News and Stories
Update: Strawberries
February 20, 2017
A massive storm hit California’s primary growing regions this past weekend bringing four to five inches of rain to Oxnard and two to three inches to Santa Maria. Most growers have cancelled harvests due to flooded fields; availability will be extremely limited this week. Markon recommends loading out of Florida or South Texas for best coverage and quality.
- Markon First Crop Strawberries are not available; packer label is being substituted
- Post-rain quality and low yields are major concerns in California growing regions due to canceled harvests and rain-damaged fruit
- Bruising, decay, water damage, wind scarring, and white shoulders are persistent problems
- Mexican berries (loading in South Texas) are limited as the season wraps up; many stocks are being kept in Mexico due to quality issues
- Florida production is down this week due to rain over the weekend; demand is expected to increase this week due to the Florida Strawberry Festival
- Expect extremely limited stocks throughout the industry through early next week
- The overall market is steady; California prices remain the highest
Please contact your Markon customer service representative for more information.
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