News and Stories

Strawberry growers continue to face weather challenges in all regions. Supplies remain extremely limited for Valentine’s Day; demand exceeds supply in all areas. Availability is not expected to return to normal until the week of February 15 or 22, pending weather. Markon’s Valentine’s Day promotional pricing will begin Monday, February 1 and continue through Friday, February 12.

Southern California

• Markon Best Available (MBA) Strawberries are very tight; packer label 8/1-pound packs are being substituted
• A limited supply of long stem strawberries are available; counts are averaging 12-16 berries per clamshell
• Approximately .75” to 1.25” of rain is forecast for this weekend which will further decrease supplies; harvesting schedules will be cut short next week
• Following the rain, quality issues will become more prevalent:
• Bleeding, bruising, decay, scarring, and water damage
• Inconsistent color and white shoulders
• Erratic size; counts are currently averaging 20 to 26 berries per 1-pound clamshell, with some packs as low as 17
• Strong demand is keeping the market elevated
• Supplies will remain extremely limited through Valentine’s Day

Mexico (into South Texas)

• A limited supply of MBA Strawberries are available in 2/4-pound packs; packer label 8/1-pound packs are being substituted when needed
• A limited supply of long stem strawberries are available; most clamshells contain 14-16 berries on average
• Low temperatures have decreased yields, but overall quality remains very good
• Color is dark red with a nice sheen
• Counts are averaging 20 to 26 berries per 1-pound clamshell
• Texture is firm
• Strong demand from other growing areas is pushing up the market
• Supplies will remain limited through Valentine’s Day

Florida

• Heavy rain over the past few days has halted harvests; supplies are extremely limited this week
• The rain has caused another wave of quality issues that will need to be culled over the next few days
• Overall stocks are down significantly compared to last season; cool weather in January has slowed growth
• Supplies are not expected to increase until after Valentine’s Day
• A very limited supply of long stem strawberries is available; counts are averaging 16 to 20 berries per clamshell
• Strong demand is keeping the market elevated; prices are high

Please contact your Markon customer service representative for more information.

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