MARKET UPDATE WEEK # 42

Good Afternoon,

We are seven days from Halloween and with that, we are seeing unseasonably warm temperatures out west. The fall decorations and upcoming holidays tell us we are nearing the end of the Northern California season on lettuce, leaf, and a stable of commodities.

Late crops out of Northern California have seen better days but have been lucky enough to receive some cooler weather the past few weeks. Unfortunately, temperatures are on the rise for the next week or so. Warm temps towards the start of transition could mean a bit of a slump in quality, as well as some active markets. CALIFORNIA VEG will begin to wrap up over the next two to three weeks as shippers begin harvests in YUMA, ARIZONA. As of today, BROCCOLI and CAULIFLOWER supplies are going to be in question. LETTUCE and LEAF are looking slightly better, but in any transition, it will be incredibly tough to match up the end of one season to the start of another.

BLACKBERRIES are primarily out of Mexico and are in decent to short supply. Guatemala is another producer of blackberries this time of year and has seen plenty of weather trouble over the past month-

BLUEBERRIES are coming out of Mexico, Chile, and Argentina. The wide range of supplies has yet to bring the market down, but we should start seeing some better volumes soon-

RASPBERRIES are somewhat steady out of MEXICO and CALIFORNIA. Recent heat may lead to some shortages.

STRAWBERRIES are also in steady supply. However, just like raspberries, the cool weather that has held these markets together is about to run out. Warmer temps may or may not lead to quality issues, the affects have yet to be determined. On the brighter side of things, FLORIDA STRAWBERRIES are about two to three weeks out. Weather will play a big factor in if the fruit is suitable for export or not, but we will start seeing some harvests at some point in November!

SNOWS, SNAPS, and BABY SQUASH out of Guatemala are still hard to come by. Poor weather in Guatemala is causing the shortage as growers weed through damaged products.

GRAPES have had a strong season out of CA this year. We are starting to see GREEN SEEDLESS waiver slightly, which might be a sign of a downward supply trend for ALL GRAPES. Keep an eye on grape prices over the next month.

CANTALOUPES and HONEYDEWS are TIGHT-TIGHT-TIGHT next week! HONEYDEWS are in a better position than CANTALOUPES, but the gap should close soon. Some shippers may roll over older product and hold their prices, but don't let that fool you, the market is going up. We are approaching the last week for California melons and Arizona is off to a slow start. Import Melons look to begin November 15th.

More as it happens,
Parker Tannehill