News and Stories

Markon First Crop (MFC) Strawberries are not available; Markon Best Available is being substituted. Prices have eased this week due to weaker demand; quality is improving, but certain issues persist. Limited quantities of Santa Maria new crop strawberries are on the market.

Salinas/Watsonville

• Prices are easing; demand is weakening
• Overall supplies are ample
• Abnormally warm temperatures have limited the amount of high-quality fruit on the market
• Texture is fairly-firm
• Bruising, mildew, overripe berries, and soft texture are industrywide issues
• Plants are stressed as they approach the end of their production cycle
• Berry size is medium to medium-plus
• Counts average 20-25 berries per 1-pound clamshell
• Stemmed strawberries are limited
• The season is expected to continue through October

Santa Maria

• Limited quantities of new crop MFC Strawberries are available
• Prices are higher than those for Salinas/Watsonville fruit
• Supply levels are slowly ramping up
• Plants are small; yields are low
• Many suppliers have limited harvesting schedules
• Quality is good (slightly better than Salinas/Watsonville)
• Texture is mostly firm
• Cat face, creasing, inconsistent color and size, and white shoulders are issues
• Berry size is medium to medium-plus
• Counts average 19-23 berries per 1-pound clamshell
• Stemmed strawberries are extremely limited
• Expect adequate supplies by mid-September

As always, maintaining the cold chain will be critical for maximizing shelf-life. Markon recommends ordering for quick turns.

Please contact your Markon customer service representative for more information.

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