Good Afternoon,
2021 is off to the races and as to be expected, some trends from an unforgettable 2020 remain.
ASPARAGUS markets continue to climb into the new year. Lighter inventories and a weak supply out of MEXICO continue to add demand to air flown grass out of Peru. Look for light supply and elevated ASPARAGUS prices for the month of January.
BELL PEPPERS are in short supply due to cooler weather in MEXICO. The GREEN BELL market is holding on to slightly above average price levels thanks to supplies out of FLORIDA, but the other colored bells are not so lucky. RED, YELLOW, and ORANGE BELL PEPPER will be in VERY SHORT SUPPLY for next week.
BROCCOLI and CAULIFLOWER markets are beginning to soften. A slight warming trend in YUMA is helping supplies catch up with demand. Healthy inventories on broccoli and cauliflower look to continue for the month of January... if Mother Nature complies!
Staying out West, LETTUCE and LEAF markets are a bit uneasy. Through the holidays we typically see lighter demand on iceberg and romaine. Now that we have moved onto 2021, here come millions of New Year's resolutions to get fit! Just like the crowded gyms you are used to seeing during the first quarter of the year, expect to see consumers gravitate towards lettuce and leaf with the same level of enthusiasm.
WATERMELON markets have climbed sharply this week due to a mix of poor quality and light supplies out of Mexico. We are another week or two away from seeing better numbers. Please pass along the information to your customers that pricing is high, and quality is average at best on watermelons.
As we anticipated last week, the cold weather caught up to STRAWBERRY supplies. Quality of the fruit is great thanks to the crisp, cool air, but supplies are falling way behind demand. We expect this tight market on strawberries to continue into next week with a possibility of prorates.
More as it happens,
Parker Tannehill