizes and grades. Most Gala suppliers still don't have much fruit larger than an 88. Fujis are steady on all sizes. Washington Fujis continue to peak on extra-fancy 80-100's. Honeycrisp are mostly steady and the market remains high and strong due to light supplies. Jonagolds are still available but supplies are limited. The quality for all varieties has been good.
Michigan - Red delicious are steady on all sizes and continue to peak on 80/88s. Most Michigan shippers have less small fruit than large. McIntosh are steady and are still heavier to 125/138s but supplies are light. Galas are steady on all sizes but supplies are light. Golden delicious are steady but strong due to light supplies and they are peaking on 125/138s. Jonathans are steady on all sizes and they are still peaking on 150/138/125s. Fujis are steady and they are peaking on 125/138s but supplies are limited. Red Romes are steady but most shippers will deal on volume orders. Braeburns have .
New York - Red delicious, Macs, Red Romes, and Empires are all steady. Gala and Golden delicious supplies are light and both markets are steady but firm. Red Rome volume is good and some shippers will flex for volume on the smaller sizes. Empire volume is hit and miss but thee are deals when they are available. The quality has been good on all varieties.

The asparagus market is reacting to the up incoming Easter pull. Suppliers are taking prices up in anticipation of committed ads for Easter. Mexico and California asparagus is available in all sizes. Shippers are also in full swing production packing 28/1# asparagus as well as 11/1#. Quality is excellent out of both growing regions.

California growers are harvesting some light, but useable volume. Volume will build through March. The overall crop estimated has been reduced based on the fruit not sizing due to the lack of water. It now looks like California may have a higher than normal percentage of smaller fruit.

Volume from Mexico has declined slightly, but supplies remain good crossing into the US. The size curve continues to be an issue with larger fruit being plentiful, and smaller fruit at a relative premium.

Good growing conditions in Culiacan continues to improve supply on bell peppers, More product is being offered with better quality. Reds and golds are being offered in all grades and sizes. More number one grade is being offered in 25 and 15 lb. units.

Green pepper has been short but supply and quality are improving. offering mostly number one grade and very light supply of number two. Light rain will curtail harvest for the next few days.

Production from Central Mexico has been steady. Overall, we have good availability with Mexican fruit being transferred into the US. Some delays with transfer trucks have caused hang-ups at the coolers. Demand has been moderate. Quality is fair overall with a few issues reported - red cell, soft, occasional mold. Production should begin to increase moderately through April.

Demand is moderate and supply is still good. Southern Chile is coming off of peak production but we still have good amounts in the supply line to cover demand. Central Mexico is also coming off of peak production but Baja Mexico is increasing and will peak around April. We have good supplies of blueberries with good quality overall. FL is packing small volumes of local blueberries and keeping most of the product in local markets. Oxnard, CA ranches are packing some local organic blueberries as well.

Raspberry supplies are improving over the last several weeks. Warmer weather in Central Mexico brought on an unexpected flush of raspberries last week with several large growers. Quality is good overall, some reports of soft fruit and splitting in older lots. Oxnard is producing some smaller volumes as well as Baja.

Strawberry production has suffered this week due to recent heavy rain and wind in all CA growing areas. Harvest crews have worked hard to clean up the plants and discard poor quality. Some shippers have picked for juicing and freezer market on some ranches to avoid putting rained-on fruit into fresh market packs. Wet bruising and water damage will continue to show up in quality reports later this week and next. Sizing is in the upper teens to low twenties. More rain forecasted for this weekend and into next week. FL is still producing steadily and most shippers will try to push the crops through Easter and into April. Weather has been warm in the day and only cooling into the low-mid 60s at night. Some soft bruising and overripe is being reported from this area. A few shippers are still going in Central Mexico and Baja but the amount of fruit crossing is considerably lower now with many other shippers ending their MX deals for the season.

The broccoli market continues to be flat with five different growing regions harvesting. Quality is really good out of all areas. The could be some delays due to the recent rains in Salinas and Santa Maria. But supplies are plentiful. All shippers are offering aggressive prices to move volume.

The Brussel Sprout market is reacting to a small supply gap this week. The hot weather brought on supplies the past few weeks. As shippers tried to stay ahead of the heat for quality purposes, they harvested fields ahead of schedule. As a result we are seeing a spike in prices this week. Quality is still very nice despite the heat.

Weather in growing area is warming and size is coming back slowly on the crop coming out of the Coachella and Imperial Valleys of California. Carrots are still small, but growing and yields are showing some improvement on Jumbo size carrots. Jumbo size still very tight, and still looks like a few weeks for a good percentage size to come. Supplies of medium size and baby peeled carrots are is good.

The market is steady but it is about to go through the normal upward trend. This is mainly due to some shippers finishing in Yuma this weekend. Supplies vary from shipper to shipper, with limited availability of 9 count cauliflower. There are better supplies of 12count and 16 count. As this week continues we will see the market increase as we go through the up and downs of supply. Overall quality is good with occasional spotting.

This market has remained unchanged. All sizing is available. Pricing gaps have continued to range from two- four dollars depending on the shipper. Good supplies are expected for the rest of the week in southern California. Rain earlier in the week did little damage to the production of this commodity. Production in Florida and Yuma is moderate to good. The quality has been reported as good in all the growing regions. Rain is expected to begin by the end of the week in the southern California region.

Jalapeno; Very strong demand with improved supply. Quality and sizing is very good ,mostly large and extra Large.

Serrano ; Demand good on limited supply with good condition and quality, sizing is mostly medium ,some scarring and misshapen.

Anaheim ; good quality with fair supply. Quality and size are running good with excellent color and shape.

Pasilla ; Continued good supply with quality and condition improved.

Tomatillo ; Increased supply and excellent quality continue, very good sizing and condition.

Abundant supplies from all growing regions have kept this market at a reasonable level. Quality is still hit and miss with occasional dehydration and yellow leaves. But overall good quality upon arrivals.

The central valley and the Ventura crops are going and both are peaking on 140s and smaller size fruit. Larger sized fruit is tight now that the Desert crop has finished their season. Demand remains very strong.

We are finishing up the old crop and struggling to get new crop going. Supplies dipping down some and demand is good. Market is firming on all sizes.

Growers are picking again after the weekend rains, but we do have another storm system coming in toward the end of the week and more next week forecasted. Bin inventory should carry us through the week, but next week may be a problem. Eating excellent and look beautiful, with peak sizing on 72s/56s/88s. We are seeing fruit size up, and a dropping in percentage of small size fruit 113s/138s. Demand is very good on the 113s/138s and markets are firm but steady on them.

supply continue to drop as many growers are finishing the winter crop and have not yet started harvesting in the northern districts. Quality is fair to good on very limited offerings. Packing mostly full cartons with grades varied from grower to grower.

Better weather has increased production. Condition and quality are fair on most product. More number two product being offered with scaring and misshapen. Sizing is improving with better color and finish on number ones. Product will transition to northern Mexico in the next week to two.

Green seedless grape supplies and markets have been consistent all week. East and West Coast availability meets demand and quality has been reported as good. We do not expect much change over the remainder of the week. Next week supplies will continue to remain steady and we may see a slight decrease in market prices.

The red seedless grape market continues to be divided between Flames and Crimsons. The Flame variety has experienced some quality issues due to unfavorable growing conditions and is quickly become limited in availability as growing regions change and new red varieties become available. The Crimson variety has been much stronger in quality, but supplies are still limited and market prices are much more expensive. As the remaining Flame inventory gets used up this week, we will be forced into Crimsons and other red varieties next week. We expect market prices to remain elevated and firm next week as the new red varieties will slowly become more available.

Alerts:
Flame quality continues to be sporadic and availability is becoming limited. Markets are expected to increase as we transition into predominantly Crimson and new red varieties next week.

The green onion market is leveling off but it does vary from shipper to shipper. Some shippers are sold out of iceless green onions but do have good supplies of iced. Quality varies as well with some arrivals showing brown to yellow tops.

Kale supplies remain steady for the front side of this week. The market varies depending on supplier and growing region. Excellent quality an good weights have been reported upon arrivals.

This market is steady overall. Supplies will be strong with most shippers for the entire week.The temperatures in the desert region will pick up throughout this week. These temperatures will rise into the mid eighties by the end of the week and carry into the following week. Common defects associated with this commodity continue to be mechanical damage, puffiness, slight mildew and misshapen heads. The weights on this commodity has been ranging from 38-43 pounds on wrap. Huron will begin production by the third week in Huron.

Supplies continue to be strong with most shippers. Pricing is very competitive industry wide. There are plenty of deals on volume type orders so please be aware. The quality, overall is good. Warm temps will start at the end of the week and carry into the following week. With that being said, supplies will be good all this week at a minimum. Romaine, Green and red leaf, as well as butter will be competitively priced as suppliers look to keep inventories clean. The weights are averaging 32-36 pounds on romaine while red and green leaf are averaging 21-23 pounds. Production in Huron is expected begin the third to fourth week in March.

Supplies remain stable and now heavier to the 12 to 15 count. The market is stable as well with some day to day offers. The off shore fruit coming into Florida is the main shipping point. Quality is really good with nice netting and decent sugar levels.

Honeydew supplies remain stable with 6 count being the most abundant. The market is steady from last week, with lower demand. Deals are being made daily for extra volume. Good supplies from Mexico as well. Overall quality is really good with decent sugar levels.

Supplies have gotten immediately short due to weather and crop transitioning from Jalisco / Colima to Campeche, waiting on Sonora which is still weeks away. Quality is fair to poor on most product available. Offshore into Florida is very limited also.

Washington is steady to lower on reds and yellows due to light demand. Most shippers will flex for volume. Colossal and larger yellows supplies remain light. Some suppliers are still battling quality issues from storage. The quality has ranged from good to poor.
Idaho/Oregon is steady to lower on all sizes of reds and yellows due to light demand as well. They will also flex for volume business in both colors. Whites are in too few hands to quote. The quality has ranged from good to fair.
Mexico is also steady to lower on jumbo yellows and jumbo reds and there are some volume deals. All other sizes are steady. Whites are slightly lower on jumbos but medium supplies are limited. The quality has been good. Mexican and Texas growing areas have been hit with rain which will only slow supplies down as the onion dry out.

Washington - D'anjou pears are steady on all sizes and continue to peak on US#1 70/80s. The larger size isn't yielding much volume on anything smaller than a 110 so expect 120s and smaller to remain short. The Washington D'anjous are clean so the fancy grade is limited on all sizes. Bosc pears are steady and continue to peak on US#1 90/100/110s but they have better availability of the smaller sizes. Fancy grade bosc are also limited. Red pears are steady on all sizes and they are peaking on half carton 45/50s and full carton 90/100s, but supplies are light. The quality on D'anjous, Bosc, and red pears has been good.
Chile - Bartlett pears are steady to lower and they are still peaking on 100/110s on both coasts. Eastern supplies of the smaller fruit are more limited now. Packhams are steady and continue to peak on US#1 80/90s. Some Argentinian Bartletts are starting to come in. The Imported Bartlett and Packham quality has been good as well.

Pineapple supplies are in a light, but steady supply period that is expected to go through Easter.

Washington is steady is steady to lower on cartons and they are still peaking on 80's and smaller. The quality has been good.
Idaho is being quoted as steady to slightly lower on both varieties but the Nork supplies are limited as most suppliers are packing more Burbanks. Most continue to peak on 70's and larger but only slightly, in fact some suppliers are quoting all carton sizes the same. The quality for both varieties has been good.
Colorado is steady to higher on all cartons due to light supplies. The quality has been good
Wisconsin is steady to higher on all carton sizes as they battle storage quality.

Bakersfield, California - reds and golds are steady and continue to peak on A-size. Whites are finished until late March/early April and new-crop reds will start at the same time. The quality has ranged from good to fair on the reds with some lots having darker color and some lighter, while the gold's have been good.
Western Washington - reds and golds are steady and both continue to peak on A size. Supplys are in fewer hands as we approach the end of the season. The quality has ranged from fair to good on both colors.
Idaho - reds and golds are steady but supplies are in fewer hands as we approach the end of the season. Both colors continue to peak on A-size. The quality has been good. One Idaho supplier will pack through march and the other two will go through April.
Wisconsin - reds and golds are both steady but firm and they continue to peak on A-size. Shippers here are still buying bulk from N.D. and repacking. The quality has been fair to good.
North Dakota - Reds and gold's are steady but firm on all sizes due to light supplies. Some suppliers have finished with gold's. Both colors are peaking on size A. The quality has been good.
S. Florida - reds and gold's are steady but firm due to light supplies. Whites are steady but sold out for the week. Poor yields are keeping the Florida market up on all colors. Both reds and golds are peaking on A-size while the whites are heavier to B's.

Spaghetti, Acorn, Butternut ,and Kabocha continue with steady supply and sizes mostly large and medium.

Italian and yellow squash have lighter supply as the winter crop winds down and waiting for the spring crop .Condition on both remains good with some scarring and light wind damage.

Stone fruit availability has been steady all week. Supplies on the East and West Coast continue to be consistent with larger size fruit being more available than smaller volume fill size. Markets have slightly decreased on the larger size tray pack fruit. Quality is strong and we do not expect much change next week.

Rounds - The market is steady / higher. Production and yields continue to be a struggle. Although weather is looking better, the effects of previous weather patterns will be seen for the next several weeks to come. Sizing looks to be tighter on XL fruit, putting pressure on FOB's to rise. Few growers in the Ruskin area have begun harvest, however, volume will continue to be a struggle. Mexico supplies have tighten up, due to a recent gap created by warmer weather over the past couple weeks. The flush of supplies is now gone. Quality still a range out there from Good to Fair.
Roma - The market is higher. Supplies continue to be tight, with most sourcing product from the west. Like to rounds, Mexico is gapping due to previous weather patterns. Lighter supplies crossing, and demand is higher in all areas. Look for the market to increase, as supplies continue to be tight. Quality is Good to Fair.
Cherry - The market is Steady. Supplies looking a bit better, as the week has progressed. However, Mexico looks to be lighter this week. The offset is keeping the market some-what steady, although prices have come off a bit. Quality is Good / Fair.
Grape - The market is steady higher. Supply levels are tightening again. Production in Mexico is down this week, increasing demand in Florida and raising FOB's. Look for supplies to continue to be lighter. Quality is Good / Fair.

Rounds - The market is steady / higher. Supplies looking to be shorter out of Mexico. The flush of supplies is now gone, with demand up and FOB's higher. back east, a few growers in the Ruskin area have begun harvest, however, volume will contine to be lighter in the region until mid-April. Wide range in quality, due to the heat experienced in the past couple weeks. Quality is Good to Fair.
Roma - The market is higher. Production and yields in Mexico are minimal this week. West coast is in a slight gap, due to the flush of product we just past due to the heat. Back east, product continues to be tight, with all regions pulling from Mexico product. Wide range of quality, similar to the rounds from Good to Fair.
Cherry - The market is Steady. Supplies continue to be a bit tighter. Florida seeing some supplies, however, Mexico is looking lighter. Supplies still tight, but, demand is off a bit, lowing FOB's. Quality is Good / Fair.
Grape - The market is higher. Supplies looking to be a bit tighter this week. Mexico is crossing less volume, due to lower production. Demand is up, with FOB's rising as well. Quality is Good / Fair.