News and Stories

Hot weather over the last several weeks in the Arizona/California desert is causing heat-related quality issues in lettuce items as well as an increase in insect pressure in Mexican-grown kale. Ready-Set-Serve (RSS) Washed & Trimmed Green Kale and RSS Flowering Kale are temporarily unavailable; packer label is being substituted. Strawberry prices are low in Florida and Mexico, but quality is merely fair. Quality is best in California, but prices are higher  

Insect Pressure In Mexican-Grown Kale

• Hot weather in the Mexicali Valley growing regions over the last three weeks has caused high insect/aphid pressure
• Despite insect problems, supplies remain abundant
• Markon’s supplier is taking measures at the field and processing levels to minimize as many aphids as possible, but not all can be removed entirely
• Packer label is being substituted for approximately two weeks, pending weather
• Markon recommends that operators rinse the product thoroughly before using while packer label is being shipped

Heat-related Quality Issues in Lettuce Items

• Unseasonably warm temperatures and strong winds in the Arizona/California desert region are causing various quality problems in green leaf, iceberg, and romaine packs including decay, dehydration, growth cracking, insect pressure, mildew pressure, rib blight, and sun burn
• Despite these issues, supplies remain abundant
• Hot weather will persist for the rest of the desert season (late March/early April); ordering for quick turns and maintaining the cold chain to maximize shelf-life are recommended

Strawberries

• Growers are harvesting strawberries in California, Florida, and Mexico
• Prices are low in Florida and Mexico, but the best quality is in California
• The market is $5.00-$8.00 higher in California than in Florida and Mexico 
• Expect steady to slightly lower markets in California and slightly higher in Florida due to quality issues over the next 7 to 10 days

Please contact your Markon customer service representative for more information.

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