News and Stories

Over the last 16 days, a series of cold weather systems have caused lettuce ice to develop on Arizona/California desert vegetable crops. Temperatures are returning to seasonal norms this week, but the atypical weather pattern has already slowed growth and caused frost-related defects such as:

• Decreased case weights
• Dehydration
• Epidermal blistering
• Epidermal peeling
• Shortened shelf-life performance
• Yellowing on leaf tips

The abnormally warm winter temperatures had already pushed fields up to two weeks ahead of schedule across the industry. This late season lettuce ice has now decreased yields and tightened stocks. Many suppliers expect a demand-exceeds-supply market through the end of the season. In addition, many of the above-mentioned issues cannot be removed completely by harvesting and processing crews.

Please contact your Markon customer service representative for more information.

Blake Anderson

Quality Assurance

markon.com

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