January 26th, 2024 Produce Supply Update: Apples – Harvest is complete and we have a bumper crop of apples to sell this season. The crop this year will be around 140-million cases which makes it one of the largest crops ever! The growing conditions were very good and, besides producing a large crop, it also created high color and high- quality apples this year. We expect to have good supplies and great opportunities to promote apples from now until the summer of 2024. Asparagus – Asparagus market continues to be tight in volume since Mexico is still preparing to start the season in about two weeks. Cold weather down there has slowed the harvest from getting started. Perú is projected to continue producing from both regions all of January and the transition to Mexico is expected to start by mid- January, depending on weather and availability. Grapes – This week, we continue to see tight inventory and high market prices on grapes. With limited arrivals so far on Chilean vessels, along with an expected gap due to storm-damaged ships, most suppliers have limited inventory to cover orders. Melons – Honeydews and cantaloupes remain plentiful, with imports hitting all entries to the country at once. Pricing is very favorable right now. Mixed Vegetables – Cold weather in Florida and Mexico have shut down production on peppers, cucumbers, tomatoes and squash. Supplies are extremely tight on many commodities right now and pricing is surging as buyers struggle to find product. Potatoes – The new year begins with strong supplies of potatoes of all varieties. Idaho continues to deal with a bumper crop of russets and is looking for business. Reds and golds are in abundance in multiple growing regions. Traditionally, potato sales sag in January as not too many New Year’s resolutions involve eating more potatoes. Strawberries – California has very light supplies on strawberries due to previous rain and cold weather. Central Mexico also has very light supplies due to their cold. Florida has light production and California is seeing weather-related defects. We’re getting ready to roll into Valentine’s Day, the biggest strawberry holiday of the year. Expect pricing to stay strong. People sometimes say I’m condescending. (That means talking down to people.)
Apples – Harvest is complete and we have a bumper crop of apples to sell this season. The crop this year will be around 140-million cases which makes it one of the largest crops ever! The growing conditions were very good and, besides producing a large crop, it also created high color and high- quality apples this year. We expect to have good supplies and great opportunities to promote apples from now until the summer of 2024.
Asparagus – Asparagus market continues to be tight in volume since Mexico is still preparing to start the season in about two weeks. Cold weather down there has slowed the harvest from getting started. Perú is projected to continue producing from both regions all of January and the transition to Mexico is expected to start by mid- January, depending on weather and availability.
Grapes – This week, we continue to see tight inventory and high market prices on grapes. With limited arrivals so far on Chilean vessels, along with an expected gap due to storm-damaged ships, most suppliers have limited inventory to cover orders.
Melons – Honeydews and cantaloupes remain plentiful, with imports hitting all entries to the country at once. Pricing is very favorable right now.
Mixed Vegetables – Cold weather in Florida and Mexico have shut down production on peppers, cucumbers, tomatoes and squash. Supplies are extremely tight on many commodities right now and pricing is surging as buyers struggle to find product.
Potatoes – The new year begins with strong supplies of potatoes of all varieties. Idaho continues to deal with a bumper crop of russets and is looking for business. Reds and golds are in abundance in multiple growing regions. Traditionally, potato sales sag in January as not too many New Year’s resolutions involve eating more potatoes.
Strawberries – California has very light supplies on strawberries due to previous rain and cold weather. Central Mexico also has very light supplies due to their cold. Florida has light production and California is seeing weather-related defects. We’re getting ready to roll into Valentine’s Day, the biggest strawberry holiday of the year. Expect pricing to stay strong.
People sometimes say I’m condescending. (That means talking down to people.)
