The Source - March 21, 2016

Washington - red delicious are steady on all sizes and grades and are still peaking on 72/80/88 reds. The lower grade reds remain limited and most suppliers are having to sub up to cover orders. 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 are still peaking on 88-113s. Most suppliers still don't have much larger than an 88 or smaller than a 125. Galas are steady on all sizes and grades but the market has been slowly rising. Most Gala suppliers still don't have much fruit larger than an 88. Fujis are steady on all sizes but expect a stronger market as the eastern volume is cleaning up. Washington Fujis continue to peak on extra-fancy 80-100's. Honeycrisp supplies are in few hands. Jonagolds are still available but supplies are limited. The quality for all varieties has been good.
Michigan - Red delicious are steady on 100s and larger and slightly higher on 113s and smaller. Reds continue to peak on 80/88s. 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 still peaking on 125/138s. Jonathans are steady on all sizes and they are still peaking on 150/138/125s but supplies are light. Fujis are being quoted steady but supplies are light and some shippers are finishing up. Red Romes are steady on all sizes.
New York - Red delicious, Red Romes, Empires, and Galas are all steady. Gala supplies are light and the market is firm. Some shippers will flex for volume orders of Red Romes. Empire volume is hit and miss but there are occasional deals. The quality has been good on all varieties.

Asparagus is in season with plenty of supplies from Mexico to California. All sizes are available and shippers are packing 11/1# as well as 28/1# packs. Quality is excellent out of all growing regions with little spreading.

California growers are harvesting better volume, but still less than they would normally this time of year. Volume will continue to build through March and into April. 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 this week will be lighter crossing into the US as volumes dip down with the limited Easter holiday work week schedules in Mexico. The size curve continues to be an issue with larger fruit being plentiful, and smaller fruit at a relative premium.

Green Bell Pepper market in Florida remains steady with larger fruit being in tight supply. Plants are stressed and stunted bearing small and off-grade fruit. Jumbo and XL pepper are selling from the low 30's up to the mid 30's, large, medium and choice fruit are selling in the mid teens. Most acreage is in the Pompano/Boca Raton areas. New fields in southwest Florida should start in 2 to 3 weeks.

Rain, wind and thunderstorms affected production in Central Mexico in recent weeks. Damaging hail was also reported at some ranches. This is a big concern for un-hooped acreage as it will cause significant setbacks, some estimates have dropped by 50%. Along with this, cold weather hit soon after and even brought snow in some of the higher elevations. Supply will be tight for the next 2-3 weeks. As far as quality, watch for broken fruit, red cell and soft berries. Holy Week in Mexico is also presenting challenges with labor for harvests and hours of service at the border crossings.

Alerts:
Inclement weather in Central Mexico over the previous week has disrupted production and decreased harvest volumes. Supplies will remain short for at least the next 2-3 weeks. Holy Week in Mexico is also presenting challenges with labor for harvests and hours of service at the border crossings.

Blueberry production is rapidly winding down out of Chile for the season. Central Mexico and Baja are still in steady production and FL and CA are beginning to produce on a small scale. Supplies will be short over the next 2-3 weeks at least and markets will get stronger. Demand is already strengthening as availability has tightened up.

Alerts:
Supplies will be tight for the next 2-3 weeks as Chilean production comes to a close for the season and Mexico and domestic product will not cover all demand.

Transitions:
FL and CA production are beginning with small volumes.

Central Mexico is still the largest production region, followed by CA. We should begin to see more CA production coming from Santa Maria, Watsonville and Salinas shortly after Easter. Supplies have been consistent over the past several weeks but we are seeing some setbacks from recent weather and now lower production and labor shortages due to Holy Week in Mexico. Hours are more limited at the borders and laborers are fewer to harvest and transport the fruit.

Alerts:
We may begin to see shorter supplies this week as recent weather affected quality and is limiting harvests and Holy Week in Mexico is limiting labor and hours of service at the border.

Transitions:
We should begin to see more CA production coming from Santa Maria, Watsonville and Salinas shortly after Easter.

Demand has increased for fresh strawberries as the Easter strawberry promotions are already underway. We've had good availability from Oxnard and Santa Maria this week. Some quality issues still remain in the packs after recent rains - white shoulders, soft, occasional bruising, bronze, brown calyx, white tips, etc., but is improving with the favorable weather and temperatures this week. Sizing is mostly in the mid-upper teens. Central Mexico is struggling with availability after weather over the previous weeks. Many shippers have already ended their Mexican import program for the season. FL production is beginning to fall rapidly and many shippers will end for the season after Easter pull is over, others are already done. Demand for CA strawberries will continue to increase as MX and FL programs wind down for the season.

Transitions:
Salinas and Watsonville regions will be increasing in production in April and should be in full swing by May.

Some suppliers are finishing up in the Yuma growing region. This has caused the market to spike. Prices seriously vary from shipper to shipper. Quality varies from growing region as well. Iced product would be the choice to take when it comes to loading in Yuma, Phoenix, or Mexico. We will continue to see the stronger market all week.

There is a major shortage of Brussel Sprouts mainly due to the previous hot weather in Mexico. This brought on early supplies and fields bunched up together. We are now experiencing the supply gap from that time frame. And the existing hot weather is effecting growth as well. This will last for the next couple of weeks. Quality is still good with minimal black leaves upon arrival.

Alerts:
Supplies will be extremely limited due to the current heat in Mexico, and the market is active.

Size is coming back very slowly on the crop coming out of the Coachella and Imperial Valleys of California. Carrots are still small, and yields are showing some improvement, but not what was hoped for on Jumbo size carrots. Jumbo size still very tight, and still looks like a few weeks for improvement of size to come. Supplies of medium size and baby peeled carrots are is good.

The cauliflower market is active with limited supplies. Yuma is finishing up and Salinas/Santa Maria growing regions are feeling the strain as well with their supplies. Quality is really good despite the current market activity. The market will continue to be active all week.

Alerts:
Limited Supplies coupled with Yuma finishing up for the season has created this active market.

This market has remained unchanged. Oxnard and Yuma as well as Florida are the current loading locations. The market was expected to be active to start the week, but demand fell off. All sizing is available. There is light rain expected in the Oxnard region. This will not hurt production however. The quality continues to be strong in all the growing regions. Suppliers are competitive in pricing, and this looks to continue throughout the week. Yuma will have production for approximately to more weeks.

Cilantro supplies continue to be plentiful even with the hot weather in Mexico. Oxnard has decent supplies as well. This is keeping the market at current aggressive levels. Santa Maria has supplies as well. Quality is good with minimal arrivals with yellow leaves and dehydration on iced product.

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 165s has them cleaning up daily. Demand remains very strong.

The lime market is higher on all sizes. Demand is good on all sizes across the board. The peak sizes are shifting towards smaller 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. Rains came down in the growing region and this week is Holy week so labor is in short supply. Supplies are going to lighten up a lot from Wednesday until mid next week.

Good picking last week, and looks good for this week. Shippers have good in inventory. Eating excellent and look beautiful, with peak sizing on 72s/56s/88s/113s. We have seen fruit size up with the rains, but some growers have hit some groves with a higher percentage of smaller fruit. Demand has back off on 113s/138s with schools going into spring and Easter breaks.

Eggplant supply remains low in south Florida. Planted acreage has decreased in recent years and pack outs in the last 2 months have been below par with the high winds Florida has experienced this season. Fancy eggplant is selling in the mid 20's and choice remains cheap at 8 to 10 dollars. Quality is fair at best with the choice product being very poor in quality which is the reason for such a huge gap in price. Most supplies are concentrated in the Immokalee area, with light supplies from Boca. Newer fields should start the first week of April.

Green grape supplies remain steady on both the East and West coasts. Quality has been consistent with a few reports of discoloration and occasional soft berries. Market prices came off slightly today as fruit arrivals are expected to increase as the week moves forward.

Red grapes are readily available on both coasts. Sizing has been on the larger size with Large and Extra Large fruit being more available than Mediums. Quality has been strong. Market prices have been steady with slight decreases as fruit arrivals continue to improve. Over the next 2 weeks we expect to see an increase in volume and prices to drop as shippers prepare for storage crop to begin around April 10th.

The green onion market remains steady. Supplies do on the other hand vary from supplier to supplier. Iceless green onions are still commanding a premium. Iced green onions are plentiful and there are aggressive prices available. Quality varies with some lots arriving with yellow to brown tops.

The story remains the same here with plentiful supplies from all growing regions. The market remains steady. Quality is excellent with big bunches and dark green color.

Production is occurring in Yuma and Huron. Santa Maria and Salinas is a few weeks away. Warm weather especially in Yuma has caused some defects in the lettuce production. These defects include mechanical damage, misshapen heads and insect damage. Huron lettuce has been nicer up to this point. The season in the desert is nearing the end. Expect another two-three weeks at most. The weights on wrap are averaging 39-45 pounds pending on the shipper.

Production on leaf items are coming out of Yuma, Salinas and Santa Maria/Oxnard. Huron production is light. This market is steady, overall. There have been warm temperatures in all the growing regions. Some defects are associated with these commodities. These defects include Slight ribbing, dehydration, discoloration, tip burn and insect damage. Pricing continues to be competitive. The weights are averaging 32-36 pounds on romaine while red and green leaf are averaging 21-24 pounds.

Cantaloupe supplies are returning to more normal levels. A port strike two weeks ago in the growing areas created a temporary supply gap which should fill in this week. The quality is good overall with some lots being exceptionally nice. The peak size is currently 9ct. The current market is steady to slightly higher on all sizes due to the lighter supplies. There are 15ct lopes being packed now and virtually zero 18ct coming over.

Demand continues to be low on honeydews. The peak size for the offshore is 6ct and the small amount of Mexican dews are peaking on 6ct. The small sizes are available now. Honduran and Guatemalan grown honeydews are really good. Mexican dews continue to ship out of Nogales AZ and the volume is light. The Mexican dews are also very nice. The market is steady across the board. Prices on small sizes have gotten low enough that growers are not sending them to our market.

After many months of very short supply we will now have " Spring " Watermelon to offer from Quaymas Sonora Mx.

Good Quality and condition with peak size 45s and 60s in bins. Promotable volume will be offered in the weeks to come.

Personal seedless will also be part of the mix.

Idaho- Supplies starting to slowly finish up for the season with some of the smaller growers finishing for the season this last week. The larger growers will have supplies into late April. This has caused the market to firm up slightly on both yellows and reds. Demand is moderate so I don't see the market going much higher. Quality is still being reported as good with a few lots showing some light transparency in the out layers.
Washington - Supplies are also slowing winding down for the season with some smaller growers finishing up the season this week. Demand is moderate with a steady market on both yellows and reds. Quality is good for being so late in the storage season.
Mexico - Supplies will be light this week with Easter holiday hitting this weekend. This will cause the market to firm up slightly. Supplies will improve next week. Quality is good.
Texas - Supplies and demand are light. The shippers that are harvesting are mainly packing sweet cartons. Supplies will improve as we get into April.

Washington - D'anjou pears remain steady on all sizes and are still peaking on US#1 70/80s. US#1 110-count and smaller remain short along with all sizes of the fancy grade. Bosc pears are steady and continue to peak on US#1 90/100/110s. Bosc still have better availability of the smaller sizes in the Us#1 grade but all sizes of fancy grade are short. 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 domestic D'anjous, Bosc, and red pears has been good.
Chile - Chilean Bartlett pears are finished coming in but we have a few 120s and 135s left. Packhams are steady and continue to produce US#1 80/90/100s. Argentinian Bartletts are steady and are peaking on US#1 100/110s but only 100-size and larger are being quoted until the Chilean fruit cleans up. The quality on all of the imported varieties has been good.

Easter demand has supplies tight this week. Demand should drop back off next week and we should get back to a more normal demand for the lighter, but steady supplies that we have had of late. Look for supplies start to come back as we move into April.

Markets out of all growing areas are steady with light to moderate demand. Quality is still being reported as good for being so late in the storage season. It is the time of year for peepers to start showing up in the packs. All potatoes are being sprayed with spout nip as they run through the potato lines. Look for the markets to stay fairly steady into next month.

Bakersfield, California - reds and golds are steady and they continue to peak on A-size. Supplies are limited though so most shippers can only cover regular business. The red quality has ranged from good to fair while the gold quality has been good.
Western Washington - The remaining reds and golds are steady and both continue to peak on A size, but supplies are limited so they will only cover regular business. Their season will finish at the end of next week if not before. The quality has ranged from fair to good on both colors.
Idaho - reds and golds are steady and the supplies remain light. Both colors continue to peak on A-size. One Idaho supplier will pack through march and the other two will go through April. The quality has been good.
Wisconsin - reds and golds are both steady and they continue to peak on A-size but supplies are limited. 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 to slightly higher and the market remains firm on all sizes due to light supplies. Some suppliers are already booked out for the week and some have finished with golds. Both colors are peaking on size A. The quality has been good.
S. Florida - reds and gold's are steady but the market for both colors is firm due to light supplies. Whites are not available this week. Poor yields are keeping the Florida market up on all colors. Both reds and golds are peaking on A-size.

Squash demand is good on both colors, green market is a little higher, yellow supply is tight. green squash is selling in the 10-12 dollar range and yellow is in the low to mid 20's. Quality is good on green and fair on yellow. With the warmer, sunny weather newer fields in the central part of the state are starting to produce. Expect the market to continue a steady path for the next week to 10 days. Georgia farmers have started planting their spring crop, expect to see squash the first part of April.

Stone fruit availability has been consistent, but sizing remains on the large size. Quality has been strong. Markets have been consistent with shippers looking to move larger tray pack fruit. Volume fill packs continue to be limited. Supplies will remain strong through the next several weeks. We are expecting the domestic stone fruit program to start up mid April.

Rounds - The market is steady. Florida supplies continue to be lighter. Sizing looking to be getting better, however, volume still lower than average. Mexico is also looking a bit lighter, due to production. Quality is Good to Fair.
Roma - The market is higher. Supplies in the east continue to be lighter. Production and yields still a struggle in the East. Mexico also continues to be lighter, due to production. Demand steady in all areas. Range in quality from Good to Fair.
Cherry - The market is Steady. Supplies looking better in Florida. Mexico supplies still a bit lighter, due to production. Look for supplies to continue to get better. Quality is Good / Fair.
Grape - The market is higher. Supplies continue to be very tight back east and Mexico. Yields and production continue to be a struggle. Look for supplies to continue to be lighter, until Pametto/Ruskin programs begin to harvest. Range in quality for Good / Fair.

Rounds - The market is steady. Supplies still light, however, volume and sizing is looking a bit better. The larger sized fruit has better supplies. Back east, supplies continue to be light, and should remain lighter until April. Range in quality from Good to Fair.
Roma - The market is steady. Supplies continue to be lighter. Harvest is beginning to transition to the Northern areas. Back east, supplies continue to be lighter, until April. Look for supplies to continue to be lighter this week. Range in quality from Good to Fair.
Cherry - The market is Steady. Supplies still to still be a bit lighter this week in Mexico, however, supplies better back east. Demand is consistent in all areas. Quality is Good / Fair.
Grape - The market is higher. Supplies continue to struggle. Production and yields lighter. Back east, suppliers are also very tight. Demand is very strong in all areas. Quality is Good / Fair.