News and Stories

The Arizona/California desert growing region has experienced sporadic lettuce ice in colder areas over the last few days, but this morning is the first widespread lettuce ice event of winter season. Harvesting and loading delays are expected as harvesting crews for lettuce, tender leaf, and other row crop items must wait 2-4 hours for crops to thaw sufficiently before starting.

More lettuce ice is forecast for the rest of the week, along with cooler daytime highs and strong, gusty winds approaching 35 mph on Friday and Saturday, December 2 and 3. The combination of colder temperatures with lettuce ice in the mornings and strong winds late this week will most certainly have an effect on upcoming desert row crop items in the coming days and weeks. Markon inspectors anticipate seeing quality and supply issues in lettuce and tender leaf items throughout the industry that include, but are not limited to:

• Decreased case weights in commodity lettuce items
• Dehydration
• Epidermal blister
• Epidermal peel
• Slowed plant growth
• Tightening supplies
• Yellowing or dull appearance

Markon inspectors are monitoring field conditions as well as quality and supply outlook, and will continue to update as needed.

Please contact your Markon customer service representative for more information.

John Galvez

Quality Assurance

markon.com

©2016 Markon Cooperative, Inc. All rights reserved.