News and Stories

California’s coastal regions of Salinas/Watsonville, Santa Maria, and Ventura County will receive abnormally high temperatures starting today, Thursday, August 13 and continuing through early next week. Coastal high temperatures will reach into the low to mid-80s with lows only in the low 60s. Inland valley temperatures will increase to the mid-90s, with the hottest inland valleys reaching as high as 110 degrees by Sunday.

Growers will be implementing heat mitigation measures, such as starting daily harvests much earlier to avoid peak temperatures, staggering crews to avoid bottlenecks at cooling points, and adjusting irrigation schedules to keep product hydrated. These measures will help, but this prolonged heat will cause quality and shelf-life challenges in lettuce, tender leaf, cilantro, strawberries, and other row crop vegetables.

Markon inspectors will be monitoring conditions and working directly with growers and harvesting crews on selecting the best product for our commodity and value-added packs.

Cold chain management will be especially critical through the entire supply chain for maximizing quality and shelf-life. Ordering for quick turns is recommended.

Please contact your Markon customer service representative for more information.
 
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