UPDATE SUMMARY: WEEK OF APRIL 15, 2021

Bell Peppers
Green Bells

Red Bells

Mexico is the primary growing region; the Sinaloa harvest will continue until late May
Expect low prices this week
Quality is very good

Broccoli and Cauliflower

Expect weak prices and plentiful stocks through the next two weeks
The harvesting transition from the desert growing region to Santa Maria and Salinas Valley, California is complete
Mexican-grown broccoli (crossing into South Texas) is ample
Improved growing conditions have increased head size
Overall quality is very good

California Strawberries
Oxnard/Santa Maria, California

Demand has increased as the Florida and Mexican seasons are ending
Weather forecasts call for low evening/morning temperatures (in the 30◦-40◦ F range); daytime temperatures are forecast to be in the low to mid-60◦ range
Quality is good, but cooler weather continues to slow the ripening process

Cucumbers
Mexico

Florida

Lettuce & Leafy Greens
Huron, California

Commodity iceberg and romaine supplies are available, but the season is wrapping up by the end of this week
Supplies have exhibited excellent quality; case weights have been high

Salinas Valley

Markon First Crop (MFC) Premium Green Leaf, Iceberg, and Romaine packs are available in Salinas
Lettuce case weights started out very low last week; maturity is 5-10 days behind schedule
Warmer weather is promoting growth and increasing case weights
Quality is very good

Mixed Berries
Blueberries

The primary growing region of Central Mexico is past its peak; stocks are diminishing
New crop harvesting is expected to start in Georgia and Southern California by the end of this month
Prices will remain elevated until Georgia, Southern California, and Florida ramp up in early May

Raspberries

The Central Mexico, Baja, and Oxnard growing regions are rebounding later than usual this year due to the recent cool weather
Stocks are beginning to climb as harvesting ramps up in Central Mexico/Baja
Pricing will begin to decrease slowly as Central Mexico/Baja production increases

Blackberries

Central Mexico is the primary growing region
Supplies are slowly increasing; markets will gradually decline over the next 10 to 14 days

Onions
Idaho, Oregon, and Washington

MFC Red and Yellow Onions from Idaho, Oregon, and Washington will ship through early May
White onions are nearly depleted; stocks will be extremely sporadic as the season concludes
Expect diminishing quality in storage shipments as the season begins to wrap up

Texas

Supplies are expected to be available through early May
Onions have feathery skins and light color/exterior skins compared to Northwest storage onions

California

Like Texas-grown onions, California fresh-run onions will have feathery skins and light color/exterior
MFC Onions will start shipping the week of April 26

Ready-Set-Serve (RSS) Peeled Garlic

California-grown RSS Peeled Garlic will be extremely limited over the next 10 weeks; packer label peeled garlic from Argentina and Mexico will be substituted as needed
The main difference between each region is the flavor profile:
- California-grown RSS Peeled Garlic tends to have pungent flavor with high oil content; this is due to land rotation (growers not planting on the same soil every year)
- Growers in Argentina and Mexico rotate crops, but not as often; this weakens pungency and lowers oil content
- Chinese farmers do not employ crop rotation; planting the same ground year after year causes the garlic to be the least pungent with the lowest oil content
The current peeled domestic and Argentine garlic markets are elevated, and will continue rising in the weeks to come due to limited supply and increased foodservice demand
Peeled Chinese garlic prices are lower; however, they will rise due to the overall elevated market
Expect high prices for the next three months until California new crop supplies become available in late June/early July

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