News and Stories

Bell pepper, cucumber, and squash prices are rising. Cooler temperatures in the Southern Florida growing region are slowing growth; as result, supplies are limited. East Coast cucumber production will wind down over the next two weeks, while offshore volume ramps up in Central American and Mexico’s Yucatan peninsula. Mexican bell peppers and cucumbers are sufficient, but strong demand will push up markets. Mexican-grown squash will transition south to Sinaloa over the next 10 days; stocks will be extremely tight over the next two weeks.

Bell Peppers

• Markon First Crop (MFC) Bell Peppers are available from Florida and Mexico (into Nogales, Arizona and South Texas)
• Cool temperatures are slowing production in Florida
• Jumbo and extra-large sizes are limited
• Medium-size peppers will dominate stocks
• Mexican green bell pepper supplies (into Arizona and Texas) are sufficient
• Quality is excellent
• Strong demand will push up prices over the next two weeks
• Mexican red bell pepper supplies are ample; the market is steady at low levels

Cucumbers

• MFC Cucumbers are available from Florida and Mexico (into Nogales and South Texas)
• Mexican quality is excellent; flavor is refreshing, shape is uniform, and color is dark green
• Florida quality is good; cooler weather will cause lighter color and inconsistent size
• East Coast supplies are tight as production transitions to offshore regions
• Expect prices to rise over the next two weeks as demand shifts to Mexican stocks

Squash

• MFC Squash is sporadic in Florida
• Both green zucchini and yellow squash supplies are extremely limited
• Sustained low prices have forced growers to limit harvesting
• Cool temperatures have slowed growth in new crop Florida fields, significantly reducing East Coast stocks; quality issues include bruising, decay, scarring, and wind damage
• Production in mainland Mexico is transitioning south to the Sinaloa growing region
• Supplies will be limited as fields ramp up
• Quality is good: problems include minimal scarring and occasional weak tip
• Expect elevated markets over the next two weeks

Please contact your Markon customer service representative for more information.