News and Stories

California cabbage yields are down due to extreme heat and insect pressure, pushing demand to Colorado, Michigan, and the East Coast; prices are expected to remain elevated for the next three to four weeks. Last week’s high temperatures in the Salinas and Santa Maria growing regions have pushed up iceberg lettuce prices; carton yields and weights are low. The market is expected to remain elevated for the next several weeks.

Cabbage

• Low yields and fewer acres planted are tightening supplies in all growing regions including California, Colorado, Mexico, Michigan, and New York
• Cabbage prices are elevated, especially on the West Coast
• California yields are down due to extreme heat and insect pressure; East Coast yields are lower than normal because several days of rain have caused quality issues
• Jumbo-size cabbage supplies are limited in all regions; growers are harvesting earlier than normal to fill orders
• Expect elevated markets and limited supplies for the next three to four weeks until production transitions to new growing regions

Iceberg Lettuce Prices

• Last week’s extremely high temperatures are significantly reducing yields and carton weights
• The iceberg lettuce market continues to escalate
• Markon First Crop (MFC) Premium Iceberg is limited; Markon Best Available will be substituted as needed
• Ready-Set-Serve (RSS) salad blends containing iceberg could reach second-level triggers early next week; first-tier triggers for RSS iceberg items were put in effect Wednesday, September 16
• The market will remain elevated over the next several weeks

Oranges

• The California Valencia season is ending; available supplies continue to decline weekly
• Texas new crop early orange and Navel harvesting has begun, but supplies are limited
• Prices will continue to increase through the next several weeks
• MFC and Markon Essentials Oranges are limited; packer label is being substituted
• Texas new crop supplies are expected to increase by September 25; California’s new crop Navel season will begin in the next three to four weeks

Tomatoes

• Domestic and Mexican growing regions will start to transition over the next month
• Prices are rising
• Mexican harvests will continue in Baja, Mexico, while early Romas and other varieties will start arriving from mainland Mexico in late October
• The California season will run for another four to six weeks before moving to the East Coast for the winter

Please contact your Markon customer service representative for more information.

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