MARKET UPDATE WEEK # 36 - 2020
Good Afternoon,
The major fires out in California have been mostly contained. The two largest fires, the Salinas River Fire and the Carmel Fire, are at over 50% containment, which is great news for our friends on the West Coast. Growing regions for BROCCOLI, LETTUCE, ROMAINE, and many more commodities have been affected. We will see ASH and fire residue on product, mostly BROCCOLI and ROMAINE, for the next week at least. It is of the utmost importance that you WASH YOUR FRUITS AND VEGGIES! This should be a continuous habit but with ash and residue from the fires in the fields, we ask that you please take this into consideration and inform your customers as well.
As one natural disaster ends, another takes its place. Very 2020. Hurricane Laura ripped through the Texas-Louisiana border, bringing 150-mph sustained winds and a storm surge expected to tower over 15 feet. Hurricane Laura is the largest storm to hit this area in over 100 years. The damage has yet to be seen, as the storm is still in Louisiana and moving North East. If the storm turns through TENNESSEE, we may see flooding and heavy rains in TOMATO and EASTERN VEG growing areas. FREIGHT RATES remain high and that will continue with many drivers staying out on the West Coast to avoid the storm.
QUALITY of BROCCOLI, LETTUCE, and LEAF, items are still struggling due to the heat waves of the last several weeks.
PLANTAINS are VERY difficult to obtain right now. We touched on this issue last week and it seems that supplies will remain light for another few weeks. Shippers are prorating orders based on weekly averages and flat out cutting orders to try and spread thin supplies. We need orders as early as possible to have any chance at covering.
STRAWBERRIES have seen incredibly hot weather, affecting the quality of the fruit for the last few weeks. We are still bringing in fresh DRISCOLL EXPORT berries, but the high temperatures will make the fruit a bit softer and cause it to bruise more easily.
BLUEBERRY supplies out of British Columbia and the Pacific North West are starting to decrease. We are expecting a slow but steady drop in availability and hike in price over the next few weeks.
TOMATO quality has been very hit or miss the last few weeks. Shippers have been picking ahead to beat out the rain, leaving much of the vine ripe tomatoes green or underripe. There are talks of growers fearing the possibility of heavy rain from Hurricane Laura, but that has yet to be seen.
ANJOU PEARS are done for the season. We stretched season out as long as we could, but unfortunately the supplies have run out. Next week, we will have 70ct BARTLETT and 120ct BARTLETT pears in place of the D’ANJOU variety.
More as it happens,
Parker Tannehill