UPDATE: Week of July 18, 2016

California Strawberries

Markon First Crop (MFC) Strawberries are available
Prices are inching up after being relatively flat for the past several weeks
Industry volume is down approximately 20% compared to this time last month due to a decrease in yields
The market is expected to increase for the next several weeks until Santa Maria new crop harvesting begins in late August

Garlic

Garlic supplies remain limited
The late season/storage harvest will take place over the next three weeks and will replenish storage stocks through the summer of 2017
Prices will remain elevated through mid- to late August

Idaho Potatoes

New crop MFC Norkotah Potatoes will be available the week of August 15
Limited quantities of new crop, fresh-run packer label Norkotahs will be on the market next week
Storage crop MFC Burbank Potatoes will be available through mid- to late August

Lemons

MFC and Markon Essentials (ESS) Lemons are available
Prices are steady; domestic and offshore supplies are adequate
The Southern California region is the primary growing area for domestic lemons until new crop Arizona/California Desert harvesting begins in September
Packer label Chilean lemons are available on the East and West Coasts; prices are comparable to/slightly lower than domestic lemons
Mexican fruit will be on the market by mid-August; the market will ease at that time

Melons

Cantaloupe, honeydew, and watermelon supplies are ample in California’s San Joaquin Valley
The Imperial Desert season will end by next week, while California Westside melons reach their peak quality over the next several weeks
Expect prices to ease

Oranges

MFC and ESS Oranges are available
The California Navel season is nearly finished; the California Valencia season is in full swing
Offshore Navels are on the market; prices are higher than those for domestic fruit
Expect prices to continue inching up through the summer, especially the market for small sizes when schools start in August
Prices will not ease until new crop California Navels become available in late October

Salinas Valley Prices

Expect lower prices for many Salinas Valley commodities, including broccoli, cauliflower, green-leaf, iceberg, and salad mix items for the next couple of weeks
Ideal weather, weaker demand, and higher quality have increased supplies

Value-Added Avocados

Ready-Set-Serve (RSS) Avocado items are limited; packer label is being substituted as needed
Due to the current market conditions for commodity avocados, raw product supplies for processing are very limited
Processors are struggling to acquire enough raw product that meets specifications for certain RSS avocado items
Availability will be limited for the next several weeks until raw product stocks increase

Please contact your Markon customer service representative for more information.

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