Canada's Market Update

VEGETABLES

GARLIC- China: Supplies of peeled garlic from China continues to increase, resulting steadily decreasing prices. Quality on the new crop remains very good. Shipping costs are starting to ease slightly, but there are still shipping delays; mostly unloading delays upon arrival. Until the logistics situation returns to normal, we can expect to have variable supply, potential for quality issues and variable pricing. California: New crop, California garlic, has started and will continue until late September. Demand remains high and supplies are not meeting demand. Chinese garlic has helped the supply chain with extra supplies entering the US market.

ICEBERG- We continue to see the effects of the INSV virus in many lettuce fields, reducing available supply due to lower yields and lower than normal pounds per acre. Quality is medium with lots of pressure from disease and viruses and shippers are doing their best to put the best product in the box. The market continues to be volatile with wide ranges in prices and we see this trend continuing through next week. Expect moderate production throughout the week. The weather forecast calls for average temperatures into the weekend with high winds possible later in the week. The primary loading locations are currently in Santa Maria or Salinas. Regional supplies from Quebec and Michigan remain a better option for quality and pricing. Supplies of Quebec iceberg are light due to excessive rains lowering yields. Prices from Quebec are higher and active as demand shifts from the west coast. Orders continue to be pro-rated.

ROMAINE / LEAF- Quality remains good with overall good supply, although some shippers are feeling the effects of the INSV virus and have lost some fields. Light tip burn in the fields and potential for quality issues from INSV virus will continue. Market has stabilized for now with a few deals being made but market could strengthen again as INSV continues to be more prevalent in many fields. Warm temperatures have affected romaine. However, romaine hearts have moderate to good availability as demand is off. Expect steady supplies for the rest of the week. The weather forecast calls for average temperatures into the weekend with high winds possible later in the week. The primary loading locations are currently in Santa Maria or Salinas. Supplies of Quebec romaine and leaf are steady this week with good quality. Prices from Quebec remain steady as overall demand is lighter.

WEST COAST: SPRING MIX/BABY SPINACH/BABY KALE- Good supplies continue with fair to good quality overall with texture and size within specification. Look for this market to stay steady.

EAST COAST: ARUGULA / WATERCRESS– Watercress and arugula is now being harvested out of Tennessee. Quality remains very good.

BROCCOLI- Quality is good, although supply continues to be lighter out of Salinas and Santa Maria as local summer growing regions have started and California growers have reduced acres planted. Very good demand is keeping the current markets active with steady pricing. We will continue to see supplies and market bounce up and down for the next two months as volume in various local regions will vary. Ontario and Quebec broccoli production remains strong; however, growers are battling inflation with their inputs which is resulting in higher pricing than last season.

ASPARAGUS- Demand is good with light supplies on both coasts. Expect supplies to be limited for the next 4-5 weeks until Mexico transitions to Sonora and Southern Baja with the largest area being Constitucion. Cold temperatures are still affecting the crops in Peru. This will continue until the 3rd week in August when new fields open up in southern Peru. Quality overall is good. Markets remain active.

US CABBAGE- North Carolina has product and will go until sometime mid-August, depending on the weather. New York started production and will go through October, depending on the weather. Then we head back into Florida for the late fall and winter. Michigan also has product and quality, and sizing is excellent. Wisconsin will have product starting sometime this week.

CAULIFLOWER– No change here. Cauliflower supplies continue to be very good with the recent warm weather in Salinas and Santa Maria. Mexico is experiencing pest pressures due to the heat and humidity causing lower yields. Ontario and Quebec cauliflower will continue this week with better volume than last week. Look for the cauliflower market to stay steady or ease slightly going into the weekend.

BEANS/PEAS- In California, we continue seeing light volume out of Fresno and the coast this week. In the east beans are available from New Jersey, Michigan and New York. Supplies will continue to improve as Michigan and Ontario get going with volume. Quality is hit and miss due to weather conditions. We are seeing a split market with light volume out of the west this week due to heat, although improving supply out of the east as production moves north. Snipped: Value-added trimmed green bean supplies are better with steady pricing. Snipped quality has been only average.

CELERY- Celery supplies are steady. East: We expect volume to continue to increase in the upcoming weeks as Michigan, Quebec and Ontario get into full production. New Jersey and New York are also starting to see some volume. Quality is very good and pricing is easing. West: Warm temperatures have created some seeders internally within the plants. Otherwise, the overall quality is good and demand is light to moderate. Expect steady availability in both Salinas and Southern California for the week. The weather forecast calls for average temperatures into the weekend with the chance of strong winds possible later in the week.

BRUSSELS SPROUTS- The brussels sprouts market remains elevated, but availability and pricing continues to improve. Size is still dominated by small and medium sprouts; jumbo-size stocks are increasing, yet behind schedule due to the June heatwave and lack of frost hours. The Salinas season has started with increasing supplies and easing markets. Overall quality is good, although bolting (fluffy texture) and bitter sprouts are a concern with recent variable weather; discoloration and early breakdown are minimal. Expect supplies and prices to continue to improve.

FIELD PEPPERS- Green Pepper: West Coast: Oxnard green peppers have started in a light way with another grower starting next week out of Arroyo Grande. Western supply has improved with newer regions starting out of Gilroy and Hollister. Prices are slightly lower this week as more supply is available on both coasts. Expect the market to decrease as supply increases. East Coast: With Michigan, Ontario and Quebec starting their seasons and getting into some good volume this week, we are seeing markets finally dropping. As the local season gets into play with production all the from the East Coast to the West Coast, we finally foresee good supplies and pricing at peak season lows. Weather permitting, expect supply to continue to increase in the upcoming weeks and throughout the entire month of August. Red Pepper: West Coast: Markets are holding strong as supply remains limited this week due to excessive heat and limited production hours due harvest crews being restricted to half day production. East Coast: Canadian greenhouses are struggling with volume due to the extreme heat and heavy demand as a result of the shortage of field red peppers. With more field product expected to be available we can expect pricing to continue to ease. Quality is good with extra-large and large peppers being most common. Pricing is elevated compared to a normal season. Ontario field grown red peppers are still about 2 weeks away from starting.

HOTHOUSE PEPPERS- Canadian production is rebounding, but still on the lighter side. Red peppers are still the tightest, followed by orange. We do expect picks to be better next week. Quality is good overall.

ASSORTED CHILI PEPPERS- In the east, we continue to see better volume on jalapeno and very short on all other varieties. In McAllen, volume is steady on all varieties but tomatillo, habanero, and Anaheim. Seeing quality issues and low production form Coahuila and Chihuahua, Mexico. In the far west, we are seeing improving numbers cross through Otay Mesa, California on all varieties and should see better volume weekly out of the Central coast as well.

MUSHROOMS- Quality is good, although supplies of white buttons continue to be short but supplies are improving. The market is steady at higher prices primarily due to a lack of labor, packaging increases and shortages in components of growing such as peat moss. We do expect this trend to continue into the fall.

CARTON BAKING POTATOES- Prince Edward Island: Stats Canada reports that P.E.I. growers planted 80,500 acres to potatoes this year. That is 5,500 acres less than they planted in 2021, a 6.4% decline. Most of the reduction is likely in seed potatoes. Seed potato sales to the US and to other Canadian provinces have been restricted by CFIA since last year. Seed growers may have planted table or processing potatoes on at least part of that ground. Growing conditions have been nearly ideal. Temperatures in May were warmer than usual, which set the crop off to a good start. The island has received ample rain and temperatures have been favorable. The forecast is calling for higher temperatures during the next 3-4 days, but the crop has plenty of moisture. Some observers indicate that the potato crop has never looked better for this time of the growing season. USA: The potato market continues to reach historic pricing levels, with price increases taking place each day. We should expect to see new crop counts (100-40ct) in the low $70’s starting next week. We are anticipating next week to be the most challenging potato supply week we have seen thus far. The few remaining Idaho shippers will finish out their final storages to start the week. There will be a true gap in supply around the middle of this week for at least one to two weeks. While there will be a few growers that start into their new crop Norkotahs toward the end of next week, we are not anticipating volume will be strong enough to slow down the climbing prices. We anticipate supply relief will begin to be felt around the week of August 29th. Pricing will not ‘plummet’ by any means as it will take several weeks for all shipping regions to get to full shipping capacity. The supply pipeline will likely remain depleted until early September, which is when we anticipate relief on pricing will take place. This is typically the time of year where end users negotiate their new pricing contracts. This season, growers are looking for significant price increases on contracted supply for several reasons. Not only have potato growers been subject to the same inflationary overhead costs we are seeing in all industries, but potato acreage is significantly down in Idaho, and yields appear to be like last season. Processor demand has only heightened since last year, and as of this writing, the industry should expect a similar market to last season.

ONIONS- The market feels generally ‘softer’ on all colors and sizes at the moment. Supply has improved in both California and New Mexico on all colors and sizes, and demand has been a bit sluggish on onions these past few weeks. Red onions remain plentiful in both shipping regions as well. We are also seeing a more consistent supply of larger sized onions than we have at any point during the summer. California and New Mexico should begin to wind down in the coming weeks and should be all but finished at the end of the month, save for a few smaller supply pockets. There are some yellow onions in Washington beginning to trickle in, and over the next two weeks there will be a few more shippers coming online out of this region. We should see them start reds and whites next week as well. Idaho/Oregon will mostly start the week of August 15th with yellows and will gradually ramp up supply the following week. As expected, size profiles are on the smaller end to start with size peaking to medium and smaller sized jumbos. Given the initial crop delays due to cool temps and rain, as well as an extended bout of heat like last summer, size could be a challenge again this year. This is certainly giving growers concern that the crop will yield a similar market feel to this last season’s crop in the Pacific Northwest. Acreage was down to begin with, and if yields and size are greatly affected, this will likely come to fruition. It appears that Washington may be in slightly better shape than the Idaho/Oregon shipping region, but there is still much to be determined.

EGGPLANT- Eggplant supply is adequate on both coasts. Eggplant will further transition north in the east. We are seeing better volume this week out of North Carolina, Michigan, Ontario, Quebec and New Jersey. Supplies are steady out of Fresno; however, the heat has reduced overall yields.

GREEN ONIONS– Green onion supplies are starting to get slightly limited with the inclement weather in Mexico. As a result, this market is up slightly for this week. Demand also remains strong. Quality and condition of the onions is still very nice. Quebec continues full production.

ZUCCHINI- The peak of volume has passed, with demand being consistent as prices are moving a little bit north. New Jersey and Virginia quotes are slightly higher, and Michigan, Quebec and Ontario are following suit. Still seeing steady volume with good quality and it should remain like that for the next week or two; but as we get into the second half of August, extreme heat and rain could start affecting the crops.

CORN- California and Texas remain tight on supplies. Many northern growing areas (Ontario, Michigan, Ohio and Quebec) are finally into promotable volume and price has dropped to a reasonable level. There is load volume available across many local regions.

KALE- Steady supplies continue to keep the market on green, red and black kale steady. Look for this market to remain status quo as product is available from multiple shipping points; California, New Jersey, Georgia, Ontario, Quebec and Michigan.

CUCUMBERS– Field: Volume remains steady as there are multiple local regions from east to the west and Mexico all at peak production. Quality remains pretty good across the board. The short-term outlook is good promotable volume for the next two to four weeks. For the long-term outlook, be careful once we get to the back end of the month as the heat may play a factor and start taking a toll on the plants and lower yields considerably. English Cucumber: Canadian production remains strong with good availability and excellent quality. Expect good quality and supply to continue as the Canadian crop is in full swing. Mini Cucumbers: Canadian production continues to be strong with excellent quality overall. Expect market to be at its peak, with good quality. We should expect the Canadian mini cucumber market to come down a bit as we see extra availability. Quality expected to be excellent. Great time to promote.

TABLE POTATOES– Canada had 12.32 million hundred weight (cwt) of 2021 crop potatoes left in storage on July 1. June disappearance totaled 77.7 million cwt. Most of the remaining supplies are in PEI, Manitoba, Quebec, and New Brunswick. At 2.91 million cwt, Canada’s July 1 stocks include a record large inventory of table potatoes. Most of the extra table potatoes are located in PEI, New Brunswick, and Quebec. Strong demand and rising prices should help move Canada’s remaining table potatoes before new-crop harvest begins. Russet table potatoes: Production is not likely to increase this year. Idaho and Wisconsin planted fewer Russet table potatoes than they planted in 2021. The Columbia Basin and the Klamath Basin also experienced cuts. Colorado’s table potato acreage is flat. Acreage is also down in PEI and New Brunswick, and a repeat of last year's bumper crop in these provinces is unlikely. If yields in the major production areas meet trend levels, the industry could produce an ample supply of Russets. However, the cold, wet spring delayed crop development across most of North America and could put a damper on yields. In addition, fryers and dehydrators may need to purchase potatoes intended for other market channels. That could tighten Russet table supplies significantly. Data available from Stats Canada show that Canadian growers planted 385,128 acres to potatoes this year. That is 242 acres more than they planted in 2021, a 0.1% increase. Three provinces, Quebec, Alberta, and Manitoba reported increased potato acreage this year. The largest reductions came in PEI, New Brunswick, and Ontario. British Columbia and Saskatchewan also posted acreage reductions. Processing contract volumes are up from 2021 levels. Overall, table and seed potato acreage was flat to slightly lower. Growers in most provinces got a late start on planting, due to cold, wet weather. Growing conditions in the western provinces have improved relative to last year. Ontario: Growers planted 37,180 acres of potatoes this year. That is 1,145 acres less than they planted in 2021, a 3.0% decline. About three-fourths of the reduction came in chip potato acreage. Table potato acreage was down slightly. Until last week, the province had not received any substantial rainfall in 6-7 weeks. Some areas received one-half to two inches of rain last week. It came too late to do much good for the early potatoes, though it will help the later potato crop. Approximately 65%-70% of the potatoes have irrigation; however, some of those systems do not have enough capacity to keep up with crop needs without some rainfall. Growers have started digging early table potatoes with better volume expected the last week of July. They are expecting below average yields, due to the dry growing conditions. Growers could start digging chip potatoes the first week of August. Demand for early chip potatoes is extremely strong. Alberta: At 72,300 acres, Alberta’s 2022 potato area is up 3,850 acres from the 2021 crop, a 5.6% increase. It is Alberta’s largest potato acreage on record. Most of the increased acreage is in frozen processing potatoes for the province’s expanding french fry industry. Nevertheless, seed and table potato acreage also are up. Alberta has received good rainfall and has avoided the extreme heat experienced last year. The processing potato crop is about a week behind schedule, due to the cold, wet spring. On the other hand, the table potato crop is ahead of schedule and in very good condition. There have been some drowned out spots in low-lying areas, due to excessive moisture this spring. We have received reports of hail storms in late July, though we do not know the extent of the damage at this time. Manitoba: At 79,500 acres, this year’s planted area is 1,500 acres more than growers planted in 2021, a 1.9% increase. Most of the planted acreage increase is for frozen processing potatoes. Manitoba’s table potato and seed acreage remained mostly flat. Crop development is approximately 10 days behind schedule, due to late planting and cold, wet weather during the spring. Growing conditions have improved. The province has avoided last year’s extreme heat so far. Some locations received 3.5 - 5 inches of rain this week. That may have caused some damage in low spots. Heavy rainfall during June drowned out approximately 1,000 acres, which have already been disked under. It also caused some seed rot in other areas, resulting in poor stands. Fry plants have been running on old crop potatoes, but raw product supplies are limited. At least one plant is down until the early harvest gets under way. Slow crop development will likely push back the 2022 harvest until mid August or later. Quebec: Stats Canada indicates that growers planted 50,748 acres to potatoes in 2022. That exceeds the 2021 planted area by 3,862 acres, an 8.2% increase. The Quebec Potato Growers Federation has not finished its acreage count. However, local observers believe that the actual planted acreage is significantly less than reported, most likely below 48,000 acres. Stats Canada is not likely to revise the Quebec acreage data until it issues its crop production estimate in December. The local french fry processor expanded its contract volumes this year, accounting for most of the acreage increase. Table potato and chip potato acreage declined slightly, while seed potato acreage remained flat. After a cool, wet spring, crop development is about a week behind schedule. Reports indicate that this year’s crop is in good to excellent condition. Timely rains and moderate temperatures have made growing conditions nearly ideal during the past month. However, the forecast is calling for warmer temperatures and higher humidity into August. The chip potato harvest is getting underway. Red and yellow table potatoes should be ready to harvest around the middle of August, followed by Russets at the end of the month. British Columbia: Growers planted 6,000 acres to potatoes this year. That is 500 acres less than they planted in 2021, a 7.7% re-duction. The red and yellow potato harvest is expected to get underway the last week of July. Growers will start digging Russets for the table potato market during the second week in August. Early potato crops are in good condition. Heavy rainfall made planting this year’s later potato crop extremely difficult. Some potatoes were planted much later than usual. The weather has been favorable since planting. Growers are hopeful planted potatoes will be able to catch up before the end of the growing season.

FRUIT

SEEDLESS WATERMELON- Supplies are still very tight on seedless and minis. Missouri and North Carolina are going with light supplies. Indiana, Ontario and Michigan are all starting with light volume. Rain keeps pushing harvesting back. In the west, Eloy, Arizona is just starting up and California is going with light supplies. Oregon and Washington are also starting with light supplies. Supplies will pick up very quickly through this week.

MANGO- As we start August, the Nayarit, Mexico growing region has closed for the season. Some packing houses are still operating from this region but the crop is harvested from Southern Sinaloa. Southern Sinaloa is expected to go 1-2 more weeks before they are done with the season. Rain continues in both Nayarit and Southern Sinaloa almost daily, with some quality issues being reported and minimal presence of Anthracnosis. Northern Sinaloa is packing Kents and will start to harvest Keitts next week. We will more than likely see a mix of Kents and Keitts mid to late next week. Current sizing is still ranging from 8-9, followed by 7s. Small fruit, such as 10/12s, will become more limited as we get further into August. Northern Sinaloa will continue to pack throughout August and possibly September.

PAPAYA- The growing region of Colima continues to experience warmer mornings in the high 70s and warm days in the high 80s with some rains. The warmer weather that we will see this week will help the crop to have better volume and harvesting will increase at the growing region. There will more overall volume available. We will see more large sizes 7/8/9s on upcoming fruit. There will be some rains this week and next, with reports from the field saying that they should not have a big effect on volume or quality of the fruit.

BLUEBERRIES– There is now very good (promotable) supplies of blueberries this week. Spotty showers scattered through the week are forecast, but growers are expecting to hit some excellent volumes from the Pacific Northwest over the next few weeks, putting continued downward pressure on prices. Growers are ere starting some new fields so the quality will be fantastic. Michigan, Ontario and New Jersey are also producing moderate numbers. Ontario wild blueberries are now available as well.

STRAWBERRIES- Demand exceeds supply again this week. This is expected to last August through September. The California growing regions continue to navigate heat and humidity-related growing cycle challenges, and yield projections have decreased significantly. Santa Maria's "new crop" is looking to start with volume availability mid-August, but this week there are only limited pallet volume available. Watsonville/Salinas growing areas are also past their peak production levels. Markets are firming up due to the limited supply. New Oxnard crop will not arrive on the market until the beginning of October. Central Mexico and Florida crops should begin in mid to late October. California fruit is generally fair quality with higher counts due to smaller-sized berries, bruising, overripe, and thin-skinned fruit. Ontario: Hothouse supplies are minimal as most growers are replanting for the fall. Pricing is higher as field grown berries are limited. Quality is very good, with full color and decent sizing. Field grown “day neutral” berries will be available in steady, but light supply until first frost.

RASPBERRIES / BLACKBERRIES– Raspberries: Volumes remain light and are expected to remain light for the next 2-3 weeks until British Colombia, Oregon and Quebec ramp up and hit peak season at the end of August. With supplies of other items being tight, raspberries have been put on retail ads, making overall available supply even lighter. Volume in Mexico should begin to pick up in mid to late August. Quality continues to improve weekly. Blackberries: Very tight supplies continue. Southern California is done for season and Northern California is slow to produce. Oregon is delayed another week, and Guatemala product is just trickling in on the east coast. Northern California and Oregon will soon enter their peak season and supplies should increase rapidly. We are seeing overall good quality, size, with good flavor and minimal defects.

GOLD PINEAPPLES– Costa Rica: Pineapple availability is lighter than normal due to all the groves being in the flowering process after the NDF event this past spring. Costa Rica will have more humid conditions due to the Intertropical Convergence Zone being close to the national territory. Costa Rica is expecting partially cloudy conditions with afternoon rains and downpours in the Central and South Pacific and over most of the growing regions. Quality is reported as good, but larger fruit tends to be more affected by water spotting. Pale fruit and brix levels are still present, and these conditions are expected to continue for the next few weeks. Supply at the farms is expected to increase in early August and back to normal levels after mid-August. Size curve is leaning heavy to 8’s with 5 and 6’s being shorter than normal. The USDA pineapple crossing report for last week is showing a high number of just under 1,400 loads crossing. Large grower/shippers are offering very little surplus volume at this time. Mexico: Mexico's inbound volume was again very low for last week with the USDA reporting less than 30 truckloads crossing into the USA. Quality is reported as good with good internal condition and high brix. Yields are mostly on small fruit as is expected in the off season. The regular Mexican season is over.

GRAPEFRUIT- Fruit will be out of the district 1 region (Bakersfield/Exeter) of California for the shipping locations. Star Ruby variety grapefruit is expected to be available out of district 1 until the end of this week. Next week, we will transition to district 2 and the Marsh Ruby variety. The Marsh Ruby variety is an undesirable variety as the flavor and the interior color is not the best. Quality on district 1 fruit is still excellent with a 90% fancy and a 10% choice spilt. The brix range is 12 to 14. Interior is seeing a vibrant bright pink/red with the exterior seeing that touch of blush that consumers love. Grapefruit out of Michoacán, Mexico is underway which should provide some relief to the California market. In addition to supplies coming on out of Mexico, South African fruit is in full swing. Offshore: In addition to supplies coming out of Mexico, offshore fruit from South African and Israel is in full swing. South African fruit will size smaller this year compared to last year. Overall, fruit from South Africa will also be higher in cost this year due to the increase in ocean freight, but quality is unbelievable with some of the cleanest and best flavor we have seen in a long time. Port delays continue to cause sporadic availability.

ORANGES- California Valencia: Valencia oranges will be from the district 1 region (Fresno/Delano/Terra Bella/Bakersfield) of California. California Valencia oranges will be harvested until end of September with storage Valencia oranges extending the season until the end of October. Typically, the Valencia season carries until new crop navels begin, but this will be a challenge this year. This challenge was created due to the Valencia oranges shipping earlier to counteract the early end of the navel season and the late start to the import navel season. Quality is excellent with brix at an average of 12. The outer appearance is good with excellent color. Peak sizing of 113/88/138, in that order. One call-out is that the crop is down from last year from the early crop estimates. Market will stay firm all season as so much pressure was put on the Valencia crop due to California navels ending early and import navels getting a late and sluggish start. Offshore: There are navel oranges from Chile and South Africa. There was a slow start to the season this year, as there were delays out of South Africa and the Chilean season experienced a freeze on May 30th. The quality is okay on both as we are in the early stages of the season. The fruit will continue to get stronger as the season progresses with fruit hitting stride is August. Average brix is 10 on import navels with not full color yet. The crop of imports out of Chile and South Africa is down in volume year over year. Overall, expect a tighter season this year driving pricing up year over year.

CANTALOUPE- California cantaloupe supplies remain light with jumbo-sized melons being the peak size. Pricing has remained steady. Most cantaloupe are shipping out of Central California with only one shipper still harvesting in Arizona. Arizona is extremely tight this week but should start seeing more availability next week. Quality and sugar have been excellent. Ontario cantaloupe have started with excellent quality, high brix, and very good supply. Now is the time to feature Ontario cantaloupe.

HONEYDEW- Honeydew supplies are still light, but steady. Sizing is mostly jumbo 5 & regular 5 count, with a few 6/8 counts available. Supplies have been clean with very good sugar and are expected to stay that way. Most honeydew are shipping out of Central California, with one shipper remaining in Arizona. Arizona honeydew are jumbo-sized, and most are going for processing. Honeydew are expected to remain fairly light throughout the California season.

LEMONS– Fruit will be from district 2 in California (Coastal region), Offshore (Argentina & South Africa), and Mexico (loading in Texas). District 2 lemons in California will continue through mid-August, however, quality is suspect and is not a consideration when shipping east. Offshore quality is excellent with peak sizing in the 115/95/138 counts (in that order). Quality in Mexico is on the greener side as the season is just getting started in a small way, with better supplies expected in August. The market is starting to come off as more supplies from offshore sources and Mexico are expected by August. Look for lemons to be more promotable during that time period.

CLEMENTINES- Fruit will be out of Peru, Uruguay, Chile, and South Africa. The only call-out difference will be what varietal we will see at different times. One call-out is arrivals out of Chile have been even slower than expected with transit times and lack of supply both affecting the amount of fruit we expect to receive over the next couple of weeks. As for shipments last week, Chile is 62% down year over year, with close to 60% of what's been shipped being size 36s and 40s. Expect the market to stay firm/high for the month of July, until August when supplies are expected to alleviate this issue once peak season begins. Overall, market is improving weekly as more fruit is becoming available.

PEARS- California: New crop Bartlett pears continue out of California. The crop looks down a little from last year, but quality looks to be good so far. There will be a good mix of all sizes this year. Expect pricing to be higher this year as the demand from the canneries is extremely strong due to their low inventories on hand. Washington/Oregon: There are still green D’Anjou shipping out of Washington State and Oregon currently. Anjou pricing is reasonable for this time of year but expect pricing to start to rise again soon as supplies come down and smaller growers start to finish for the season. Expect new-crop Anjou pears to start around September 8th this year. Ontario: Ontario bartlett pears should start around August 29th and Bosc will start around September 26th. Offshore: Import Bartlett and Bosc pears are arriving but availability is limited with light demand. We are now also starting to see import Packham start arrive in small quantities. The ocean container freight costs are much higher this year, so we are expecting higher prices on this imported fruit. With that said, availability and pricing are fairly normal for this time of year and the fruit quality looks good.

LIMES- Currently, the crop is peaking on 200/230/175s out of Veracruz, Mexico. The weather forecast is showing favorable for harvesting all week. The demand for limes has been moderate. Size distribution is 110-10%, 150-12%, 175-22%, 200-24%, 230-19%, and 250-13%. Quality issues being reported include oil spots, blanching, scarring, and skin breakdown. There are concerns amount the juice content in the fruit due to high temperatures. Looking ahead, availability on large limes will continue to be low. A slight drop in volume is expected through August.

GRAPES- California: This week, we should continue to see a strong red market along with deals being offered on greens as they continue to flood inventories. Look to see more Krissy's hitting the market to put some relief on reds along with some new varieties like Red Globes, Candy Hearts, and possibly some of the first California Cotton Candy toward the end of the week. Something else to keep in mind is the sustained heat out in the California growing regions which could continue to cause harvest delays with half-day picking and has even been pushing new varieties to come off earlier than expected. Prices should stabilize across all three colors when more Krissy and Timco help increase red inventories, setting up for some lower pricing through the month of August. Ontario: Ontario seedless blue grapes are expected to start around August 22nd.

STONE FRUIT- The California stone fruit market is slightly lower as local/regional deals kick into production, taking pressure off California. Nectarines, peaches and red and black plums are available, while California apricots are finished. There are now apricots available from Washington. Ontario yellow plums continue. Apricots are done. Yellow plums are limited to what is in the pipeline. Ontario peaches and nectarines continue and will be available through late August. Due to the heat moving everything to start earlier, growers will start the freestone variety this week. Blue prune plums should start this week. Cherries: Washington cherries continue and quality is very good. Washington fruit will ship through August. British Columbia will have cherries available mid-July through September.

BANANAS- Bananas are expected to remain short through the second week of August. We continue to see upward pressure on pricing due to inflationary pressures. Components such as corrugate, resin, fungicide, labor and shipping costs continue to rise to record levels. In addition to this, we expect to see lighter volume out of Central America as a result of some growing issues related to Hurricane Agatha as well as a spike in demand from Europe and Russia. In addition, we are also seeing impacts by a tropical storm that has brought heavy rain to Guatemala. We are seeing some supply disruptions in getting fruit to the ports for shipment. At this time, we do not anticipate any shortages. We continue to assess the situation daily with our suppliers to ensure consistency in the supply chain.

HOTHOUSE TOMATO- Red Tomato On-The-Vine & Beefsteak: Most crops gown under lights have been pulled for replanting. Fresh picks are expected to start in September from those new lit crops. Traditional Canadian production will continue to be steady, and quality is expected to be strong. We continue to expect higher markets and strong demand overall in the tomato market, as growers continue to face pressure with the Rugose Virus. Bite Size (Cherry, Grape, Cocktail, Medley): Flavor and quality continues to be strong from Canada and Mexico. Supply from our Canadian crops is expected to be good, with consistent availability.

AVOCADO- The first export of Mexican avocados from the state of Jalisco has arrived in the United States. This additional supply will complement the volume already shipping from Michoacan to help fill the rapidly increasing demand for fresh avocados in the United States. During the past 7 years, the U.S. consumption of Mexican avocados has doubled, and Mexican avocados account for 92% of the total avocado supply in the U.S. market. The addition of Jalisco's supply will incorporate 11 packing houses being authorized to pack U.S.-certified avocados from 695 orchards with a total of 9,441 hectares of production. The avocado market in the U.S. is currently well supplied, with pricing being attractive for retail promotions. Supply increased on Peruvian avocados during the last week with size 32s/10s showing the largest growth. Supply from Mexico is peaking on sizes 48s/16s and 60s/20s. California's volume dropped sharply as field prices have fallen significantly. Total industry arrivals to the U.S. are reported at 56.3 million pounds for last week Mexico- Michoacán reported a 28.2-million-pound harvest last week, with 26 million pounds shipped to the U.S. Jalisco has exported its first loads of certified fruit to the U.S. and is expected to continue to be a part of Mexico’s supply moving forward. This week’s harvest has picked up again after working through last week’s excessive inventory. The rainy weather typical for this time of year is expected to continue to bring afternoon showers, which can likely affect harvest numbers. The Flora Loca crop is in full swing with plenty of availability and continues to peak on sizes 48s/16s and 60s/20s. Jalisco is currently harvesting the Mendez Crop and is similarly peaking on 48s/16s and 60s/20s. California- Last week the California avocado industry harvested around 4.2 million pounds.3 As of August 1, California had harvested around 255 million pounds of the recently revised 270-million-pound crop since the start of the California season. While most growers have finished their harvest, a limited volume of California fruit is expected to be available through the month of August. Colombia- The Traviesa crop is nearly completed, and very minimal volume is being shipped to the East Coast. An approximate 6-8-week gap of limited volume is expected until the Principal crop begins, anticipated in mid-September. Peru- Currently there is plenty of inventory in the network, due to the combination of larger-than-expected arrivals over the past 2-3 weeks and some vessel delays. Sizing remains very strong, focused on 40s/12s and larger; dry matter is anywhere between 25-27%. Eating quality is generally at its best. Market Outlook- The industry continues to see steady arrivals of Peruvian fruit being utilized for programs. The Flora Loca crop out of Mexico is in full swing with steady shipments expected week-over-week. The California harvest is on the decline and the season is expected to finish in the next week or two.

MATURE GREEN TOMATOES– Round tomato prices are up slightly due to rain/heat disrupting harvests along the East Coast. Demand has shifted to the West Coast. East Coast: Tomato volume remains light in the east out of North Carolina, Alabama, and Tennessee mostly due wet fields and harvest delays. Demand is good and the supplies available are meeting the demand. Quality will be marginal due to hit and miss weather related pressure. Markets are expected to stay on the higher side until we see volume increase. Romas continue to be short out of the east but expect more volume over the next 2-3 weeks. Light demand for cherry and grape tomatoes along with improving supply, available out of Virginia and North Carolina, will leave the market flat on the snacking tomato category this week. West Coast: Volume was lighter last week in California, mainly due to heat related impacts to the crop. Stronger demand due to the rain in the east, pricing has risen. With much smaller harvests expected due to lower yields stemming from weather related pressure, less acreage being planted due to higher growing cost, drought and water allocations, we should expect to see firmer markets for the remainder of the season out of California. This will drive more demand to Mexico and the east coast. In Mexico, supplies are lighter this week due to rain on the mainland. Overall demand was much stronger as well due to higher demand from both coasts. Volume and quality remain steady as we settle into production out of Baja and Jalisco. There is also a steady supply of Oceanside tomatoes available. Grape and cherry tomato supply and quality continues to be strong out of Central Mexico.

APPLES- Washington: The apple market is a split market this week, with half the items tightening and the other half remaining fairly loose. As we start August, many items are beginning to get low on inventory and prices are rising on the remaining fruit. These varieties and items include Royal Gala, Golden Delicious, Pink Lady, and many of smaller sizes used for 3-pound bags. The other varieties, like Red Delicious, Granny Smiths, and Honeycrisp, are still plentiful and pricing is steady on these. California Royal Gala apples will come available in next week, which will help bridge the gap between the Washington seasons. Markets will be more volatile than normal over the next several months as we enter a transitional period between the old crop and the new crop. New crop will start around the middle of August with Royal Gala and Honeycrisp. Most varieties will not start harvesting until September. The upcoming crop appears to be another small crop out of Washington, so we are not expecting any price relief in the near future. Ontario/Quebec/Michigan/New York: Grower/packers who have been packing out of controlled atmosphere storage rooms are essentially done. Most grower/shippers are done. Quality on what is left is outstanding with steady pricing. Quebec will run a little longer. We should see the first new crop Paula Reds in two weeks with Gingergolds the week after.

ITEMS NOW IN SEASON

OFFSHORE POMEGRANATE / BLACK GRAPES / RHUBARB / ENGLISH PEA / CHERRY / ONTARIO PEACH / ONTARIO NECTARINE / FLAT(POLE) BEANS / YELLOW PLUM / FAVA BEANS / PICKLING DILL / SICILLIAN EGGPLANT / YELLOW WATERMELON / ONTARIO FIELD TOMATO / ONTARIO BUSHEL ROMA / BLUE PRUNE PLUM

ITEMS VERY SHORT

DRAGON FRUIT / STARFRUIT / FINGERLIMES / BUSHEL BASIL / ONTARIO STRAWBERRIES / FRENCH FINGERLING POTATO / APRICOT

ITEMS NO LONGER AVAILABLE

PUNTARELLE / FUYU and HACHIYA PERSIMMONS / TANGERINE / CARA CARA ORANGES / RAMPS (WILD LEEKS) / FLORIDA JUICE ORANGE / GARLIC SCAPE / BLOOD ORANGES / BC FIDDLEHEADS