News and Stories

Over the past three weeks, the Arizona/California desert growing region has experienced record rainfall, followed by warm, humid conditions. Lettuce crops in the area were maintaining strong quality and yields up until a few days ago when a widespread spike in mildew pressure began to affect iceberg lettuce and other crops.

Harvesting and processing crews have been aggressively trimming down heads to detect and avoid as much mildew damage as possible. Case weights and color have been impacted as a result, and although most of the damage is being removed, some commodity and value-added packs may contain mildew damage that can cause reduced shelf life (see photos).

Current forecasts are calling for cooler temperatures with a slight chance for lettuce ice today and tomorrow, February 19, followed by another warming trend with highs in the low 80°s starting this weekend and continuing into next week. Markon inspectors are monitoring conditions and will update further as needed.

Please contact your Markon customer service representative for more information.
 
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