News and Stories

Bell Peppers

• East Coast volume is below normal
  • The Michigan season is starting to wind down
  • North Carolina plays an important role in bridging the gap between the Michigan and Georgia harvests; due to rain and cool weather last month, North Carolina volume is down
  • Georgia production will begin the first week of October, followed by harvests in Florida by early November
• West Coast supplies are tightening
  • East Coast demand is shifting out west this week; prices are rising
  • Crops will transition to the Southern California desert region in mid-October
  • Harvesting will begin in Western Mexico by late October/early November
• Red bell pepper prices are steady; expect adequate California stocks for the foreseeable future

Oranges

• Markon First Crop (MFC) and Markon Essentials Valencia Oranges are available
• Small-size fruit (113- and 138-count oranges) are tightening
• Offshore oranges are available from Australia, Chile, Morocco, South Africa, and Uruguay and can be substituted for Valencia orders
• Imported citrus dominates fancy grade and 88-count and larger supplies
• The Texas Early Orange season will start in early October; size will be dominated by 72- and 88-count fruit
• Domestic Navels are will start shipping in late October

Potatoes
New Crop Norkotahs

• Yields are excellent due to ideal growing conditions
• Norkotah quality is very good: minor skinning and excess moisture may be observed in fresh-run potatoes
• New crop potatoes have not gone through the sweat process yet
  • Potatoes may release moisture as they cool, causing very light, white surface residue that can be easily brushed off
  • The white residue will dissipate as potatoes dry and does not pose any quality problems

New Crop Burbanks

• New crop Burbank harvesting will begin in late September/early October
• MFC Burbank Potatoes will be packed once they move through their sweat process, approximately late October/early November

Strawberries

• MFC Strawberries are available out of both Salinas/Watsonville and Santa Maria, California
• Fruit size will be smaller-than-normal for the next 10 to 14 days
• Quality concerns to keep an eye on include: bleeding, bruising, pin rot, small size, softness, and reduced shelf-life

Please contact your Markon customer service representative for more information.

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