News and Stories

California and a few other West Coast states are in the grip of a record-breaking heat wave that began Thursday, August 13 and spiked over the weekend.

• Highs in the upper 80s were recorded near coastal areas such as Salinas/Watsonville, Santa Maria, and Ventura County
• Inland valleys reached as high as 100-110 degrees (Soledad and King City)
• Heat-related quality and shelf-life challenges are expected in commodity and value-added items such as broccoli, cilantro, lettuce, strawberries, and tender leaf for the next two to three weeks
• Gradual cooling will occur Tuesday through Thursday, August 18-20, but lingering high pressure is expected to keep temperatures above normal through next week
• In addition to the heat, some tropical storm influence caused a lightning/thunderstorm to move through the Salinas/Monterey area early Sunday that sparked a wildfire on Mount Toro, just southwest of Salinas
  • Over 2,000 acres have burned and several neighborhoods had to evacuate
  • As of last night, the fire was only 10% contained and at least seven homes or structures have been damaged or destroyed (see attached photo)

Markon inspectors will be monitoring conditions and working directly with growers and harvesting crews to select 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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