News and Stories

A warming trend is forecast for the Salinas/Watsonville and Santa Maria, California growing regions over the next 7 to 10 days. Temperatures will reach the upper 70s to low 80s in Salinas/Watsonville and high 80s to low 90s in Santa Maria. Expect to see a decrease in quality and shelf-life due to the warmer weather.

• Markon First Crop Strawberries are available in Salinas/Watsonville and Santa Maria, California
• Quality is currently good, but expected to decrease due to next week’s warming trend
• Salinas/Watsonville’s current crop and Santa Maria’s new crop quality is comparable
• Both areas are reporting similar amounts of arrival issues
• The primary variety in Santa Maria has not been performing as well as growers would have predicted
• Markon is closely monitoring quality between both areas to determine when to move orders south to Santa Maria
• High temperatures will ripen berries quicker and contribute to softer texture and smaller size
• Expect an increase in quality issues on arrival such as bleeding, bruising, and mold as a result of softer texture
• Expect a shorter-than-normal shelf-life as the end of the Salinas/Watsonville growing season approaches
• Markon recommends ordering for quick turns
• Prices are low and supplies are ample in both regions

Please contact your Markon customer service representative for more information.

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