MARKET UPDATE WEEK # 2 - 2020

Good Afternoon,

Another unseasonably cool weekend in Florida led to some drastic changes overnight. GREEN BELL PEPPER became EXTREMELY tight over the weekend, rocketing up about $10 per case. Slow production has continued into this week, leaving the market in a demand exceeds situation.

YELLOW SQUASH and ZUCCHINI have seen similar issues. Cold temps over the weekend slowed production down to a halt. Next week looks to be a bit warmer, so we should see supplies get better on SQUASH, GREEN PEPPER, and other FL veg staples towards the end of the week.

TOMATOES out of FL and Mexico are still struggling. Major production areas out of Mexico were wiped out by December rains and Florida crop has been slow to produce. Hopefully we will see the warmer weather start to turn this market around.

BLUEBERRIES are in a supply surplus. Volumes are healthy and so is the fruit. Quality reports are good out of Chile, Mexico and Peru, making it truly a buyers' market. Blueberries are a great item to put on special next week!

LETTUCE, LEAF, BROCCOLI and CAULIFLOWER are all still in a supply shortage. Cold, wet weather out in the desert is still holding back production and keeping prices high. We should see more labor return from the Holidays and that should help things out slightly. There is little to no rain in the forecast for next week, but we are hoping for some warmth to help these commodities catch up with demand.

Have we mentioned the affects of this cold weather yet? ARUGULA, SPINACH, and other tender leaf items are being harvested in wet conditions which is killing shelf life. On top of that, cold conditions are slowing up growth cycles and furthering the supply shortage.

GRAPE markets are starting to show signs of relief on the east coast. Higher price levels will be maintained for at least another few weeks, but it seems like IMPORT arrivals are improving. California fruit is finished for the season.

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Parker Tannehill