Florida is scheduled to start new squash fields toward the end of next week; unfortunately, that is not helping the current situation. Squash continues to be short and both Mexican and Florida growing regions are struggling with cuffing and scarring. High winds blow sand, grit and leaves against the squash causing scarring. There’s a lot of ugly squash out there right now. We continue to see beautiful zucchini and pricing is much lower on that.
Tomato markets are finally sliding downward with slightly better volume and lower demand at the higher pricing causing the correction. Romas in particular have been very strong, but are slowly recovering.
Year-to-date avocado supply is less than 65% of the volume seen last year. Meanwhile, pricing is up over 50% versus prior year. Each time the supply starts to increase, demand increases, and pricing has been increasing as well. Each time weather conditions and/or holidays have slowed supply, shippers run low on inventory which drives pricing up further. At the current pricing levels and favorable weather conditions in Mexico and California, most growers will likely start harvesting heavier and the supplies are expected to increase soon.
Cantaloupe supplies are strong from Central American growers and many are reaching our shores on both coasts. With the light demand that happens this time each year this time because of the colder weather, markets are staying low. Demand is expected to remain light and prices pretty steady. We do anticipate late-in-the-month demand improving so we may see some changes at that point. Honeydews out of Nogales, Arizona, are in good supply and pricing is easing on those as well.
Post Valentine’s sluggish demand for strawberries and Florida finally hitting their seasonal peak have berry prices much lower this week. Quality has been excellent.
Blueberries last week suddenly started to tighten between the downward production coming from Chile, and both Mexico and California’s low production unable to compensate the needed volumes to support U.S. demand. There’s just not enough to go around. The blueberry market will continue to be in a demand-exceeds-supply situation for the foreseeable future.
Q: What rhymes with orange?
A: No it doesn’t.
