News and Stories

Bell pepper, cucumber, and squash production will transition north over the next two to three weeks; expect rising prices. The green leaf, iceberg, and romaine markets continue to climb as supplies remain tight and demand is strong; expect limited stocks and elevated markets for the next two to three weeks. Strawberry volume has increased. Mother’s Day demand has ended and availability is adequate; prices have eased.

Bell Peppers, Cucumbers, and Squash

• Production will transition north over the next two to three weeks; expect rising prices as regions in Southern Florida and mainland Mexico wind down and harvesting moves north into Southern California, Northern Florida, and Georgia
• Green bell pepper quality is best in Coachella, California
• Red bell pepper growers will reach full production in Coachella over the next 10 to 14 days
• Cucumber prices will rise through next week as harvesting shifts into Baja, Mexico from Southern Georgia
• Mexican squash supplies will continue to cross into Nogales and South Texas through May; the California squash season will begin the week of May 16 and reach full production by May 30

Garlic

• Both domestic and imported supplies will remain extremely limited until the new crop California season starts in July
• Prices will remain high over the next six to eight weeks
• A combination of low yields and poor quality continue to reduce industry volume and extend the demand-exceeds-supply market
• California harvests will begin in June; expect more plentiful stocks in July

Green Leaf, Iceberg, and Romaine

• Supplies are extremely tight; demand is very strong
• All three markets continue to climb rapidly
• Open-market prices for commodity green leaf, iceberg, and romaine are reaching Ready-Set-Serve trigger levels; expect prices to trigger up on Monday, May 9
• Erratic weather over the last several weeks is slowing growth, causing quality problems that are lowering yields, and creating a supply gap
• Stocks will remain limited for the next several weeks; expect elevated markets into May

Limes

• Volume will remain extremely low through next week
• The market is very high
• Quality issues such as discoloration and scarring are becoming more prevalent due to limited yields
• Expect rising prices over the next week as demand continues to exceed supply

Oranges

• Markon First Crop (MFC) and Essentials (ESS) Oranges are sporadic; packer label is being substituted as needed
• California late-season Navel oranges will be shipped through late May; new crop California Valencia harvesting has started, but volume is low
• Prices for 113-count and smaller size Navels are climbing due to extremely tight supplies; demand is strong
• California Valencias will begin shipping Monday, May 9 as needed to fill orders; packer label will be substituted most of next week
• MFC and ESS Valencias will begin shipping Monday, May 16

Strawberries

• MFC Strawberries are available; Markon Best Available and packer label supplies are being substituted as needed
• Mother’s Day demand has ended
• Availability has improved
• Supplies are ample for orders loading next week
• Mother’s Day promotional pricing will end Saturday, May 7
• Expect lower prices in all growing regions next week due to weaker demand; the market will remain steady to slightly lower following Mother’s Day promotional pricing

Please contact your Markon customer service representative for more information.

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