News and Stories

Bell Peppers:

• Michigan’s summer season is winding down
• Harvesting has started in Georgia and will continue through November before moving to Florida
• West Coast production will shift from California’s San Joaquin Valley and coastal regions to the Coachella Valley in mid-October
• Extremely hot weather, followed by unseasonably cool temperatures tighten supplies and drive up prices by late October
• The market will rise over the next two to three weeks as regional harvests are wrapping up in parts of California and the Northeast

Cucumbers:

• Stocks are becoming more plentiful in Georgia; the Florida season will begin in late October
• Production in mainland Mexico (into Nogales, Arizona, and South Texas) will start over the next week; Baja will be the main source through November
• Poor weather on both coasts is causing quality issues such as scarring and yellow belly
• Expect limited supplies and elevated prices for the next ten days

Holiday Trees:

• Markon holiday trees can be pre-ordered for shipping the week of November 14; a 48- to 72-hour lead-time is recommended
• All trees shipping into Canada must be loaded in Half Moon Bay, California; shipping within the United States will be loaded in Parlier, California
• With a 48-hour lead-time for loading (pending the availability of a transfer truck), trees can be delivered to 4-Earth Farms in Los Angeles, California
• The pre-booking deadline is Friday, October 23

Hot Weather in the Salinas Valley:

• California’s coastal growing regions, including Oxnard, Salinas, and Santa Maria continue to experience unseasonably hot weather conditions
• Quality problems are expected to develop in broccoli, cauliflower, lettuces, strawberries, and tender leaf items
• Expect dehydration, insect pressure, internal burn, and long core/seeders in green leaf, iceberg, and romaine supplies
• Broccoli products are exhibiting brown bead and hollow core
• Cauliflower heads may become less compact
• High temperatures are significantly impacting strawberries: bleeding/bruising, softness, and shorter-than-normal shelf-life are problems

Oranges:

• California Markon First Crop (MFC) and Markon Essentials (ESS) Valencia Oranges are sporadic; packer label is being substituted as needed
• Limited quantities of new crop California Navels are expected to begin shipping the week of October 17
• New crop MFS and ESS Navels will be available starting the week of October 24
• Markon recommends ordering for quick turns and substituting fancy grade fruit for best quality
• Domestic oranges are available in California and Texas; limited supplies of offshore fruit from Australia, Chile, and South Africa are also on the market

Squash:

• Domestic supplies will remain abundant through October; West Coast markets are expected to inch up slightly by mid-October
• The Mexican season has started in a limited manner as Hurricane Newton had little to no impact on new crops
• Quality is excellent
• Production will begin to wrap up in Michigan and North Carolina over the next week; Georgia production is currently underway
• East Coast stocks are adequate causing the market to remain stable as harvesting increases in Georgia

Please contact your Markon customer service representative for more information.

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