Eastern Canada's Market Update

ICEBERG- Iceberg lettuce was heavily affected by the cold weather and availability continues to be limited. The colder temperatures have slowed growth rates. Suppliers cannot catch up to fill all orders. Triggered pricing is in effect for value-added product. Demand continues to be strong. Lighter weights and small sizing have been reported. The overall quality is fair. Lightweights are the biggest issues many shippers are dealing with. Weights are ranging from 34-42 pounds pending the shipper. Puffiness, mechanical and growth crack has been reported upon arrivals. The vision that romaine would ease the iceberg demand has simply not happened. Production in Santa Maria and Yuma will struggle throughout this week and next week as well. Last week’s rain is expected to only create greater shortages of product.

ROMAINE / LEAF- The recent cold weather continues to inhibit growth on leaf lettuces in the southern growing regions. Markets have reacted and supplies remain limited. Demand on green and red leaf, has seen demand exceed supplies in the marketplace. Triggered pricing is in effect with all leaf items including romaine. Expect this market to be active throughout the week. Value-added, green and red leaf fillets, as well as romaine fillets, are triggered as well. Quality reports from the Yuma area are showing occasional small sizing and lightweights. Production in the southern California region, as well as Yuma, will be light due to cold temperatures and rain in the growing areas. The weights on green and red leaf are fair. Romaine is averaging 29-33 pounds.

SPRING MIX/BABY SPINACH/BABY KALE- The tender leaf market continues to be strong on spring mix, baby kale and baby spinach as we are in the third week in Yuma. Yields are down to the recent cold weather in Yuma. Quality issues are fair with minimal yellowing and bruising of the tender leaves. Look for these items to remain tight going into next week.

ROCKET ARUGULA / WATERCRESS– Baby arugula supplies are very tight as fields were heavily affected by excessive heat and moisture during the growing cycle on the east coast. Demand exceeds supplies. Orders are being pro-rated up to 65% of normal. These shortages are anticipated to last the next 7-14 days. Bunched watercress quality and availability is good.  Red watercress is now available.

BROCCOLI- The broccoli market continues to be in a demand exceeds situation. Supplies remain tight on broccoli in all areas as the cold weather has slowed the growth. Broccoli crowns are extremely tight and may need to sub into bunched. Quality is fair with slight purpling, some mechanical damage, and occasional yellow cast. Look for supplies to continue to remain tight going into next week.

ASPARAGUS– Peru: Production and weather remain the same in both regions in Peru, Northern region (Trujillo), and Southern region (Ica). There is plenty of product from Peru and supplies are increasing as we head into the Christmas holiday period. Expect supplies from Peru to drop for the last few weeks of December as many shippers close as it is the end of their heavy season. Quality has been good it is a good time to promote asparagus for the next few weeks. Mexico: Supplies from Mexico continue to decline as we start to get into the cooler winter months for the desert. We should see some fields in Caborca Mexico start to open in the next 3 weeks. Demand and the market out west has started to pick up due to the closure of the fields in Southern Baja.

CAULIFLOWER– Cauliflower market continues to be tight but have adjusted downward with a little more supply in recent days. Sizing in Yuma has been extremely slow with the colder weather. With this colder weather, shippers are yielding more cauliflower 16’s. Overall, the quality has been good with minor bruising and some yellow cast with weights in the 25 to 28-pound level. Look for this market to continue to adjust going into next week.

BEANS– The green bean market has returned to normal. There are much better supplies out of Mexico and south Florida is now getting into some good volume. Quality is getting better. Wax (yellow) beans are now available as supplies increase in Florida. Snipped: Snipped are once again available.  Supplies have returned to normal.

CELERY- Demand is very strong and pricing on contracts have been triggered in some cases. The transition to the southern growing regions is mostly complete as the majority of growers are now done harvesting celery in the northern region. Expect light supplies for the entire week out of the Santa Maria/Oxnard region. The smallest availability continues to be in large sizing, although small sizing has been very active all week. Some seeder and insect damage has been reported but overall the quality continues to be good. Value-added product will be triggered by the end of the week and shippers will be watching averages very closely. Expect light supplies for the entire week with this commodity

GREEN ONIONS– The green onion market continues to come off as supplies have increased. The recent heat followed with rain has been causing some occasional leaf minor and some mechanical damage. The green onion market will continue to be plentiful stead going into next week.

EGGPLANT- East: Eggplant supply is steady, Georgia is finished for the season and Florida shippers are getting into steady supplies. Growers on the western side of the state have been shipping for 3 weeks and have picked up in volume. Growers on the eastern side of the state have started for the season, they are getting a later start than normal but volume on fancy product is picking up. Quality on both coasts has been very good. Demand has dropped in the past week with some pressure from Mexican product, and December is a typically slow period for eggplant. West: Eggplant is available to load in Nogales, from Mexico. Volume is increasing steadily, Supply exceeds demand on smaller sizes. Retail sizes are being sold for a premium money. Most growers are producing smaller fruit at the front end of the growing season. Steady supplies from Mexico are expected through April.

ONIONS– Onion supplies continue to outpace demand keeping the market unchanged on all sizes and colors. Quality is excellent. Don’t look for markets to change to maybe after the first of the year. Weather is the only thing to keep your eyes on, as it could slow the ability of trucks getting around.

CILANTRO- The cilantro market continues to remain steady as growers are coming in with slightly higher yields than previous weeks. The cilantro quality continues to be good. Look for the cilantro market to continue to stay steady going into next week.

IMPORTED CABBAGE- Markets remain elevated with limited supply across all regions. The southeast crop will start harvesting in a light way in mid-December. The Texas crop is also expecting to slowly start and ramp up volume the later we get into December. Expect the overall market to remain elevated.

IMPORTED BRUSSELS SPROUTS- The brussels sprouts market has picked up a bit in Salinas, Santa Cruz, and Watsonville areas. With the rains in the Salinas area, yields have been limited. Quality has been affected by the rain as well as the insect pressure particularly the Diamondback Moth and will be an ongoing battle this season. Look for the brussels sprout market to remain higher going into next week.

CORN- Florida growers are harvesting consistently and volume is considerably improved.

ZUCCHINI– East Coast: Zucchini supply has been steady from Central and south Florida. Expect production to slow tremendously for the rest of the week. Shippers are reporting much lower yields over the last 2 days. Cooler weather and cloudy skies are slowing production, Shippers in Homestead are pushing pricing up for the weekend, this is Florida largest producing region. Quality in all producing regions has been good this week and we expect that to continue. West Coast: There is zucchini available to load in Nogales, from Mexico. Volume is down as we transition from the northern growing areas of Mexico, and begin to harvest out of Sinaloa, Mexico. This region will supply the market until we transition back up to the northern areas in March. Quality ranges in Nogales, as there are now two growing regions in harvest. There could be a small gap in supply with cooler weather affecting production in the north. The newer fields in Sinaloa are producing good quality fruit at the front end of the harvest.

EAST COAST PEPPERS- Green/Red: Pepper supplies are still light. Demand has slowed and prices have declined slightly. Georgia has finished for the season. A few more shippers have started in south Florida but volume is still light. Cooler temperatures have slowed harvest this week and many shippers are getting a late start this season after fighting cheap markets last year during this time period. Quality has been good overall with most shippers, sizing is running on the larger side.

CUCUMBERS– East: Cucumber supply is very light. Cooler temperatures are slowing harvest tremendously and Florida shippers are starting to wind down for the season. Most shippers will be in production for another 2 weeks but supplies will be light. One shipper in Honduras has started exporting light volumes with the other shippers will not start until the middle of December. Quality is fair for the most part, some issues have showed up in the older field cucumbers from Florida. The imports are a little light in color on the first shipment but color will get better by next week. West: Cucumbers are available to load in Nogales, from Mexico. Volume is down as we transition from the northern growing areas in Mexico, to the state of Sinaloa. We could see a small gap in supply due to severe storms in the area back in October. Most growers in Sinaloa will be starting later than normal, and cool weather in Sonora is slowing production sharply. The market has been lower, but the lighter supply is allowing growers to set firm pricing for the open market.

BUNCHED KALE- The kale market continues to stay steady this week and will continue to be with this cooler weather in Yuma. Quality is good with full bunches, and only an occasional yellow leaf being reported.

WEST COAST PEPPERS– Green: Green pepper production from Mexico is ramping up. They are available to load in Nogales. Volume is expected to increase steadily in the next week to 10 days. The pepper market has been strong, demand remains high. Quality from Mexico has been good. Red: Red peppers are available to load in Nogales, from Mexico. Hot house varieties are mostly being sold in retail packs, and field grown peppers are now being harvested in Sinaloa, Mexico. Hot house varieties are expected to provide limited volume as many growers harvested the peppers while they were still green, to capitalize on a high green pepper market. Good supplies are expected from January through April. Limited supplies also available in Coachella.

POTATOES– Canadian: Growers in Quebec and Ontario are reporting good quality and yields on round whites. Harvest on russets is complete with 10-30% being reported as abandoned in the field. Supplies of good quality Yukon Golds are going to be an issue this season as this variety is prone to hollow heart. This happens when dry there are dry hot conditions, followed by lots of rain. The potato stops growing in the heat, rots then starts growing again when it rains. Ontario, Quebec and PEI are ALL going to have this issue. We will have to switch to Yukon Gems to get good quality product. In PEI, the Island, as usual, has the 3 weather zones.  The central area has received rains when necessary, the east has been to the points of needing rain and has ultimately gotten them after some time.  The west is the driest. Overall, in PEI it has been hot and sunny all summer with minimal scattered rain periods. Growers are certain now that yields will be affected overall. U.S.A: The carton potato market has moderate to good movement depending on size. Sizing availability ranges widely shipper to shipper depending on variety. Norkotah’s are running larger with Burbanks running on the smaller side. Market have firmed slightly across the board. Look for the carton markets to stabilize as the retail pack business peaks for the Christmas pull. Quality is still very nice will little to no reports of issues upon arrival. Due to the weather trucks have snow and ice built up on their trailers adding extra weight not allowing them to haul as many potatoes. Transportation is still limited.

SEEDLESS WATERMELON- Supplies are a little tight on seedless this week. Volume is down, and the market is very strong. Crossings from Mexico are starting but will slow down this week as Sonora, Mexico finishes up. Southern Mexico will start in a week and supplies will pick up a bit at the end of December on seedless. Pricing is expected to increase with added freight for the winter crop (growing area is 800 miles to the south). The new crop is expected to provide good quality melons. Florida has limited supplies on seedless of seedless for the week or two. Offshore seedless have started with limited volume.

GOLD PINEAPPLES– Current supplies are limited, but covering normal business. The next few week’s supplies expected to be even tighter. Weather conditions are reported as mixed with unexpected strong afternoon showers. Heavy rains continue to affect yields with 5 count being the least available, all yields in general at a much lower level than previously forecast. European pull continues strong and is reducing availability for the North American market. Quality is reported as good, with a solid 14+ brix reported at all the farms. Tight availability on 5 count and 6 count with some basal spotting reported on large count fruit. This causes a discolored ring around the base of the pineapples causing too much moisture in the soil from previous heavy rains. Shippers have stepped up their selection process for packing to ensure the best quality arrives, hence causing lower volumes moving forward. This is industry wide and forecasted to remain limited until January. The USDA crossing report is showing a significant decrease on inbound loads from Costa Rica last week at 630 loads versus week prior at 823 loads from Costa Rica. The USDA is reporting moderate demand and a steady market. Volumes should gradually increase as we move through the first quarter of 2019.

CRANBERRIES- Cranberries continue to tighten as supply is declining quickly in all areas. We would suggest ordering now for December holidays as cranberries will be short with so many farms ending earlier than expected.

STRAWBERRIES- California has experienced some substantial rain over the last week. Salinas, Santa Maria, and Oxnard have all been hit with heavy showers. Additionally, Mexico saw some rain in the berry growing regions which has slowed down production as well. Obviously, this has had a big impact on availability. Shortages began mid last week and have continued into this week with all shippers being in the same situation in regard to extremely limited supplies. Unfortunately, for supplies, the weather forecasts are calling for more rain this week. Exact amounts of precipitation vary by region, but all areas are expecting light to moderate rainfall. This will only further accentuate the already dismal supply situation. We can expect to see gaps in harvest and supply as well as compromised quality for the next 10 days. Order fulfillment will be a challenge and will be subject to daily availability and market pricing. Expect possibly reduced fill rates and increasing market prices. Please be aware that quality will be compromised. Expect bruising, discoloration, soft and wet berries, and early decay. Florida has started harvesting in limited numbers. 

BLUEBERRIES– Blueberry supplies have been lighter this week and markets are higher. This is a result of the cold wet weather in Mexico and the delay of arrivals from offshore supplies. As a result of the recent rains in central Mexico, production has slowed down and has had an impact on available fruit this week. Additionally, due to some hail in Peru and delayed boat arrivals, we are seeing a small and presumably short-lived supply gap this week. As we anticipate more arrivals next week and increased production in Mexico, we can conversely expect more availability and cheaper prices. Chilean production is also increasing moving forward.

RASPBERRIES / BLACKBERRIES– Raspberries: As expected, supplies are becoming lighter on raspberries. Production slowed down over the weekend in Mexico due to weather. Although we expect better weather this week, we have moved past the first peak of production and supplies will gradually decline until we reach another peak in the next 2 weeks. Quality has been reported as good, although we have seen some soft berries. Markets have been steady to higher. Blackberries: Blackberry supplies continue to be strong. Despite the slowed production from Mexico over the weekend, the blackberries didn’t seem to be affected at all. There is plenty of fruit available from all loading locations. Markets are actually softer this week. Quality has been reported as good.

MANGO- Most of the volume on mangos is arriving from Ecuador at this time. The Brazilian season has for the most part come to a close but it is possible to still see some fruit in the market. The Ecuadorian Tommy Atkins mangos are arriving with reasonable quality and good blush. Defects noted include sunken areas and some discoloration. The fruit is peaking heavily on 12 count with limited supply of larger sizes like 7s and 8s. This week many growers are beginning to harvest the Kent and Keitt varieties and as we transition away from Tommy Atkins it is expected the sizing will improve. In general, volume being shipped is beginning to decrease and in the next couple weeks this will be become evident as those containers begin to arrive.

PAPAYA- Papayas are in high volumes with additional acreage being harvested. Weather in the growing region is ideal for growth and harvesting with warm days and cooler nights. Sizing is distributed fairly evenly between 8s, 9s, and 12s.

LIMES- Lime supplies are looking steady now through mid-December with fair quality and steady markets. Supplies expecting to tighten up mid-December through the first of the year with market prices on big sizes expecting to drop and small size pricing looking to climb.

LEMONS– California: Supplies are steady, covering normal business and holding off on promotable volumes. With the same situation as the navels, the rain is playing a big part on the supply and markets. Currently harvesting out of District 3 (Desert crop) and District 1 (San Joaquin Valley). Peaking on 140/165/115 size in both growing regions. District 3 will continue to be a challenge with the labor shortage, light supplies, and market expected to be firm. District 1 volume is starting to come on stronger with steady market on all sizing. Rain expected the middle part of the week could affect supply, but suppliers are making sure to pack ahead to avoid jeopardizing fulfilling orders. The two regions have a good run on sizes and expected to improve in the next few months.

STONE FRUIT- The last of the California stone fruit is coming to an end. Only plums are available. Reds are finished with only black plums remaining. Sizes are leaning on the large side. Market prices have been slightly higher. Quality has been good. The import stone fruit season is expected to start late December with the first arrivals expected for the first of the year.

AVOCADOS- Arrivals for last week decreased from the prior week, totaling 55 million pounds. Chile delivered 2.3 million pounds, and Mexico shipped a record high 52.7 million pounds. Inventory levels maintain at 50+ million pounds as a result of Michoacán’s returned to harvest. Mexico- Michoacán harvested 52 million pounds last week; 52.7 million shipped to the United States as a result of inventory roll over from week prior.  Fruit has sized up after no harvest for almost two and half weeks. The crop is peaking on 16’s and larger with smaller fruit expected to remain at lower percentages. The weather forecast for the state of Michoacán calls for cloudy days and intermittent rains which will likely subside in the coming weeks. Chile- Volume totaled 2.3 million pounds last week. Arrivals are expected to reach 2 million pounds this week, and another 2 million pounds for next week. Given the market situation in the EU, volumes are expected to be in the 2 million pound per week level until late December. Market Outlook- The industry has quickly replenished supply with record harvest over the last few weeks. There is an expectation for things to stabilize once appropriate harvest and demand levels align.  It is the consensus that Mexico still has a good amount of fruit on the tree and the hope is for smooth and seamless harvest from Mexico for the foreseeable future.  There should be a growing level of confidence in promoting avocados again this month, into January.

GRAPES– With the California grape harvest completed for the season, market pricing is beginning to firm up as we finish the first week of December. In particular, the green seedless market has risen over the past week, as many growers came up much shorter on their Autumn King harvest than originally thought. On the other hand, red seedless varieties (Scarlet Royals/Allison/Crimson) remain plentiful and will last well into January. Black seedless grapes are winding down quickly, along with Red Globes, which are virtually done for the season. Many growers still expect to have both red and green California grapes though the month, with imported Peruvian grapes slowly beginning to arrive in greater numbers through December. Green: Supplies of California green grapes is becoming more limited. As the season starts to wind down, we will see smaller size grapes become scares and larger, stronger grapes become the mainstay. Most of the fruit is storage crop. Quality can be a challenge as we approach the tail end of the season. We will see some split markets depending on age and quality of the fruit being shipped. Overall, markets are higher this week. There has been some very light early arrivals of import fruit, exclusive to east coast ports. We expect import fruit to increase as we move forward in December and the import season to make a shift by the first of the year. Red: California red grapes are still readily available as there are several different varieties being sold. However, harvest is done and we will be relying on storage crop to cover demand before import season starts late December. That being said, we will see varying levels of quality and price. All sizes are available, but depending on the age of the fruit, we will see split markets. It will undoubtedly turn into a “get wait you pay for” situation as we approach the end of the season. Import fruit will gradually make its way to ports over the next 2-3 weeks with an expected transition by the new year.

CHERRIES- No changes this week in import cherries. Demand seems to be light. Availability is steady. Markets have been fairly steady with pricing remaining high. Sizes are large to extra-large. Quality is strong.

CALIFORNIA ORANGES- California navels continue to move along with good supplies across the board, plenty of promotable volume and great quality. The demand is increasing with markets starting to firm up. The change in market is due to the slowdown from the American Thanksgiving holiday and multiple days of rain the last week. With more rain in the forecast, suppliers may experience potential days without able to get into the fields to harvest. The availability of XL fruit has cleaned up with the main focus on the medium and small fruit. With rain hanging around the Central Valley, we could see supplies tighten up on all sizes. With very little inventory available, the market will remain firm until we see pockets of supply to build up. Moving forward, the size structure will be 88/72/113. Brix averages remain at 10-12, some 13. With the cooler temperatures, gas hours are slowly coming down and the color of the fruit showing more uniform color. Cara Caras continue with light supplies as shippers have just started. Supplies will improve over the next few weeks. Blood oranges are expected to start late next week.

CLEMENTINES- The Moroccan clementine season is underway and harvest has really started to pick up. The clementine’s are still green and gas durations are about 96+ hours. The fruit size structure is 32, 28, 36 and 24. The clementine season will run through May.

GRAPEFRUIT- Florida: The Florida grapefruit harvest is underway with most shippers starting to harvest more volume. The fruit is coming out on the small sizes right off the gates, but should see bigger sizes in the next month. The size structure right now is 56, 48, 40, 36, 32 and the crop looks to be of heavy yields this season.

PEARS– Bartletts, Comice, D’Anjou, Bosc, Forelle, and Red Crimson pears are in good supplies coming out of Washington and Oregon. Bartletts are peaking on 100 then 110 count with 90 count and larger being limited. This will be the trend through their season. Quality has been very nice on most varieties with good sugar levels. Sporadic reports of bruising and discolored skins have been reported on a few arrivals. Limited transportation is slowing movement.

CANTELOUPES / HONEYDEWS– Cantaloupes (9’s/12’s): Cantaloupe are in very short supply. Weather in the desert has not been cooperating. There was rain last Thursday and Friday essentially ending the season in the growing region of Arizona. There is a limited supply of cantaloupes, mostly 12s. Attention now turns to offshore fruit. Temperatures in the Zacapa, Guatemala growing region are in the high 90s with some rain in the forecast this week. We are seeing mostly large fruit this week J4s, J6s, J9s, 9s and 12s. We anticipate light supplies on the east coast through next week. Honeydews (4’s/6’s): Weather in Sonora Mexico calls for temperatures in the 70s with some rain in the forecast. We are seeing a good supply on all sizes this week and reports of fair quality. The market is holding at high levels depending on size. Offshore fruit is now available. There is good supply on larger sized fruit as smaller fruit is hard to come by. Reports of fair quality on offshore fruit.

TOMATOES– Demand exceeds supplies. Contracts remain triggered. Quality on what is being shipped is outstanding as weather has been good. East Coast: Extreme heat during the planting season in the fall Palmetto/Ruskin growing district has resulted in reduced volumes and smaller sizes than normal. The winter growing region in the Immokalee/Naples area are beginning to ramp up operations but will not have any significant volume until mid to late December. Currently, Florida is coming out of a 4-day mini heat wave which has helped bring some blooms on the plants, however, temperatures are forecast to see-saw over the next 10 days dipping into the 40’s. The eastern market has shown a slight correction this week after pricing soared last week. Harvests are still considered to be light, however, the quality and sizing is reported to be excellent. Strong markets are being forecast to last through at least the first half of December. West Coast: This time of year, Baja, Mexico is usually the main producer of round and roma tomatoes but a virus has affected growers’ fields, greatly diminishing supply leading to some declaring crop failures. Sinaloa, Mexico is not expected to have any real volume of tomatoes until after the New Year. This is due to nearly 2 months of hurricane-related weather issues causing major disruptions in supplies for most of December and into 2019. The northern states of Coahuila, Durango, and Zacatecas in central Mexico experienced a freeze virtually eliminating roma and grape tomato supplies, especially open field grown varieties not protected by adapted environments (shade houses or greenhouses). Both Baja and Mexico are experiencing more rain this week which is forecast to last through the weekend. This is causing reduced harvesting schedules, in already weather-related reduced acreage fields. This is supporting a relatively unchanged western marketplace this week. Similar to Florida, prices have adjusted down from last week, however, rounds and romas are still unusually expensive. Grapes are relatively unchanged and forecast to remain steady. There is a wide range in quality across all varieties at this time which is in direct correlation with pricing. Premium pricing may be required for consistent quality and condition in pack outs. It is reasonable to expect escalated pricing through the rest of 2018 until mainland Mexico begins harvesting their winter crops mid-January.

APPLES- Granny Smith and Gold Delicious continue to show strength on all sizes. Look for supplies of these varieties to possibly run out before the season is over. Red and red varietals have good availability of most sizes and grades. Quality is very nice with little to no reports on arrival. Look for the apple market to remain firm for most of this season due to the overall crop being down out of the northwest. Transportation is also limited.

BLACK PLUMS / CASTLEFRANCO / FORLELLE PEARS / PERSIMMONS / FLORIDA JUICE ORANGE / FLAT BEANS / CHERRIES / CLEMENTINES / CARA CARA / D’ANJOU PEARS  

PINE MUSHROOMS- From BC/ Oregon. Prices up a bit.
HEDGEHOGS- From Sweden. Now available.
YELLOWFOOT- From Sweden. Now available.
BLACK TRUMPET- From Croatia. Now available.

CHANTERELLE- From Oregon. Larger, drier, ugly.
BUTTON CHANTERELLE- From Oregon. Very limited quantities available.
BURGUNDY TRUFFLES- From Italy. 
WHITE TRUFFLES- From Italy. Available now.

WINTER TRUFFLES- From Italy. Now starting.

VALES SOVEREIGN POTATO / RED BELGIUM ENDIVE / PRICKLY PEARS / SEVILLE ORANGES / BLOOD ORANGE / FIDDLEHEADS / RAMPS / ONTARIO RHUBARB / APRICOTS / RED CURRANTS / ONTARIO YELLOW PLUMS / GALIA MELONS / ONTARIO PEACHES / ONTARIO NECTARINES / ASIAN PEARS / ONTARIO GRAPES / ONTARIO PLUMS / QUEBEC ROMAINE / ENGLISH PEAS / CALIFORNIA POMEGRANITE / FAVA BEANS / GREEN OLIVES / QUINCE / RED PLUMS