The Source - March 7, 2016

Washington - red delicious are steady on all sizes but the market remains firm. All sizes of the lower grade reds are limited and most suppliers are having to sub up to the higher grades to cover orders. Most shippers are peaking on 72/80/88s. Golden delicious are steady on all sizes and grades but the lower grade 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 steady on all sizes and grades but the market remains strong due. Most Gala shippers don't have much fruit larger than an 88. There are occasional volume deals of smaller Galas. 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 steady with plenty of supplies. 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 Yellow are being offered in all grades and sizes. More number one grade is being offered in 25 and 15 lb. units. Peaking on Large number one grade.
Green pepper has been short but supply and quality are improving. offering mostly number one grade and very light supply of number two .Good sizing, peaking on large and X large.

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 has been good overall with a few issues reported on older lots of blackberries - 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.

Transitions:
FL and Southern CA are getting some lower volumes of local production. Most of the product is being sold in local/regional markets.

Peak Seasons:
Baja California, MX will peak around April!

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.

Rainfall was reported in all CA growing regions this past weekend and will continue to affect production / supply throughout this week in all CA growing areas. The Northern districts of Salinas / Watsonville received anywhere from 2-5" already and still receiving rain today. Santa Maria received between 1-2" already and still getting rain today. Oxnard has received 1-2.5" inches and still getting rain today. Some systems have been more active than others with heavy rain, high winds, and even pea size hail reported in both the northern and southern districts. Harvest estimates have fallen anywhere from 30-50% in Santa Maria and Oxnard. Harvesting crews will be diverting some fruit into processing bins rather than packing berries into clamshells for fresh market. Quality issues could quickly arise as many growers packed heavy before the rains came and will be packing rained on fruit this week. Wet/soft bruising, wet fruit, inconsistent sizing and color could follow in the coming week. The rains in the northern districts are less concerning, (even though there was more measured precipitation,) as those areas are still a few weeks away from full commercial production. Switch gears to FL, they are still producing steadily but high temperatures are rising near 90* and only cooling into the low-mid 60s in the evenings. Quality concerns will be likely. Watch for soft, bruised, overripe fruit.

Alerts:
Supply and quality may become more of a concern in CA this week as rain and thunderstorms have reached all growing regions with moderate to heavy precipitation, high winds and minor reports of pea sized hail.

Transitions:
Most shippers will begin walking fields in Salinas and Watsonville in 2-3 weeks!

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.

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 is a feel of this market starting to trend higher. 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 is steady to start the week. Small sizing is a little less in availability compared to large sizing, but all orders are being filled to its entirety. Pricing gaps have continued to range from two- four dollars depending on the shipper. Moderate to good supplies are expected the entire week. Rain may play a factor in the Oxnard region later in the week. Demand will dictate if shortages occur. Production in Florida is moderate, overall. The quality has been reported as good in all the growing regions. Rain is expected to be heavy by the end of the week in the Southern California region.

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

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

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

Pasilla ; Continued good supply with quality and condition improving.

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.

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.

Rain over the weekend and today has halted picking. Growers with groves on sandier soil may be able to pick in a day or 2. Another storm system looks to come in toward the end of the week. Bin inventory should carry us through the week. 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.

Production is now getting lighter from Culiacan, the peak harvest is over, demand has improved and market is stronger . Quality continues to be fair with some limited condition issues. Expecting lighter supply. Size is dropping some. Peaking on Large and Plains. We expect supply to continue to drop in the near future.

Better weather is increasing production. Condition and quality are improved. More number one product being offered and less scaring and misshapen. Sizing is improving with better color and finish.

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.

Red grape supplies and market prices have remained consistent with some slightly lower quotes on the Flame variety due to quality issues. There has been some wet soft fruit reported in the Flames. However, supplies are expected to start winding down this week and Crimsons will start to increase in availability. Market prices will remain steady as shippers move through the remaining Flames. Crimsons will continue to be more expensive and prices will be firm through this 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 remains steady to begin the week. Although the weather has cooled off in the desert region and slight precipitation has occurred, temperatures will rise into the mid eighties by mid week and carry into the following week. Common defects associated with this commodity issues on quality include 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.

Shipper's have good supplies on all leaf items to begin the week. The quality, overall is good. Warm temps will begin again by mid 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.

Weather has improved volume shipping from Colima and Jalisco, availability is improving every week with better weather in the growing region. Quality and condition are much improved. many more growers offering supply. Sugar and pleasure are testing well with good fruit for cutting. Most product available is being offered in cartons with some bins, There is now load volume to offer. peak sizes are 5s followed by 6s with a few 4s.Supply should remain steady until spring crop gets started.

Some personal seedless are available with a run of sizes from 8s-11s. Peaking on larger sizes. Condition and quality are very good.

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.

Washington - D'anjou pears are steady on all sizes and continue to peak on US#1 70/80s. The larger isn't yielding much volume on anything smaller than a 110 so 120s and smaller remain short. The Washington D'anjous are clean so the fancy grade is also 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 on all sizes and they are still peaking on 100/110s on both coasts. Some suppliers will flex for volume on 120s and 135s. Packhams are steady and continue to peak on US#1 80/90s. Domestic D'Anjous, Bosc, and Red pear quality has been good. 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 somewhere between sold and out and super tight due to strong demand and light supplies, especially A-size. The quality has ranged from good to fair on the reds with some lots having darker color and some lighter, while the golds and whites have been good.
Western Washington - reds and golds are steady and both continue to peak on A size. Supplys are in fewer hands. 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 are speaking on A-size and some suppliers will flex for volume on the red As. The quality has been good. Idaho will also pack until somewhere between the middle and the end of March.
Wisconsin - reds and golds are both steady but firm and they continue to peak on A-size. Premiums and bakers in both colors and gold Cs are still not available. The quality has been fair to good.
North Dakota - Reds and golds are higher on all sizes although some suppliers are finished with golds. The stronger market is due to light supplies. Both colors are peaking on size A. The quality has been good.
S. Florida - all sizes in all colors are up slightly due to light supplies and strong demand.. Both reds and golds are peaking on A-size while the whites are heavier to B's. The white market remains firm and many suppliers are sold-out of A-size Whites still.

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 on both.

Peaches, Nectarines and Plums all remain steady in supply and market price. Availability seems to have improved over last week's spot shortages. Both East and West coast availability is expected to be consistent this week. Quality has been reported as good on all varieties.

Rounds - The market is steady. Production continues to be lighter and sizing is coming down. Due to weather conditions this winter season, look for supplies to continue to be lighter, until end of march / first part of April. Out west, the flush of rounds have past, and should decrease in volume a bit. Large range in quality from Good to Fair.
Roma - The market is steady. Supplies out of the east continue to be lighter. Like the rounds, look for supplies to continue to be lighter through March / early part of April. And like the rounds, the flush of roma's has past in Mexico. Volumes should begin to decrease a bit. Quality is Good / Fair.
Cherry - The market is Steady. Production continues to be lighter in areas. Few growers have any type of supplies. Out west, supplies look to be lighter as well. Quality is Good / Fair.
Grape - The market is steady. Supplies continue to be a struggle, as harvest begins to transition from Southern to central parts of the state. In Mexico, supplies continue to cross good numbers. Volumes could begin to decrease in Mexico, as we move through March. Quality is Good / Fair.

Rounds - The market is steady. Mexico growers look to have moved past the flush of supplies, brought on the the warmer temps. Supplies look to be heavier on the large sizes, however, sizing and volumes should start to decrease, as we move though March. Back east, supplies continue to be lighter, and should continue through March / early April. Quality is Good / Fair.
Roma - The market is steady. Like the rounds, Mexico looks to be past the flush of supplies. Look for supplies to decrease, as we move through March. Back east, supplies look to be lighter, and should continue. Quality is Good / Fair.
Cherry - The market is Steady. Supplies continue to be lighter in all areas. Pricing looks to continue to level, due to demand. Back east, supplies continue to struggle, and should continue through March / April. Quality is Good / Fair.
Grape - The market is Steady. Supplies continue to see good number cross. However, look for supplies to decrease, as we move through the month. Back east, supplies continue to be a struggle, due to past weather conditions. Quality is Good / Fair.