News and Stories

The long-term effects of California’s record drought are beginning to impact this year’s lemon crop, affecting size, yield, and shelf-life; current supplies are dominated by small-size fruit. The dry onion market is active due to harvesting transitions between growing regions; expect prices to remain elevated through mid-June. Cauliflower supplies are slowly increasing, while demand is weakening.

Idaho Potatoes

• Large Idaho Burbank and Norkotah potatoes (40- through 70-count supplies) remain limited; small sizes (80- through 100-count potatoes) are ample
• While the market has stabilized for now, prices for large-size potatoes will rise during the last couple months of the storage crop season (June and July); prices for small sizes should remain steady
• No major quality issues or concerns have been reported; pressure and/or shoulder bruising are the results of pressure at points of contact with adjacent potatoes or the floor, while potatoes sit in storage sheds
• New crop harvesting of fresh-run potato shipments will begin in late July; storage crop harvests will start in September and run through most of October

Lemons

• The lack of natural rain water in California is impacting size (smaller), yields (lower), and the overall shelf-life of citrus; current supplies are dominated by 165-count and smaller fruit
• Prices continue to rise
• Markon First Crop (MFC) Lemons are available; quality is very good
• Expect prices to climb through mid-summer; demand will exceed supply for 140-count and larger sizes

Onions

• Because the Northwest season is ending and the Texas harvest yielded low volume, demand will be focused in California and New Mexico; packer label storage stocks from the Northwestern regions will not be on the market after this week
• MFC Onions are available in California; MFC Onions from New Mexico will be on the market next week
• Expect prices to remain elevated until mid-June when stocks reach volume levels in the new crop regions

RSS Cauliflower

• Supplies are slowly increasing; high prices are slowing demand
• Quality is very good
• Expect prices to continue easing next week

RSS Green Leaf

• Supplies are increasing; prices are inching down
• Quality is excellent; yields are adequate 
• Expect prices to continue easing next week

Please contact your Markon customer service representative for more information.

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