(Please click your refresh button to display the latest market update)

                                                     

 

MARKET UPDATE FOR JULY 26, 2010

 

VEGETABLES

 

CALIFORNIA ICEBERG – California Central Coast lettuce shippers reduce their lettuce acreage as much as 20 percent during the summer months in anticipation of regional deals and diverted demand toward melons, grapes and stone fruit. The net result is a more manageable volume to control and market. Salinas shippers are seeing a brief increase in local production which is expected to return to seasonal levels this week. Shippers also said that the recent downturn in demand is beginning to soften the market. The lettuce industry depends on long-haul trucks to move the crop to market. Truck availability on the West Coast has been sporadic and expensive dating back to April. Today's tight truck market is compounded by the melon, stone fruit and grape deals, which compete for the same set of limited trucks.  Quebec lettuce continues with very good supply. Supplies will continue improve as we move through the end of July. Quality is typical of Quebec product with variable head size and not as clean as California product. Pricing is typical for this time of the season.

SPRING MIX / ARUGULA / WATERCRESS – The market on spring mix is steady, however quality is not as good as previous weeks due to growing conditions. Rocket arugula, is still having problems with yellowing and shortened shelf life and flat leaf arugula may have to substituted. Spinach supplies and quality are the same as spring mix.

CAIFORNIA ROMAINE / LEAF – The negative effects of the heat wave in the Northeast the week of July 5 have subsided, and regional buyers are once again purchasing local product. Central Coast shippers are seeing improved supplies, lighter demand and easing markets. Foggy, overcast mornings continue to be in the Salinas growing region. This will cause some mildew issues. Red discoloration will be seen in certain lots. Most shippers are having these issues. Quebec romaine has good supply with some lots showing internal burn due to the heat.

CAULIFLOWER – Ontario and Quebec cauliflower has started with better supplies with steady pricing. The imported cauliflower market is steady. Supplies are moderate but gaps are in the forecast. This week should not be a problem, with the best availability being on the twelve counts. The price fluctuations will continue to be seen throughout the summer amongst different suppliers.

ASPARAGUS – This market is extremely active on all sizes. Thunderstorms and heavy rains have been occurring in Mexico. Harvesting crews have been held out of fields in Central Mexico. We will not see any relief for at least 2 weeks. Peru is experiencing very cold weather also and hence production is down as well. Jumbos will be extremely difficult to purchase. Supplies of Peruvian asparagus will likely be tight — and prices high — until at least mid-August and probably later, importers say. We do not expect these high prices to come down until at least mid-August, and very possibly September. There is no guarantee supplies would return to normal even this fall, when production shifts to the Ica region of Peru. Some asparagus stalks may be whiter than usual because their growth was slowed by the cold. It doesn’t affect the quality, but it could turn some customers off.

BEANS – Bean supplies continue to be good from Georgia, New Jersey and Ontario. Quality is very good.  Wax (yellow) beans are still tight with questionable quality due to reddening and greening being the main issues. Snipped: Snipped green bean supplies are getting limited as lack of rain and heat in Ohio is slowing growth. Quality is fair.  Snipped wax bean supplies are tight due to the quality and availability of raw product.

BROCCOLI – Ontario 14ct iceless broccoli has started with good supply. Ontario iceless crowns will start this week. Expect us to stay with Ontario, depending on weather until November!  Import supplies are heavy from Salinas and Santa Maria despite the recent transition to reduced summer acreage. Quality from California's Central Coast is excellent, and shippers are seeing light demand from many parts of the country. The Northeast heat wave the week of July 5 spurred along the Maine broccoli crop, and product is now available throughout the Northeast. The West Coast market will remain attractively priced well into August.

POTATOES – Canadian:  Planting is completed. Packing is essentially finished on P.E.I. Storage quality is good with a few reports of some light peepers. There will be a supply gap that only US product can fill. The quality from P.E.I. has been mostly good but internal black-spot and peeper-sprouts have been seen in some lots. U.S.A: Over the past 30 days, the underlining premise of the Idaho russet market has moved 180 degrees, from surpluses to shortages. The initial thought of an overlap between crops has been replaced with demand exceeds supply.

Pack-outs continue to fall, and Idaho shippers have been overrun with extra demand since the Wisconsin and Colorado seasons ended earlier this month. The russet market will be a runaway until new-crop supplies from Idaho and Washington become available next month. Currently, Idaho shippers are sold out several days in advance and are pricing orders the day of shipment. Persistent cool temperatures throughout the spring and early summer have delayed the start of new-crop russets in Idaho and Washington. Washington shippers hope to start their new-crop Norkotahs the week of Aug. 2. Idaho shippers don't expect new-crop supplies from western Idaho until Aug. 12- 16. The first eastern Idaho supplies won't start until Aug. 16-23.  California also continues to pack colored potatoes but the demand has been very strong! Most Bakersfield packers have finished. The Stockton, California shippers have the nicest quality and more volume right now. They expect to have supplies through September. North Carolina, Virginia, and Alabama have reds and a few golds, with some round whites, but the temperatures have been so hot that they aren’t holding up after harvest which has pushed much of the business to California.

CELERY – The Salinas Valley celery season is in full stride, and supplies are ample. Quality is excellent, and the market is expected to hold near current levels heading into this week. The Salinas Valley crop is peaking on 24s followed by 30s. The Oxnard season is over, and its 30-day soil moratorium began July 15. Quebec celery has started with good supply and pricing. Quality is also good.

PEPPERS – West Coast (Green / Red): Bakersfield’s harvest on green peppers is finishing. Other districts in California are starting this week. Demand is good. Bakersfield crop for red peppers is in its second week of production and volume is increasing. East Coast (Green): Bell peppers are still shipping primarily out of Tennessee with Michigan and Ontario set to start with volume late next week. Demand is staying strong and the supply is limited due to minimal regions right now. The market should stay steady but probably jump a bit late next week as Tennessee finishes up and Michigan and Ontario start their crown picking. Quality is good.

ZUCCHINI – West: Baja looks to have good steady supplies for the next few weeks. Santa Maria has good steady volume now the weather has warmed up. East: Michigan’s and Ontario’s wet weather is starting to affect the squash market as supplies have tightened up considerably lately. The market should continue to rise going through the week but steady for the better part of next week. Watch for weather related quality issues such as soft spots and light color.

 

CUCUMBERS – English 12’s: Ontario cucumber supplies have exceeded demand for the last couple of weeks creating a flooded market. Quality is good, but pricing is at a point where growers are just moving product and losing money. Last week a marketing order was issued to cease sales of foodservice cumbers for about 5 weeks, in an effort to move that volume into #1 mediums which will cause supplies of foodservice grade to become limited.  Regular 24’s – West: Baja expects less production over the next 2 to 3 weeks. Demand is good. East: Cucumbers are in ample supply out of Michigan, Ohio, Ontario and New Jersey. The market is just about on the floor in Michigan but could bump a bit by the middle of next week, as wet weather has hit the area pretty heavily. Currently, the quality out of that region is excellent. Ontario has started with decent volume at steady pricing.

ONIONS – California yellow onion shippers are bracing for a higher percentage of seeders through August 1. New Mexico has improved yellow availability, so the net sum should be a washout. Red onion supplies in California are declining and remain very light in New Mexico. The red onion market is rising and getting an extra boost from New Mexico buyers buying California reds to supplement their short-term needs.

Huron, CA, temperatures will be in the low 100s through Tuesday, July 27. This kind of heat does not pose a problem for growers who are on top of their fields. Daytime highs in New Mexico will be in the low to mid-90s through Tuesday, July 27, with a 20-30 percent chance of daily thunderstorms and isolated showers. The Washington and Colorado onion deals are slated to start the week of July 26. Ontario, Oregon, is delayed and not scheduled to begin until Aug. 10-14. Ontario onions will start in about 2 weeks.

SPINACH – Supplies of cello spinach and baby spinach are better than previous weeks. Quality however has returned to short shelf life situation due to cooler growing conditions. 

GREEN ONIONS – This market is stronger. Heavy storms are in the forecast in Mexican growing regions throughout the week. This will hurt the production numbers. Pencil sizing continues to have the best availability followed by mediums. Quality issues have been minimal.

 

FRUIT

 

STRAWBERRIES – Central Coast production is well below the season's peak of early July and will drop noticeably further through August. The recent weather pattern of foggy mornings and cool temperatures will further drop production below initial expectations the week of July 26. The market remains multi-tiered based on label, berry size and shelf life. The market on the best labels is steady and firm, while others seek additional business. Local Ontario strawberry supplies are finished for the season. 

RASPBERRIES / BLACKBERRIES – Raspberries: Good demand with light supplies is keeping this market firm. Supplies look to improve in the near future. Quality is good with a few fair lots. The Ontario raspberry season is in an end of July gap.  We expect supplies to be available the second week of August continuing until early October. Blackberries: The wet cool mornings in the blackberry growing areas is keeping the quality of the fruit to be just fair. California supplies are coming out of Watsonville at this time. Demand is moderate with a steady market.

BLUEBERRIES – Supplies continue to improve out of Oregon, BC, Michigan and Ontario with good quality fruit being harvested in all areas. California supplies are finished. The main pack size is pints with a few 6oz being packed. Ontario product is very clean.

GOLD PINEAPPLES - Market has strengthened as we are transitioning into new fruit. There is good demand with lighter supplies. Quality should be better.

TOMATOES – Market this week is steady with respect to pricing. There is cheaper fruit that has advanced color and is soft. East Coast: Several growers are packing rounds, grape and some cherry tomatoes in the new growing regions. Roma tomatoes continue to be behind on production compared to the other crops, and we are seeing higher pricing on the romas compared to weeks previous. Growers are saying they should have better production for roma tomatoes next week. Although the heat that the East has experienced will keep sizing on the smaller side with more fruit coming on faster than usual, compounded by heavy rainfall. Harvests have been delayed and pickings are staggered in North Carolina and Tennessee due to the weather. Michigan and Ohio should be going by the end of this month. Ontario field tomatoes should be staring in about 2 weeks.  West Coast: Supplies out of San Diego continue inconsistent with transition into the northern growing areas, and predominantly bigger sized fruit. There are fewer round and roma tomatoes than in weeks previous. We can expect the remainder of the week to be short in short supply but increasing into next week. Grape production is down but cherry and grape tomato production is strong with low pricing and shippers making deals to keep things moving. Weather has been favourable in Baja with no major issues. Central California continues going strong with production and plenty of good quality fruit behind it.

CANTALOUPES / HONEYDEWS – The Central Valley melon deal is off to a historically late and slow start due to the cool spring and early summer. Bakersfield and Mendota cantaloupe shippers are struggling mightily to meet current demand. Shippers said that several fields scheduled for harvest now had to be re-planted due to the spring rains. As well, some growers opted to use transplants instead of seed because of high water and seed costs. Shippers now said that several of the transplant fields offer very light production. Demand exceeds the available supply, and shippers are sold out two to three days in advance. Shippers speculate that the direct-seed fields will produce improved volume beginning July 28-30.  Cantaloupes: (9’s/15’s/18’s):  Sizing is still peaking to 9’s for most shippers and sugar levels are very good on the fruit that is coming out of the fields. Unfortunately, there is very little fruit available to pack. We are again being told next week should see better availability. Honeydews (8’s/ 5’s): Mexican and Arizona fruit is all but done for the season. The West side fruit is available but peaking to 5’s leaving few 8’s available to ship. 

GRAPES – Nogales is finished up with the Mexican fruit. Central California product is starting out slow. The reds are flame seedless with some Scarlet Royals going as well, volume is limited as shippers are struggling a bit with the heat in the valley. Sugarones and Thompson’s are available and limited as well but with good size and eating very well. Black seedless are available with good size and quantity. Globes are available with good quality and size as well.  

MANGOS, PAPAYAS - Market is steady on mangos Supplies are getting better as growing conditions in Mexico and Peru improve.  Quality is good. Papaya supplies have improved and pricing is more stable.  Mango 8’s; Papaya 10’s.

ORANGES – The Valencia crop is peaking on 88s followed by 113s and then 72s. The pack-out is 60 percent fancy and 40 percent choice. Quality is strong, the juice content is high, and the Brix approaches 12. The market is expected to hold steady into early August. The Valencia season will continue into October.  Central Valley daytime highs have finally topped 100 degrees. These hot summer temperatures cause a reverse flow of chlorophyll, resulting in re- greening on the outer skin. This is cosmetic only and does not alter the internal sugars or eating quality of the fruit.

STONE FRUIT – Ontario peaches are readily available with good volume to promote and excellent quality. Imported Nectarines are a little more limited but quality is very good. Both red and black plums have very good availability. Tree ripe or preconditioned peaches, nectarines and plums are also now available. California and local apricots are available as well. Washington cherries are available but still very limited. Ontario cherries are finished for the season.

LEMONS/LIMES – Supplies are good and demand is at summer time highs. The market continues to firm on 140’s and larger. Quality is very good. Limes: Good supplies on all sizes of fruit. Fruit is peaking on 175’s, 150’s. Smaller sizes are beginning to shorten up as fruit sizes up.

AVOCADOS – California harvest remains at a good steady pace with good demand. Mexico has entered into their light summer production. California Fruit: Growers continue to harvest good supplies, with 12’s being the peak size and 18’s becoming short. Demand is very strong and keeping shippers clean. Mexican Fruit: Growers have very little fruit to cross as their season is at the end. Peru / Chile: Chilean avocado growers are carefully determining what, if any, crop damage may have occurred in a mid-July Southern Hemisphere wintertime freeze. The Chilean Hass Avocado Association sent a press release July 19 that said, in part, "Since Tuesday, July 13, there have been frost weather conditions in some avocado-producing areas in Chile. The Chilean Hass Avocado Association has received recorded temperature information from weather stations in towns that are located in low-lying areas near the growing regions. Luckily, the majority of avocado groves are located on hillsides, which have better conditions compared to the flat land areas." Chile's avocado industry is hoping that in three weeks time it will "have better figures of final losses and updates of production and exports for the 2010-11 season," it added.

APPLES / PEARS – Washington reds, golds, and Granny-Smith apples are still heavy large fruit and the premium grade. The smaller sizes and lower grades remain extremely tight and once the school business comes back they will be even shorter. Besides the small counts the markets on all three colors are mostly steady. Galas & Fuji’s are the only two varietals left and the markets on both are very active as they are almost finished for the season. Many shippers are looking to clean-up their remaining inventories of both varieties. D’Anjou pear supplies are extremely light and should only last a couple more days. Green Bartlett’s and stark-crimson red pears are available in Northern California.

 

 

NEW ITEMS NOW IN SEASON:

ARTICHOKES / YELLOW BEANS / CUBANELLE PEPPERS /ONTARIO SWEET CORN / CHERRIES / APRICOTS /NECTAINES / POMEGRANITE / PEAS IN POD / CLEMINTINES (ARG) / CALIFORNIA FIGS / ONTARIO YELLOW PLUMS / ONTARIO PEACHES

 

EXOTIC MUSHROOMS:

FRESH CHANTERELLE, BLACK TRUMPET, PORCINI AND HONEY MUSHROOMS, AND KING OYSTER.

 

ITEMS NO LONGER IN AVALIABLE OR VERY SHORT :

#2 POTATOES / PRUNE PLUMS / CHAMPAGNE GRAPES / CRANBERRIES / ASIAN PEARS / SEVILLE ORANGES / TANGERINES / FAVA BEANS / PAPAYAS / BLOOD ORANGES / FIDDLEHEADS / LOCAL ASPARAGUS / FLA JUICE ORANGES

 

 

 

Have you heard of this one ?

 

Redlove red flesh apples from Europe !

 

 

The Redlove is the result of 20 years of painstaking work by Markus Kobert, a Swiss fruit grower. He has cross-pollinated a number of varieties – including one that has pink flesh but no taste – to come up with the Redlove.

 

Seed and sapling company Suttons in the UK has secured exclusive rights to sell the fruit trees in Britain this year, with 1,500 orders taken from amateur gardeners already. Orchards across Europe are being planted with saplings so the apples can be produced on a commercial scale.  The trees are expected to start producing fruit in their second year, and appear in British supermarkets in about five years time, however the August crop is showing up in farmers markets around Britian. Some of the unique features of this new fruit are :

• Uniquely coloured - Rosy-red flesh with a beautiful pattern running through it
• Deliciously tasty - Crisp and juicy with a hint of berries
• Even better for you - Higher in antioxidants than other apples
• Disease resistant - Exceptionally high resistance to scab
• Attractive in the garden - Unusual, long-lasting, deep pink spring blossom
• Versatile in the kitchen - Delicious eaten raw but also ideal for cooking (it even retains its red colour when cooked and does not turn brown once cut).

 

This has been a natural breeding process and no genetic modification techniques have been used. The trees were grown in tunnels rather than outdoors so that there would be no random pollination from bees. Two varieties of Redlove have been produced. They are the Era, which can be harvested from September and stored up until Christmas, and the Sirena which are harvested from August and stored until October. Redlove is expected to be available on a commercial basis in about 3 years in North America, so stay tuned.

 

 

 

Remember that we now accept