Good afternoon,
Availability on APPLES and PEARS is trending lower. Severe snowstorms in both WASHINGTON and MICHIGAN have made it more difficult to pack up fruit, leading to price increases on most varieties, especially GALAS and REDS. FREIGHT costs remain elevated and look to stay that way for at least another few weeks.
CHERRY FRUIT is in good supply. Although shipping and labor issues have mostly eliminated availability on clamshell cherries, conventional retail bags remain an excellent option.
NECTARINES and PEACHES are available and in good supply. Quality has improved and arrivals have increased. PLUMS are not expected to be available for another week to ten days.
CARROT availability is light. Canadian storage crops have kept this market hanging on, but we are now seeing the issues shift over to value-added snack packs. Labor and COVID concerns are slowing down packing while demand is on the rise as kids return to school. 30/1 CARROTS and other value-added packs are seeing the most significant impact.
LIMES remain in extremely short supply. A brief lull in demand has eased the pressure for this week, but supplies are not expected to increase any time soon. After a week of lighter demand, we expect markets to climb again in February.
GRAPE markets remain unchanged this week. Quality is in good condition, but availability is nearly non-existent.
LETTUCE and LEAF products continue to see light demand. With strong availability and weak demand, market pricing is in a prime position for buyers of leafy greens.
BROCCOLI and CAULIFLOWER supplies remain weak due to the cold weather. Conditions look ideal in YUMA for the next 10 days, so we should see some improvement on these two markets sooner rather than later.
More as it happens,
Parker Tannehill