The new apple crop is harvested and is now in storage. The overall crop came in shorter than projected due to weather issues and is now estimated to be around 117-million cases. This is much smaller than the 135-million case crop that we had last season. The quality of the fruit is very good but the sizing on the fruit is running smaller than last year and will mean that the large sizes will be tight and more expensive this season. Demand is strong and pricing is higher this year and we expect it to remain this way through the end of this year.
After weeks of extremely limited harvests and strong pricing, Strawberries from Oxnard and Central Mexico growing areas are increasing their volumes and Florida will also start with limited numbers in the next few weeks. We’ll see heavier production and lower pricing in the coming weeks.
Georgia has cleaned up their corn for the season and Florida is now producing a small amount of supplies with some sizing issues. Suddenly it’s gotten extremely tight with everyone running out at once.
Avocado growers in Mexico continue to have strong volumes available and prices have been at historically low levels. With foodservice not using their normal quantities, business is slow. Retail demand was sluggish after Thanksgiving but is now showing signs of strength.
Most eastern vegetables like squash, peppers, cucumbers, etc. are in plentiful supply as Florida fields get cranked up. Mexico is starting their veggie season also, bringing a lot of product to market. Strong Christmas demand might raise prices some, but we haven’t seen much evidence of that yet.
Peruvian asparagus farmers are shipping high volumes of gorgeous ‘gras right now and prices are about as low as they get. Farmers are struggling to move all the product they’re growing and dropping prices to get it sold.
Supplies of iceberg and leaf lettuces are plentiful this week with demand lower. Quality reports from Yuma, AZ are showing overall good quality with occasional light blister and wind burn. The weather forecast calls for average temperatures in Yuma toward the end of this week, so supplies should stay in better shape.
Q: How long is the sentence for stealing a calendar?
A: 12 months.
Q: What do you call someone who gets a thrill stealing kitchen utensils?
A: A whisk taker.
