MARKET UPDATE MAY 17-21, 2021

Good Afternoon,

After a few active weeks, CAULIFLOWER markets have finally returned to normal price levels. Supplies have completely recovered so we expect competitive pricing and good quality on CAULIFLOWER for several weeks to come.

Florida CELERY is tapped! We are now finished with LETTUCE, ROMAINE, and CELERY here in the South East. All markets are relatively stable, but freight costs are pushing prices higher.

FREIGHT costs continue to go up. Thanks to a short supply of drivers, price increases we are used to seeing in late June have already hit in early May. To make matters worse, the ransom hack on the Colonial Pipeline is now boosting gas prices in the South East United States. We expect freight costs to remain relatively expensive through June, as GRAPES and STONEFRUIT out of California become more readily available.

GRAPES have been a struggle out of Chile this year, but we have been aware of the trouble and warning anyone we can through this market update for over two months now. Heavy rain in the mid/early season plagued crops but the damage was not completely evident until the last few weeks. The good news is, we should be able to put Chilean grapes behind us as we expect RED and GREEN GRAPES out of Mexico and California to be ready for harvest within the next few weeks.

We are bringing in California CHERRIES, PEACHES, NECTARINES, and APRICOTS next week!

We have gotten word that the last of the CANTALOUPES and HONEYDEWS have arrived here in South Florida. There should be enough supply to carry us for the next week or two while we await new crop melons out of Mexico, Arizona, and finally California.

TOMATOES are trending in the same direction as we mentioned last week. Supplies have moved into the Palmetto Ruskin growing region as the product transitions north through Florida and eventually, into Georgia.

More as it happens,

Parker Tannehill