MARKET UPDATE JULY 12-17, 2021

Good afternoon,

Although the heatwave on the West coast has past, certain crops are just starting to see the residual effects; STONE FRUIT supplies are weakening due to the extreme heat, BROCCOLI buds have seen some discoloration, and California ORANGES and LEMONS are seeing significant losses to harvest. Some Washington shippers are even HARVESTING CHERRIES at NIGHT. That is one way to avoid the sun!

CANTALOUPE and HONEYDEW supplies are picking up in California. More shippers are harvesting fruit, leading to better supply and lower prices. MELONS do well in warmer temperatures so we should see steady production and favorable quality for the next few weeks.

We are almost fully into MICHIGAN veg on the east coast! If the quality we have seen the last week and a half is any indication, this looks to be one of the better seasons we have had in recent memory. We are still about a week out from significant supplies of GREEN PEPPER in Michigan, so GREEN BELL markets may be a little shaky in the coming weeks. Aside from that, quality looks great on CUCUMBERS, EGGPLANT, and SQUASH!

TOMATO prices are going to be up slightly this week. With all the rain and weather we are seeing in growing regions, it's best to search for quality over price in this market.

CALIFORNIA ORANGES are transitioning from NAVELS to VALENCIAS. With so much exposure to heat in the late growing stages, the new crop valencias have been off to a troubled start. Smaller sizes will remain tighter than larger sizes, like the NAVEL crop of the last several months.

ASPARGUS markets have softened this week. While supplies remain snug on larger sizes, demand has weakened. Markets should continue this trend for the next few weeks.

We have reached the last month of this year's Washington APPLE CROP. While one shipper may be out of one size or variety, another may be out of something completely different. The hustle to get all sizes and varieties covered is demanding on the trucks and drivers we have picking up orders. This is a short term trend, but pricing is moving higher on a few sizes and varieties that most shippers are sold out on. New crop will start in mid august with strong supplies available in early September.

More as it happens,

Parker Tannehill