November 10, 2016 OVERVIEW Strawberries are in an extreme market, please see below for more information. Garlic and green beans remain in tight supply. Lettuces, salad mixes, broccoli, and cauli remain in good supply and are steady; with some end of season quality issues reported. MARKET ALERTS GARLIC GREEN BEANS RED BELL PEPPERS STRAWBERRIES TOMATOES (ROUNDS, GRAPES, CHERRIES) GOOD BUYS APPLES Apples are so delicious and versatile. We love them in our smoothies, added to a sandwich, or dipped in peanut butter!! REGIONAL / LOCAL Here is a short list of local produce that you may want to add to your menus to entice the Locally Grown crowd!!!! We will keep expanding on local product every week!! Georgia/ FloridaSweet Corn The Georgia growing season is finishing up and moving to the Belle Glade, Florida area. Florida Corn is priced this week to promote. Availability from Florida is good and looks good moving forward. Midwest sweet corn is done. Southern California corn is available in limited supplies and Colorado corn is finishing up. Cucumbers have been in excellent supply this fall in Georgia. The beautiful weather has made for great color, good length, and a firm piece of fruit. With the cold spell, we could see some slowdown in production this week, but with Florida cranking up over the next two weeks we don t expect any shortages or gaps in production in THIS region.
Squash- Squashes are readily available and market trends point to supply exceeding demand. There is ample volume of dark green zucchinis in Florida and Georgia, and a really nice yellow squash crop for this time of year as well. With the pressure from the white flies that plagued Georgia s early fall crop way down, the yellow squash volume is increasing and the quality is much more consistent. Georgia is starting on its last new fields this week, with Florida ramping up by the end of the month. Eggplant- South Georgia still looks to have several weeks of solid production and should have no gapping problems, as Florida looks to start in the middle of November. Bell Peppers- Bell peppers are in full production in South Georgia right now. Many growers are working on several different fields resulting in a wide range of product and size availability. From Jumbos to XLG to Large or Choice, promotional volume should be readily available until the end of the month and beyond. Cooler weather in fall plantings usually means thicker walls, darker color, and a nice heavy Green Bell. Georgia, North Carolina, Tennesee and New York - Micro greens- Micro greens and items like Mache, Mizuma, and other salad greens are readily available in these regions!!! Michigan, Pennsylvania, Washington, New York, South Carolina, and Virginia Apples- A great fall item that is currently coming out of these regions!!!! Oregon, Washington and Michigan - Cherries- Currently coming out of these regions. TENTATIVE TRANSITION SCHEDULE COMMODITY FINISH SALINAS START YUMA START IMPERIAL VALLEY Lettuce Nov 2nd Nov 4th Dec 7th Romaine / Green Leaf Nov 20th Nov 15th Nov 14th Broccoli Dec 7th Nov 20th Nov 20th Cauliflower Dec 10th Nov 25th Dec 14th Celery Dec 1st Jan 15 Oxnard - Nov 15th TRANSPORTATION & WEATHER Truck availability in the west continues to tighten with the approach of Thanksgiving. Freight rates have advanced as much as 10 percent compared to October. The Christmas tree hauling season will be in full swing in the northwest following Thanksgiving, which will result in a shortage of trucks available to haul potatoes and onions. Recent mild conditions in Central & Southern California will continue into early next week, with clear skies and temperatures well above average. Temperatures briefly reached the mid-90s in Southern California yesterday, and highs will continue in the 70s and 80s. California and Arizona desert growing regions will see highs in the 80s, followed by a cooling trend mid-next week. Northern Mainland Mexico will experience plenty of sunshine and highs in the low 90s. Seasonably mild temperatures in the mid 70s, accompanied by occasional cloudiness and a rain shower is in the forecast for South Georgia. Central Florida will see highs around 80. The high elevation avocado district in Michoacan, Mexico will have continued daily showers or thunderstorms, with highs in the 70s.
FRUITS & VEGETABLES AVOCADOS The avocado market experienced extreme shortages and very high prices over the last few weeks, in addition to a supply gap. The market continues to gradually progress toward stability. We are dealing with a slight size curve that is smaller fruit. BANANAS An unseasonably strong demand has developed for growers in Central America, as supply has been disrupted from the Philippines. BLUEBERRIES Blueberry supplies are good. Transfers from Chile and Central Mexico have begun to arrive earlier than expected. Order fill has improved. Chilean blueberry quality is good to very good. Central Mexico blueberry quality is very good. BLACKBERRIES Blackberry supplies are good. Quality is good to very good. RASPBERRIES Raspberry supplies are good and we expect them to remain in good supply for the next few weeks. As always, expect supplies to tighten up before the holidays. Quality continues to be good to very good. STRAWBERRIES The strawberry season from the Watsonville and Salinas growing regions is done for the year. The remaining regions (Santa Maria, Oxnard, and Central Mexico) are harvesting low volumes; with this trend continuing for approximately 4 to 6 weeks. Contributing factors to the low supplies are weather, planted acreage in Oxnard being down from a year ago, and labor. Quality will continue to be inconsistent depending on location, with some reporting good quality and some very good. We expect to see extreme shortages in product and very high prices. Raspberries are a good substitute, as we expect to have good quality and good supply for at least a few more weeks. CALIFORNIA-ARIZONA CITRUS GRAPEFRUIT Market is good. Texas has good volume in smaller sizes. Florida is packing Reds and is limited on larger sizes. LEMONS Market is still very steady. Quality is somewhat scattered across the board due to the different districts that are currently in play. As the new districts increase production, we will see quality improve even more. We expect this market to improve weekly. LIMES (PERSIAN) Quality is good, prices are higher. The 110 & 150ct availability remains tighter than other sizes. Color and quality are very good at this time. ORANGES Valencias will be done this week. Navels started in CA last week and we will see production increase weekly. Quality is good but not excellent. PINEAPPLE Demand is good and prices are stable. Market is slowly getting better CALIFORNIA LETTUCE GREEN & RED LEAF Supplies on green leaf are lighter, quality is average, and we are seeing very light weight. Red leaf we are seeing better quality and supplies are normal.
ICEBERG LETTUCE Supplies are normal. Salinas is done with Iceberg for the most part. We have started to load lettuce in the desert. Quality out of Huron looks good. We are seeing some small increases in price in this market. ROMAINE Supplies are good. There have been some reports of insects, some fringe burn due to the heat, and twisting. We are also seeing some reports that product is breaking down faster than normal, also due to the heat. This should improve as we transition. ROMAINE HEARTS Supplies are plentiful!! Demand has slowed, with quality remaining good. However, we are seeing some insect damage. EASTERN & WESTERN VEGETABLES GREEN & RED BELL PEPPERS Green bell peppers continue with plentiful supplies in the Coachella Valley of California; quality is excellent. Early season green bells are now available in Nogales. Prices remain high for red bells, with tight supplies for new crop in Coachella. Green bells are in good supply from Georgia. CUCUMBERS The recent oversupply situation in the west has been relieved; Northern Mainland Mexico is now the primary district. Availability is plentiful in Florida and Georgia. ENGLISH CUCUMBERS Plentiful supplies, with additional product from Northern Mexico now arriving in Nogales. GREEN BEANS Prices remain at extreme levels in the west, as Coachella is the only district currently in production. Plentiful supplies in Florida and Georgia. ZUCCHINI & YELLOW SQUASH Plentiful supplies for zucchini and yellow squash, with multiple growing areas in the east and west; prices have stabilized at bottom levels. South Georgia is the primary district in the east; Northern Mainland Mexico in the west. ACORN, BUTTERNUT & SPAGHETTI SQUASH Squashes are readily available and market trends point to supply exceeding demand. There is ample volume of dark green zucchinis in Florida and Georgia, and a really nice yellow squash crop for this time of year as well. With the pressure from the white flies that plagued Georgia s early fall crop way down, the yellow squash volume is increasing and the quality is much more consistent. Georgia is starting on its last new fields this week, with Florida ramping up by the end of the month. MANGOES Supply and quality are good; prices are rising slightly. MELONS Some fall growers in AZ have already started to conclude their season. Maricopa will continue for another few weeks for those that need to continue loading out west. Sizing in AZ will remain heavier to smaller sizes but new fields did break with some better sizing. We will begin receiving the first Guatemalan production next week. We anticipate being able to accommodate most business by Nov 15 th out of Florida. Honeydew production in Arizona has continued with steady volumes. Volumes out of Nogales have kept the market stable. All sizes have been available to accommodate all orders. We will also have dews in Florida by the end of next week to mix out with the cantaloupes. WATERMELONS Quality is good to average. We are seeing this market tighten up, as the rain in SC has slowed harvests. We will be transitioning to Mexico soon.
HERBS We have very good supplies of MINT, ITALIAN PARSLEY, CHIVES, ROSEMARY, AND THYME. All other fresh herbs remain steady. Please be aware, the push for HOLIDAY demand will start in about two weeks. Cilantro: Supplies are good and quality is improving, we are seeing yellowing and decay. HERBS HERB SUPPLIES QUALITY COUNTRY OF ORIGIN Arugula Good Good USA Basil Good Good USA/MEXICO Opal Basil Good Good USA/MEXICO Thai Basil Good Good USA/MEXICO Bay Leaves Good Good COLUMBIA Chervil Good Good USA Chives Good Good USA/MEXICO Cilantro Good Good USA Dill Good Good USA/MEXICO Episode Good Good MEXICO Lemongrass Good Good USA Marjoram Steady Good USA Mint Good Good USA Oregano Good Good USA Italian Parsley Good Good USA Rosemary Limited Good USA Sage Good Good USA/MEXICO Savory Good Good USA Sorrel Good Good USA Tarragon Good Good MEXICO Thyme Good Good USA Lemon Thyme Good Good USA Lavender Good Good USA Lime Leaves Good Good USA Hora Santa Good Good USA
ARTICHOKES We expect good supplies of artichokes this week; supplies industry-wide have increased. Better volume is expected in the upcoming weeks. Prices are steady to lower on some sizes. ARUGULA Supplies of both baby and wild arugula are good. Quality is fair but improving. ASPARAGUS The market is starting to rise a little in price, we do expect this to get tighter the closer we get to the holidays. BOK CHOY Availability is good. BROCCOLI Supplies are light this week. Prices are steady. Good green color and texture. BRUSSEL SPROUTS The market is good. Supplies are good this week. Quality has improved. CARROTS Great quality and good supply! CAULIFLOWER Supplies are good but are a bit down from where they have been. Locally grown deals are done. Quality is good, with good weight and white to creamy color. Demand is picking up! CELERY Supplies are plentiful, with many growers in Salinas now. Quality is good and prices are starting to rise. We will see this market getting tighter the closer we get to Thanksgiving. CORN Midwest Sweet is still available but the prices have gone up and stabilized. Quality is still good but production will be finishing up over the next few weeks. New Crop Georgia Sweet Corn will be starting next week, with Florida to follow soon after. Colorado Corn is still available, finishing up in October. FENNEL Supplies for the week will be good. GARLIC The garlic market continues to be volatile. Demand exceeds supply. The CA harvest finished last month and crops were down 15-30% from where we had hoped they would be. We are uncertain where the supply on garlic from China will be, we are hearing that it will get even tighter, but we are uncertain. Quality remains good and we will keep you posted as we hear what China will be doing. GINGER Chinese ginger is in good supply and being offered at a substantial discount, compared to ginger from Brazil. GREEN CABBAGE Good supplies. We should be steady this week. Quality is good. GREEN ONIONS The market is good. Prices are moderate and supplies are good, we usually see this item firm up the closer we get to the holidays.
KALE (GREEN) Demand is steady and quality is average, we are seeing mildew in this product. MACHE Adequate availability. NAPA Supplies are good. Quality is good, with increased reports of internal defects, primarily with seeders. Prices have eased. PARSLEY (CURLY,ITALIAN) Prices are normal and quality is excellent. RADISHES Quality is good! Plentiful supply. RED CABBAGE Quality and sizing has been great, with good color. Overall, the market is strong. SNOW & SUGAR SNAP PEAS Snow and sugar snap peas currently have high demand with good quality. BABY SPINACH Baby Spinach and Clipped Spinach supplies are light. Quality is fair to good with good prices. There are some reports of insects. BUNCHED SPINACH Supply is good. Quality is fair. We are still seeing some sun scalding and tip burn, but this has improved. There have been some reports of insects as well. SPRING MIX Lots of product and quality is average. ONIONS The onion market has had a sluggish feel, as supplies have outpaced demand. The size profiles are getting larger and there has been a surplus on colossal and super colossal yellows. Growers have finished harvest for the season, and onions will be exclusively coming out of storage, more growers will begin shipping rail cars at this point. Quality remains strong on all colors and sizes. POTATOES (IDAHO) Demand on retail packs are good with stable pricing. This could change over the next couple of weeks depending on whether Thanksgiving heightens demand enough to affect supply. The demand on cartons is fair but it appears the shippers are keeping the cartons moved in an orderly fashion. This could also change if the shipping community needs to run harder to get orders out in a timely fashion. As you know there is a price difference on the Norkotah crop versus the Burbank crop, but that difference is not significant at this time. The Norkotah crop is larger in individual tuber size and aggressive prices are available on the 40/50 counts in the Norkotah s. Movement has been good for the state and they need to keep this up to move this crop in an orderly fashion. The truck capacity is fair, Idaho could use more and you will see supply tighten in some areas. The rates have moved up for some locations and this will continue throughout the holiday season. TOMATOES East: Rounds - Supplies in the east are improving daily, due to increased production in Western Florida. FOB prices are gradually dropping. Large sized fruit remains tight. Roma Supplies have also improved due to higher than expected production estimates.
Grapes Supplies are up and FOB prices are down. We should see sizing distribution normalize as well, now that we are well into this first pick. Cherries - Supplies continue to be light, however, production will be picking up this week. FOB prices are down slightly. Quality is also improving. West/Mexico: Will continue to see lighter volume on large rounds and cherries. Roma and grape supplies are very good this week. Rounds - Vine-ripe production is unchanged from Baja and Central Mexico. California mature green growers are done for the season. FOB prices are stable with mediocre demand. Quality will be good out of Mexico. Romas - Supplies are good out of Southern Baja and Central Mexico. Quality will continue to improve. FOB pricing will be mostly steady this week, trending slightly lower. Grapes Supplies are improving and pricing is down this week. Cherries - FOB prices are slightly down this week. There is a wide range of quality out there right now. WASHINGTON APPLES, PEARS & TREE FRUIT Apples and pears are in season! Quality and availability are good. Apples are running on the small side. Prices are up from last year due to the sizing of the fruit. Red plums - Autumn red plums are in and will be in for about 3-4 weeks. Red pluots - Packing sweet pluots now, should be available for about a month! A Special Thanks To Our 2016 National Conference Title & Platinum Sponsors! Atlanta 5400 Laurel Springs Pkwy Suite 1002 Suwanee, GA 30024 Phone: 678.947.3000 Nashville One Vantage Way Suite B-440 Nashville, TN 37228 Phone: 615.259.0290 Buffalo Grove 100 Lexington Drive Suite 201 Buffalo Grove, IL 60089 Phone: 847.808.3030 Chicago 230 W. Huron Street Suite 200 Chicago, IL 60654 Phone: 312.573.7610 Salinas 60 West Market Suite 130 Salinas, CA 93901 Phone: 831.455.7800