News and Stories

Row crop vegetable quality and yields from California’s Salinas Valley have experienced some significant heat spikes and humid conditions combined with the longer summer days, which is resulting in an overall decline in quality and shelf life for some items.

For the most part, we have been able to meet Markon First Crop specifications for commodity lettuce items, but some lots have required extra trimming to remove defects such as mildew, which has impacted case weights. Other lots have had internal burn issues that harvesting crews cannot detect and avoid, causing us to occasionally substitute Markon Best Available Brand (see attached photos).

The weather forecast for next week calls for high pressure that will cause inland areas to receive temperatures in the mid-80s to 100. As always, maintaining the cold chain throughout distribution is critical for maximizing quality and shelf life of perishable produce items. Markon inspectors will continue to monitor quality and will update further as needed.

Please contact your Markon customer service representative for more information.
 
©2021 Markon Cooperative, Inc. All rights reserved.