MARKET UPDATE APRIL 06, 2023

Good afternoon,

APPLE supplies are steady on most varieties. We are still seeing a shortage on LARGE GALA apples and on large sizes of other varieties but for the most part, there is not much market activity to speak of. While many other items are looking to gap through transition, APPLES are one item we can count on good stock and good quality.

ASPARAGUS ads for easter will wrap up this week and that.s one of the reasons we expect to see a drop off in demand after Sunday. Peruvian supplies have been light the last few weeks while growers shift production areas, but we have been able to supplement this dry spell with Mexican asparagus. Both PERU and MEXICO should see increased supplies in the coming weeks, that increase paired with a drop off in demand should equal more favorable pricing on ASPARAGUS soon.

STRAWBERRIES have reached some of the worst weeks of the year in our humble opinion. Mexico and Florida STRAWBERRIES are finished, and California supplies are off to a slow start, leaving markets in disarray. There will be shortages and quality issues for the next few weeks as the new growing areas settle into form. Expect prorates and look elsewhere on fruit if possible.

BROCCOLI supplies are becoming non-existent, quickly. YUMA production is finishing up this week and Salinas BROCCOLI is not ready for harvest for another week or so. There is some coverage coming out of Mexico but not nearly enough to supplement the domestic shortage. The next few weeks we will see nearly NON-EXISTENT supplies as this supply gap forms.

We have been mentioning this TRANSITION from YUMA to SALINAS for several weeks to keep everyone informed and prepared for the issues it will bring. LETTUCE, ROMAINE, and CAULIFLOWER are in the same position as BROCCOLI, and reasonable relief is several weeks away. The weather events in Salinas California led to severe flooding of the Salinas River, and now we are seeing the damaging effects of that weather pattern.

A possible bright spot for California veg may be the warmer weather expected next week. If we can manage a few weeks of warmer temps with little to no rain, we may see a reasonable turnaround of these dramatic market changes that are beginning this week.

More as it happens,

Parker Tannehill