News and Stories

Avocados

• The seasons in California and Peru have ended; Chilean fruit is now on the market and will ship through February 2018
• The Mexican summer crop has finished and the fall crop is ramping up; size is dominated by 48- and 60-count fruit
• Supplies are predominantly No. 1 grade; No. 2 fruit will be limited at the beginning of the season
• Prices will ease by next week when supplies increase

Broccoli

• Heat in the Salinas Valley and rain in Mexico continue to decrease yields; Expect a demand-exceeds-supply market through the end of the Salinas season
• Markon First Crop (MFC) Broccoli Crowns are sporadic; Markon Best Available (MBA) and packer label are being substituted as necessary
• Commodity and value-added packs may exhibit decreased shelf-life over the next several weeks
• Prices remain elevated; second-tier trigger levels may be met by next week

Cilantro

• Prices are easing, but overall quality remains fair and shelf-life concerns persist
• Ready-Set-Serve Washed & Trimmed Cilantro is sporadic due to erratic quality; packer label will be substituted as needed
• Favorable growing conditions are returning to California’s Ventura County and Salinas growing regions; supplies are increasing
• Rain in Mexico’s Mexicali growing region continues to present quality challenges

Green Leaf, Iceberg, and Romaine

• Supplies are tightening; prices will start climbing next week
• MFC Premium Green Leaf, Iceberg, and Romaine are sporadic; MBA will be substituted as necessary
• This week’s lower temperatures will slow plant growth in the Salinas Valley; high temperatures earlier this month have caused quality problems and reduced yields
• Regionally grown stocks will decline over the next several weeks, shifting demand back to the West Coast  

Green Onions

• The market continues to escalate due to tight supplies
• Prices have reached second-tier contract trigger levels   
• Warmer-than-normal temperatures in Mexico’s Mexicali Valley during late June affected young plants, causing the current dramatic reduction in yields
• Prices are expected to remain elevated through September

Hurricane Maria

• The storm is expected to strengthen as it moves west towards the eastern U.S.
• Much of the southeast vegetable region is reeling from the impact of Hurricane Irma
• Additional rain and high wind speeds could further disrupt production
• Any potential U.S. landfall would take place early next week

Oranges

• MFC and Markon Essentials Valencia Oranges are extremely limited; packer label supplies are being substituted as needed
• Very few 48-, 56-, and 72-count Valencias will remain on the market through mid-October; small sizes will not increase until the California Navel season begins the week of October 16
• The Texas season is getting a slow start; supplies will remain very tight for the next two weeks
• The market is elevated in all regions; current prices for small sizes are reaching all-time highs

Please contact your Markon customer service representative for more information.

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