News and Stories

Asparagus

• Markon First Crop (MFC) Asparagus will be available from Mexico through mid-April
• The Mexican season is wrapping up early due to warmer-than-usual growing conditions
• Limited packer label shipments have started out of California; expect MFC Asparagus from California to hit the market in mid-April
• Prices are forecast to rise due to strong Easter demand, the Mexican season winding down, low Peruvian yields, and fewer California plantings

Grapes

• MFC Lunch Bunch Grapes are available in 21-pound portion packs from Chile through early May
• Stocks are beginning to tighten due to fewer shipments from Chile as the season winds down
• As harvesting ends in Chile, supplies will be shipped from storage; prices will rise
• New crop Mexican red seedless fruit will hit the market in early May

Green Leaf, Iceberg, and Romaine Supplies

• MFC Premium Green Leaf, Iceberg, and Romaine Lettuces are sporadic; Markon Best Available is being substituted due to low weights and quality
• Supplies will tighten and prices will escalate next week; warm weather for much of the Yuma season has pushed harvesting ahead of schedule
• Value-added green leaf and romaine stocks will be especially tight; processors are holding customers to averages
• Markon recommends members monitor sales to ensure key customers are covered

Melons

• Offshore melon growers, in Guatemala and Honduras, will transition into spring production areas over the next two weeks
• Strong demand leading up to the Easter holiday will push both markets higher over the next 10 to 14 days
• Quality is very good: cantaloupe sugar levels range from 10 to 12 Brix, while honeydew are 9 to 11 Brix
• Domestic melon harvesting will begin in the Arizona/California desert region in May; MFC Cantaloupe and Honeydew Melons will be available the week of May 8

Severe Weather in Southeastern U.S.

• A series of storms will move through the southeastern states of Georgia and Tennessee over the next four days
• Bell pepper, cucumber, and squash production will transition to Georgia by early May
• Plants in these regions are currently in the early planting/growth stages; thunderstorms and winds will affect plant maturity and crop yields once harvested in May
• Freezing temperatures earlier this month, followed by severe weather could delay initial start dates in the region

Spring 2017 Harvesting Transition

• The spring harvesting transition from Yuma, Arizona to Huron, California is underway
• Markon anticipates the Yuma season to wrap up by the end of March/early April
• Limited production will begin in the Salinas Valley the week of April 3
• For the next four to six weeks, broccoli, cauliflower, celery, lettuce, and leafy green prices will remain volatile due to erratic weather conditions over the past several months

Tomatoes

• Florida harvests will transition from Immokalee to Ruskin/Palmetto over the next two weeks
  • Extra-large and large sizes will be limited as the current season winds down
  • Ideal weather is forecast in the Florida growing regions; quality is very good
• The seasons for Mexican Roma, round, and grape tomatoes will wind down in Culiacan over the next three to four weeks
• Production will transition to Sonora and Baja, followed by Indio, California in mid-May
• Roma quality is strong; vine ripe and grape tomatoes will have softer texture and reduced shelf-life
• Tomato prices will increase over the next two weeks while growers transition from winter to spring production in Florida and Mexico

Please contact your Markon customer service representative for more information.

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