News and Stories

California Strawberries

• Markon First Crop (MFC) Strawberries are available
• Santa Maria stocks are increasing due to favorable weather; quality is very good
• New crop Salinas/Watsonville volume is low at this time; MFC Strawberries are expected to be available from this region in the next two to three weeks
• Oxnard, California production will finish up over the next several weeks

Cauliflower

• Warm weather continues to promote growth in the Salinas Valley and Santa Maria growing regions
  • Yields are increasing
  • Quality is excellent: color is snowy white
• Expect markets to decrease and availability to improve through the weekend     

Grape Transition
Chile

• Lunch Bunch Grapes will be available through the second week of June
• Markets will continue to increase through this transition

Mexico

• MFC Lunch Bunch Grapes will start shipping from Mexico as the Chilean Lunch Bunch season comes to an end
• Green seedless supplies are expected to begin shipping by the middle of next week on May 19; red seedless stocks will start shipping by the middle of the week on May 26
• Prices will ease once Mexican volume ramps up in mid-June     

Green Leaf, Iceberg, and Romaine

• Demand continues to be moderate at best
  • Supplies far exceed demand
  • Reduced transportation capacity is also limiting produce movement
• Field weights in Salinas, California are ideal for MFC Premium Green Leaf, Iceberg, and Romaine
• Quality is very good: minor growth crack, internal burn, and wind damage are present in some lots
• Expect low prices through May and into early June, at minimum

Idaho Potatoes
Storage Crop

• 40- and 50-count sizes are the most limited
• Suppliers need several days to generate sufficient supplies for large-size potato orders
• 40- to 70-count pricing will continue to strengthen through the remainder of the 2020/2021 season
• Norkotahs will be depleted by the end of next week
• Once Norkotahs are depleted, the Burbank variety will be shipped until new crop, field-run Norkotahs become available in August
• Storage potato quality remains good, however pressure bruising and hollow heart are issues that will persist on occasion (photos attached)
  • Raw storage crop quality will weaken as the season progresses
  • Sheds will need to run more raw product to pack the same number of cartons, reducing available supplies

Onions
California

• MFC Red and Yellow Onions will ship out of the Imperial Valley through early June

New Mexico

• Packer label Mexican onions will be available to ship this week
• A limited quantity of domestic onions are expected to be available the week of May 24
• MFC Red and Yellow Onions will hit the market first week of June

Texas

• The South Texas season for MFC Onions will end next week
• Packer label onions will remain available in Texas into early June; however, quality will be erratic in remaining supplies
• Late-season onions were in an early phase of the growing process during the mid-February freeze

Washington

• Washington MFC Onions will be available through the week of May 28
• Expect diminishing quality in remaining storage shipments
  • Onions will have golden, cured skins, but may be softer than early and mid-season stocks
  • Problems may include occasional internal decay, mold, and multiple centers/hearts

Please contact your Markon customer service representative for more information.
 
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