California Weather – Multiple storms on the west coast have caused flooding and disruption in harvesting. We expect to see over the coming weeks delays and shortages in product availability.
Asparagus – Markets remain subdued with strong volumes crossing the Mexican border. We should see an uptick as we get closer to Easter and the strong demand resulting from Easter Brunches and menus.
Cauliflower – Rain in California growing areas is causing major quality issues for cauliflower. We’re hearing about and seeing a lot of brown discoloration on the curds.
Corn – Florida sweet corn will start with volume toward the end of March. Until then, volume remains light and price remains high. Mexican farmers are sending some across the border, so markets are down a bit.
Melons – Honeydew and cantaloupes demand remains light across the country. Most of the production is currently arriving from Guatemala, Honduras, and Mexico. With sluggish demand, importers are looking to make deals. Quality remains very nice.
Mixed Vegetables – Cold, wet weather in Florida and Mexico have shut down production on peppers, cucumbers, and tomatoes. Supplies are extremely tight on many commodities right now and pricing is surging as buyers struggle to find product.
Lettuce – Iceberg lettuce supplies are limited this week with most growers reporting good supplies of romaine, green leaf, and red leaf. A recent hailstorm, combined with colder than average temperatures over the past two weeks, have impacted iceberg quality and decreased yields. Harvesters are trimming off outer leaves at field level to help keep the pack nice, but weights are lower as a result.
Peppers – We are finally starting to see both Florida and Mexico with decent volume at the same time. We do need to remember that Florida will continue to experience peaks and valleys on yields due to previous weather. For now, we should see steady volume in the next two weeks.
Tomatoes – Continue to yo-yo up and down, but mostly up. Romas are the high value choice, with better volumes keeping markets lower than round tomatoes.
Q: Why did the car have a flat tire? A: There was a fork in the road.
