Weekly Produce Trend Report for Week Ending August 26, 2016

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Candace Waters
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Weekly Produce Trend Report for Week Ending August 26, 2016 COMMODITY PRICE QUALITY PRICE TREND Mexican Avocados High Good VARIES BY SIZE Blackberries, Raspberries, Blueberries, Strawberries Moderate

1 Weekly Produce Trend Report for Week Ending August 26, 2016 COMMODITY PRICE QUALITY PRICE TREND Mexican Avocados High Good VARIES BY SIZE Blackberries, Raspberries, Blueberries, Strawberries Moderate Good Grapefruit Moderate Good Lemons Moderate Good Limes High Excellent Pineapples Moderate Good Oranges, Navels Navels Good Green & Red Leaf, Romaine Moderate Good Iceberg Lettuce Moderate Fair Romaine Hearts Moderate Good Cucumbers Moderate Excellent Green Beans Extreme Excellent Bell Peppers (Green & Red) Moderate Good Yellow Squash Moderate Good Zucchini Moderate Good Green Seedless Grapes High Good Red Seedless Grapes Moderate to High Good Plums Moderate Good Fennel/Anise Moderate Very Good Bok Choy, Frisee, Mache Moderate Good Cantaloupes Moderate Good Honeydew High Good Artichokes Moderate Excellent Arugula Moderate Good Asparagus Moderate Good Broccoli Low Good Carrots High Good Celery Very High Good Parsley (Curly & Italian) Moderate Very Good Cauliflower Low Good Peeled Garlic High Good Green Cabbage High Excellent Green Onions Moderate Fair Kale (Green) Low Very Good Napa Moderate Fair Red Cabbage Moderate Excellent Snow & Sugar Snap Peas Steady Poor to Fair Spinach (Baby & Bunched), Spring Mix Low Good Red Onions Moderate Good Yellow & White Onions Moderate Good Round & Grape Tomatoes Moderate Good Roma Tomatoes Moderate Fair to Good Potatoes Variable Good Bartlett Pears Moderate Good Red & Golden Delicious, Granny Smiths, Pinks Steady Good Golden Delicious, Fujis New Crop Steady Good Galas, Honeycrisp New Crop D Anjous, Bosc Pears High Good

Weekly Produce Trend Report for Week Ending August 26, 2016 MARKET OVERVIEW Garlic is improving weekly with prices remaining high. Lemons, 200ct, are in extremely short supply with very high prices.

2 Weekly Produce Trend Report for Week Ending August 26, 2016 MARKET OVERVIEW Garlic is improving weekly with prices remaining high. Lemons, 200ct, are in extremely short supply with very high prices. Strawberries and blueberries are tightening up. Lettuce, tomatoes, and oranges are holding steady. Cauliflower, celery and broccoli are great buys. APPLES Prices are weak. The California Gala season has begun. New crop Washington fruit will be on the market in the next few weeks. Sugar levels range from 11 to 14 Brix (sugar to acid ratio). Quality is excellent, especially in new crop fruit. California Bartlett Pear stocks will ship through this week. Quality is excellent: flavor is sweet, yet slightly spicy. New crop Washington Bartletts are available; D Anjous will hit the market next week. ARTICHOKES Expect good supplies of artichokes this week. Supplies industry-wide have increased. Better volume is expected in the upcoming weeks. Demand is off, but that is typical for summer. Prices are steady to lower on some sizes. ARUGULA Supplies of baby and wild arugula are good. Quality is fair and improving. ASPARAGUS Prices are a bit higher than last week; volume will dip until harvesting transitions from Central Mexico to Baja. Quality is best in Mexico. AVOCADOS Prices are starting to inch down; although the California season is winding down, Mexican stocks are increasing. Domestic quality is excellent: oil content is highest in California. BANANAS Unseasonably strong demand has developed for banana growers in Central America, as supply has been disrupted from the Philippines. BERRIES: BLACKBERRIES The market is level; supplies are sufficient. Quality is good: bleeding, bruising, and inconsistent size are slight problems. Sugar levels range from 12 to 13 Brix. BLUEBERRIES Prices are climbing; weather issues are tightening stocks. Quality is best in Canada: bleeding and softness are problems in other regions. South American fruit will be on the market in two to three weeks. RASPBERRIES The market is level; Salinas/Watsonville stocks have increased. The Mexican season will resume in October. Quality is good: soft texture is an occasional problem. Sugar levels range from 13 to 14 Brix. STRAWBERRIES Prices are higher than last week. Salinas/Watsonville harvesting is past its peak; yields are decreasing. Quality is good: problems such as bleeding, bruising, and smaller size are minimal. Production is average while quality is average to good. Supplies are declining and a lot of growers are sold out. The Santa Maria season just started. BOK CHOY Availability is good. BROCCOLI Prices are low; domestic supplies are ample. Quality is good, but hot weather has caused some issues such as branchiness, discoloration, and hollow core in some stocks. BRUSSELS SPROUTS The market continues to advance. Supplies are below average. Quality is good, although there is occasional insect damage and discoloration. Prices are higher this week and continuing to get higher. CANTALOUPE Market is all over the board as some growers are peaking on very small fruit, the 9 s and larger are keeping stronger as demand is good on those and some volume deals are available on the 12,15 s and 18 s but there is some older inventory around on those smaller sizes so be careful.

3 The general overall quality is excellent with a nice clean tight net occasional green cast but mostly a straw cast, fruit cuts very nice and eats well. We will be harvesting through mid-october and then transition to the desert through November. Quality is excellent: sugar levels range from 12 to 14 Brix. CARROTS Great quality and good supply! CAULIFLOWER Prices will climb this week; supplies are starting to tighten. Quality remains very good. CELERY The market is low; California supplies are abundant in Salinas and Santa Maria, especially large sizes. Quality is very good: stalks are firm, straight, and zesty. CILANTRO We are seeing elevated prices as well as some quality issues that include yellowing. CORN Heat across the plains has caused g reat production of sweet corn this past week. Huge opportunity to promote corn for the next few weeks. Illinois, Indiana, Minnesota, Delaware, Colorado, New York and more states are now in full production. Normally this occurs closer to Labor Day, but the heat brought on plenty of sweet corn early. CUCUMBERS East- Supplies coming mainly from MI. Demand continues to be sluggish. We are seeing some quality issues due to the weather. FOB prices are generally steady this week on all sizes and grades. West- Supplies crossing mainly from Baja and quality is extremely variable. FOB prices are generally steady. Demand continues to be weak. We expect supplies to remain tight and FOB prices to remain generally steady for the next 10 days to 2 weeks at which time new fields will come into production. ENGLISH CUCUMBER There is steady availability with Canada as the primary supplier. New crops are coming from the Central California Coastal districts. EGGPLANT East- MI is the main source this week. FOB prices are higher on all sizes and grades. West- FOB prices are steady to down again this week. Quality is good. FENNEL Supplies for the week will be good. GARLIC California is currently harvesting their crops. Although harvests are still a bit slow, we are seeing more and more product as time goes by. We expect this market to improve with every week though prices are remaining high. We are seeing the prices come down slowly with each week. GINGER Chinese ginger is in good supply and is being offered at a substantial discount compared to the Ginger from Brazil. GRAPES Market is steady with good to fair demand, we are harvesting all throughout the San Joaquin Valley and will continue to do so through November. The overall quality of the fruit has been very good with excellent color on the reds and nice firm clean fruit on the greens, as well as high sugar content. We have several different red varieties available that have some excellent flavor as well and it looks like we will have very good supplies of fruit going forward, we have seen very little damage from the excessive heat we have been experiencing which is a testament to the fruit strength. Green seedless sugar levels range from 18 to 20 Brix; red seedless levels are 20 to 22 Brix. GREEN BEANS There are good supplies in the East (Michigan, Virginia, Tennessee). Production is moderate in California; Watsonville (Central California) and Brentwood (Northern San Joaquin Valley) as the primary districts. GREEN CABBAGE Green Cabbage is steady this week. Prices are climbing a bit. Quality is good with some reports of insects. RED CABBAGE Quality and sizing have been great, with good color. Overall, the market is strong. GREEN ONIONS Supplies are still a bit low this week due to weather. The excessive heat in Mexicali Valley has created a very small onion. Demand is increasing due to this issue. HONEYDEW Market is steady with good supplies across the board peaking on 6 s, the overall quality is excellent with nice clean fruit. We are seeing an occasional sunburn but overall some very nice fruit, and we will continue to see nice fruit going forward as the future forecast looks to be normal with no extreme heat. We will have good supplies here on the Westside through mid-october and then transition to the desert through October until the offshore starts to show up.

4 KALE (GREEN) Demand is steady and quality is very good. LEMONS We have Chilean here as well which has been a little inconsistent in quality compared to most years, but we are repacking that fruit once we transfer from the ports to the packinghouse. The overall quality of the dist. 2 fruit is fair with a wide range in maturity and some clear rot is showing up across the board. The first of the Mexican fruit looks very good so we will keep you posted on these as we see more volume and hopefully quality stays good. We will start our dist 3 (Desert) fruit around the second week of October and this fruit should be of excellent quality and should have a nice range of size. LETTUCE: GREEN LEAF/RED LEAF Due to ample supplies and weak demand, prices are expected to remain steady at lower levels. ICEBERG Prices are steady; stocks are ample. Quality is good, but insect pressure, internal burn, and mildew are issues. ROMAINE Due to ample supplies and weak demand, prices are expected to remain steady at lower levels. ROMAINE HEARTS Supplies have improved and demand has slowed. Quality is good. LIMES Hurricane Earl made quite a mess of Veracruz, Mexico and it s reflected in the lime market. Prices haven t been affected significantly, but the quality is not great. Stylar and sugar/brown spots are showing up frequently- a direct result of the storm. Stylar generally appears two days after harvesting, so many shippers are holding the line an extra day to let the stylar show so they can pull the bad ones out. Veracruz continues to see rain, so the stylar issue will persist for now. Limes look OK at best. NAPA Market is lower due to increased supply. Demand is strong with lower prices. Quality is good with increased reports of internal defects primarily with seeders. WESTERN ONIONS Most of New Mexico finished up over the weekend with only a select few still producing. As a whole the state should be done in the next 10 days. The San Joaquin Valley in CA is also still in the mix with some limited supplies mostly jumbos yellows and reds. Idaho/Oregon is now in full production will all sizes and varieties available. The skin is a little light right now but that will change as harvest progresses. Prices should remain stable over the next week. The crop as a whole looks pretty good but there are some seed stem being reported, not sure if or how this will affect the market as we move forward. ORANGES Market is very strong on 113 s and smaller as we are peaking on some bigger fruit, and there are some deals to be made on 72 s and 56 s. The 138 s are a demand exceeds supply situation and we will be fighting to cover the 113 s and 138 s until we start California navels around the first of November, we will keep you posted as we go through these trying times and do all we can to cover the orders. The overall quality of the fruit is good, with some fruit showing heavier green color due to our hot temperatures and the natural reaction of a later season Valencia. The Valencia we are harvesting is about 16 month sold on the tree as the tree is also carrying next year s crop. The fruit has very good sugar and excellent juice content, but it is a Valencia so color is not a beautiful consistent orange color there will be a variance in color from greenish yellow, to orange in the carton. There are some Chilean navels that have some very nice deep orange color that have arrived on both coasts if you have interest in them, the prices are a bit higher. We will start the California navels around the first of November and go through about June. Sugar levels range from 13 to 15 Brix. PARSLEY (CURLY, ITALIAN) Prices are normal and quality is excellent. GREEN BELL PEPPER East- Growing regions of TN, NC and MI have received much rain this week. Fields in MI received 2-7 inches yesterday. FOB prices are steady to slightly higher thus far this week and quality is generally good but becoming more variable. West- Supplies continue to be weak but demand is even weaker. FOB prices are down again on all sizes and grades compared to last week. JALAPEÑO PEPPER East- FOB prices are seeing downward pressure this week. Quality continues to be generally good. RED & YELLOW PEPPER Prices are up. California growers are transitioning to Hollister over the next ten days. Quality is average: high temperatures have caused dehydration and shriveling. PINEAPPLE The market is unchanged. Costa Rican volume is up; Mexican production will resume in late August. Quality is good: fruit is juicy with tropical flavor. Sugar levels range from 13 to 16 Brix.

5 IDAHO POTATOES New crop harvest is now in full production. Fob prices on the Norkotahs have been pretty steady for the past week but most expect some downward movement as supplies build. Quality has been very nice with only some limited skin immaturity. Early sizing reports are showing a nice even distribution of size but it is still very early and current size profiles are not necessarily indicative of what the crop as a whole is going to produce. RADISHES Market is slightly below average due to lighter supplies out of Mexico. Quality is average with reports of insect damage. SALAD BLENDS The market is stable; stocks are sufficient. Quality has improved. SNOW AND SUGAR SNAP PEAS Snow and sugar snap peas currently have high demand with good quality. SPINACH (BUNCHED) Supply is good and demand is strong. Quality has improved. We are still seeing some sun scalding and tip burn, but should improve this week. There have been some reports of insects, but this is getting better. SPINACH (BABY) Baby Spinach and Clipped Spinach supplies are light. Quality is fair to good with good prices. There are some reports of insects. SPRING MIX Prices are unchanged; volume is average. Internal burn and yellowing are minor problems in some stocks, but quality continues to improve. GREEN SQUASH East- FOB prices are generally steady this week on both grades. We continue to harvest fields in NC, MI and the Northeast. West- FOB prices are generally steady on fancy grade and steady to up on the medium. Supplies are coming from Santa Maria and Washington fields. Quality is good but becoming more variable. YELLOW SQUASH East- FOB prices are steady this week as the growing regions remain fragmented. Quality is not near as good as in the past several weeks due to the amount of rain and heat the fields have received. West- A wider range in FOB prices have developed due to the wider range in quality. Prices are steady to up depending on quality. TOMATOES East Rounds Supplies in the east are even lighter this week and continue to be fragmented. The hot and rainy weather has caused volume and quality to be spotty. Demand remains weak but there are some signs of strengthening. We are seeing a spread of FOB prices that correspond with the quality. FOB prices for 5x6s will remain generally steady from last week with the smaller sizes bringing higher prices. AL, AK, VA, SC, MI, NJ and NC fields continue to produce to some degree with various levels of quality. Romas Like the rounds, roma supplies are light and fragmented with a wide range in quality. There is a wider than normal range in FOB prices and those prices correspond with the quality. Pricing will remain generally steady from last week on all sizes. Grapes Supplies continue to be harvested from our NC and VA eastern shore fields. FOB prices are generally steady with upward pressure this week and quality continues to be good. Cherries Supplies and demand continue to be generally light. FOB prices are up slightly compared to last week. Quality is good. West/Mexico Rounds Vine-ripes continue to cross primarily at Baja and McAllen. A few vine ripes have also begun to cross at Nogales. CA mature-green growers continue to harvest. Supplies continue to be light with a wide range in quality. The better quality fruit is demanding the higher FOB prices and will be a couple of dollars higher than last week. Quality and shelf-life are variable. Romas Supplies continue to come out of Baja, McAllen and CA. And like the rounds, quality is extremely variable which is causing a wider than normal range in FOB prices. Prices on quality fruit are up on all sizes this week. Grapes Product continue to cross mainly out of Baja. Supplies are lighter this week with a wider range in quality and FOB prices. FOB prices depend on quality and are higher this week. Cherries Supplies continue to be light and prices are up slightly from last week. Quality is fair to good.

TREE FRUIT Prices are weak. Domestic nectarines, peaches, plums, and pluots are abundant; the apricot season has ended. Quality is very good: fruit is juicy and sweet.

6 TREE FRUIT Prices are weak. Domestic nectarines, peaches, plums, and pluots are abundant; the apricot season has ended. Quality is very good: fruit is juicy and sweet. Nectarine and peach sugar levels range from 10 to 14 Brix. Mango supply is abundant and prices are low. Quality is good. WATERMELONS The market is unchanged; melons from California s San Joaquin Valley are plentiful. Although quality is very good, hot weather may cause some softer internal texture. Sugar levels are averaging 12 Brix.

Weekly Produce Trend Report for Week Ending August 5, 2016

Weekly Produce Trend Report for Week Ending August 5, 2016 COMMODITY PRICE QUALITY PRICE TREND Mexican Avocados High Good VARIES BY SIZE Blackberries, Raspberries, Blueberries, Strawberries Moderate Good