Eastern Canada's Market Update

GARLIC- Supplies of peeled garlic from China continue to be very tight as new crop harvest continues. Delays loading in China as well as delays
unloading at ports due to Covid illnesses, is causing supplies to be somewhat sporadic. The COVID-19 pandemic complicates the balance
between supply and demand. China: The whole bulb market remains steady as whole bulbs store better than peeled. Quality remains good.
California: Lower yields are keeping pricing high. The quality remains above average. The market for California garlic remains strong due to
good demand.
ICEBERG- Good supplies will be available all week. Shippers are flexing and looking for volume deals as demand is weak. The weather outlook
calls for average temperatures with strong winds and no rain in the forecast. Overall, the quality has been good. Aside from slight pinking and
discoloration being reported on the outer leaves, the quality is above average with multiple suppliers. Weights are averaging 41-45 pounds. The
primary shipping locations for leaf items are Yuma, Arizona, and the Imperial Valley of California.
ROMAINE / LEAF- Romaine, romaine hearts as well as all leaf items will be readily available all this week. The quality is above average with
most suppliers. Most shippers are flexing for volume orders. Weights on romaine are averaging 34-38 pounds. Common defects include fringe
burn and twisting but these defects have been minimal. The weather outlook calls for average temperatures with strong winds and no rain in the
forecast. Overall quality reports show very nice quality and condition. The primary shipping locations for leaf items are Yuma, Arizona, and the
Imperial Valley of California.
WEST COAST: SPRING MIX/BABY SPINACH/BABY KALE- Steady supplies have been the story as of recently. Spring mix, baby arugula and
baby spinach quality and supply levels are easily meeting demand. Quality has been good with occasional yellowing and bruising of the tender
leaves.
EAST COAST: ARUGULA / WATERCRESS– Watercress and arugula supplies out of Florida are very good with very good quality.
US CABBAGE- The Florida/Georgia cabbage market remains high with very little availability. Texas has better availability. Sizing is still on the
smaller side but there is larger product available. Red cabbage also remains tight and limited.
BROCCOLI- Supplies continue to exceed demand. There continues to be plenty of product coming out of Santa Maria, Yuma and Mexico. The
market will stay aggressive going into next week. Overall, the quality is good on both bunched and crowns.
ASPARAGUS– Markets on both coasts remain very reasonable as great supplies continue to come out of Caborca Mexico. All sizing and packs
available at aggressive pricing. Look for this market to stay aggressive February through March. Expect to see lower prices and a lot of
promotional activity at the retail level beginning this week.
CAULIFLOWER– Grower/shippers continue to see excessive yellowing and bruising out in the field. These lower yields are keeping this market
on the higher side.
BEANS- Volume is steady this week out of Florida. Supplies of Mexican beans out of Nogales has improved leading to a stable market. Quality is
mostly good. Demand remains unchanged and is light. There are some wax and flat (pole) beans available this week. Snipped: Snipped bean
supplies also continue to be light at steady prices. Overall, quality has improved and is very good.
CELERY- This market is steady. All sizing is available with 30ct having the best availability. The quality of this commodity continues to be above
average. Slight seeder and leafiness has been seen, but is minimal. The best pricing continues out of the Oxnard/Santa Maria growing region.
GREEN ONIONS– Supplies out of Mexico continue to be on the tighter side as the cold and rainy weather is hampering growth. Watch for this
market to stay strong going into the weekend.
EGGPLANT- Below normal supply is expected to continue out of Florida as a transition to newer blocks is underway. Mexican volume is steady
crossing through Nogales.
CUCUMBERS– Field: Mexican growers have started to abandon some of their fields due to depressed markets. Expect markets to start reacting,
and volume to remain short for the upcoming weeks. Honduras production continues to remain steady. The spring crop from Florida
(March–May) was impacted due to high winds and cold temperatures last week. English: Canadian cucumber supplies are getting better,
however, cloud cover could slow production. Mexico has good supplies as overall demand is weak. We continue to see a 2-tier market right now
with Canadian cucumbers slightly more elevated than Mexico.
BRUSSELS SPROUTS- Brussels sprout supplies continue to improve and the market continues to be soft.
CORN- Florida is producing somewhat better supplies but still has very limited volume. Watch for volume to remain tight in the coming weeks
until volume in Homestead, Florida improves. Cold weather means sporadic harvests and higher prices.
KALE- Steady supplies and good quality out of the southern California/Yuma and Texas growing regions will continue for this week. The kale
market remains stable as growing conditions are very good. Overall, quality is good with full bunches and some yellow leaves being reported.
CILANTRO- Cilantro supplies are good this week easily meeting demand. Texas, California, Arizona and Mexico are producing good volumes.
Quality is strong; texture is firm with minimal yellowing.
ZUCCHINI– High winds and cold temperatures do not go well with zucchini, and this is what took place last week in Florida. There was freeze
damage reported on some of the fields, so expect supply disruption in the upcoming weeks. Weather permitting, Mexico should continue with
steady volume; although, we are noticing some quality issues with yellow zucchini, mainly scarring and scuffing.
PEPPERS- Green Pepper: Weak demand has led to some weakness in the markets. Florida continues to produce steady volume, but the
weather from last week will have an impact in the upcoming weeks. Gone are the days of being able to get load volume out of Florida. Weather
in Mexico will continue to assist adequate production and the opportunity promote in the upcoming weeks. Red Pepper: The red pepper market
out of Mexico has moved to seasonal norms as volume increases from Central Mexico. We expect good volume and quality over the next week.
There are light supplies of red, yellow and orange hothouse peppers this week out Mexico as well as offshore supplies from Spain and Belgium.
Prices are easing.
ASSPORTED CHILI PEPPERS- Supply remains firm this week due to rain in Central Mexico. Pricing is steady this week. We are seeing a tighter
market in Florida on jalapeños, long hots, cubanelles and Hungarian wax peppers due to cooler weather and rain. Quality is fair in all shipping
points.
CARTON BAKING POTATO: Prince Edward Island: The Island reported 16.5% less potatoes in storage on February 1, 2021 than the same
time in 2020. It is PEI’s lowest February 1 inventory since 2002. January disappearance exceeded year-earlier movement. Detailed
disappearance data shows an increase in potatoes going to processors, offset by reductions for table potato disappearance and some for seed
movement. At the January usage rate, the Island’s processing potatoes would be cleaned up by August 12 and table potatoes would be gone by
May 30. P.E.I. There is lighter seed in storage on February 1; down from last year. Local observers indicate that all of the available seed has
been spoken for. USA: The market remains stagnant on all sizes and grades of potatoes. Burbanks, Norkotahs, and white russets are shipping
full steam ahead. Quality remains strong on all varieties at this present time. Larger sized cartons are much more plentiful than they have been
in recent weeks, as the heightened demand on small potatoes for the USDA Box Program is causing large counts to back up some. There is some

optimism that the USDA program will continue to help keep small sized potatoes cleaned up over the next three months, which should help the
overall market. While foodservice demand had been picking up, inclement weather these past two weeks has not helped. The market needs
foodservice to increase to normal levels to help it finish strong. We anticipate this to happen as we get into warmer weather in the coming
months and should see the vaccine continue to circulate. Other russet growing regions will finish shipping in the coming months, so there should
be less overall supply on the market, resulting in higher prices.
ONIONS– Shipments have been up significantly this past week, largely due to the USDA Farmers to Families Box Program. Size profiles on all
colors continue leaning toward heavier to larger sizes, which is expected to continue as the program continues for the next three months. White
onion supply continues to tighten up in the Northwest, however Mexican white onions crossing through South Texas are beginning to take
pressure off in markets where they have a logistical advantage. Shippers are beginning to experience higher than normal shrink levels as they
move toward the final months of the storage crop, which could boost the market if demand picks up. Mexican yellow onions are crossing through
South Texas in addition to white onions. This is normal for this time of year; however, it does not help the stagnant market. The market still has
a good chance to finish strong with warmer weather and better food service demand as lockdowns get lifted.
TABLE POTATOES– Canadian storages held 7.4% fewer potatoes on February 1, 2021 than same time prior year. The bulk of the decline came
in the Maritime Provinces, which had 21.9% fewer potatoes in storage than they did on February 1, 2020. Elsewhere, large inventory increases
in Manitoba, Ontario and British Columbia offset stocks reductions in Alberta and Quebec. Data indicate that this year’s stocks reduction is
distributed fairly evenly across the major industry sectors, ranging between a 6.6% decline for table potato supplies and a 7.9% reduction in
processing potato supplies; however, regional differences indicate that the downturn in processing supplies is focused on frozen processing, not
on chip potatoes. Canada’s January potato disappearance fell 1.9% short of the 2020 pace, its lowest level since 2017. The Prairie Provinces,
Ontario, and P.E.I. reported usage increases, but they were offset by a steep decline in New Brunswick’s usage rate, along with reduced usage in
Quebec and British Columbia. Limited reporting on movement may be complicating the picture in eastern Canada, particularly for New
Brunswick. Table potato stocks in the four eastern provinces were down 14.1%, from last year. Overall, those potatoes would last through June
21, at the January usage rate; however, that is mostly due to the slow usage pace reported for New Brunswick. Packers in the other
provinces worry that they may not have enough potatoes to support their core customers through the normal shipping season.
The situation in the Prairie provinces is more complicated. Though Alberta has record table potato stocks, those potatoes are cleaning up rapidly;
on the other hand, supplies of red potatoes appear to be backing up in Manitoba this year. Ontario: The province reported 12.5% more potatoes
in storage on February 1, 2021 from the year-earlier inventory. The holdings included more supplies of chip potatoes than the previous year.
January chip potato movement was relatively strong. At the January usage rate, Ontario’s 2020 crop of chip potatoes would last through July 29.
Ontario is expected to clean up its table potatoes by June 24. Quebec: The province had 4.4% fewer potatoes left in storage on February 1,
2021 than it did same time, 2020. The inventory included 2.91 million cwt of table potatoes. At the January usage rate those potatoes would last
through June 16. The processing supply total was down from February 2020 stocks. We do not have the split between fry-quality and chip
potatoes; however, the January 1 chip potato inventory was up 14.6%, while the fry-quality potato inventory was down 18.7%. That mix likely
persisted during February. Quebec also had lighter supplies than the year prior of seed left in storage on February 1. British Columbia: The
province had 18.1% more potatoes left in storage on February 1, 2021 than year prior. The January disappearance remained sluggish, falling
15.4% short of last year’s pace. Nevertheless, the remaining inventory should clean up with-out any problem. At the January usage rate, British
Columbia’s table potatoes would be cleaned up by May 25. The biggest impact of this year’s larger inventory would be to reduce the need for
imports from Washington.

BANANAS- Growers continue to experience the lasting effects of Hurricane Eta and Iota. To further complicate the situation, it is winter in the
tropics. As happens every winter, the cooler days and even cooler nights slow down the maturity of the fruit. Growers have assessed damages
that are quite significant and have not only impacted crops, but infrastructure as well. Based on the forecasts from growers, we anticipate active
markets and tight supply through March 2021, possibly longer.
SEEDLESS WATERMELON- Supplies of seedless are good. Crossings in from Nogales have picked up from Nayarit, Mexico. Texas continues to
bring in fruit from Jalisco and Nayarit. Supplies on the east coast are good on 60 count bins from either Florida or offshore. Demand is light and
markets remain steady. We are seeing a wide range in quality and condition.
MANGO- While the Peruvian mango season is currently in its peak, the volume is expected to start dropping very quickly as the season comes to
a close in the next few weeks. The peak volume will be arriving over the next couple of weeks before the impact of the drop in production is
seen. It is anticipated that the last arrivals from Peru will come in around the first week of March. The quality of the fruit has been exceptional
thus far with clean fruit, cutting with good internal color and decent blush. Markets have lowered some with the higher volume arriving, but are
not expected to drop significantly. The Mexican mango season continues to harvest Ataulfo/Honey mangos with limited supply. The sizing is
currently peaking on 18 count. In addition, Mexico has begun harvesting a small amount of Haden mangos, with the sizing peaking on 10s and
12s, and good quality on the first arrivals.
PAPAYA- Not much has changed in the growing regions of Mexico. Growers are still challenged with cooler weather, but they have seen warmer
days recently which has led to more supply this week. We will have a gradual increase of supply this month as we get closer to March. Currently,
the overall demand is low and the market has decreased.
BLUEBERRIES– The heavy rainfall over a week ago has heavily impacted production of blueberries in Chile. This will affect inbounds starting
late February through early March. While growers picked ahead, which will keep the market stable for at least the next few weeks, expectations
are that we will see an early end to the import season and very light supply starting late February. Delays at the Long Beach port in California
continue to impact arrivals of offshore product to the west coast, but we will see an increase in production through the month of February out of
Mexico to help with supplies.
STRAWBERRIES- Oxnard, California growing areas have had limited supplies and strong markets due to colder weather and demand for
Valentine’s Day orders, however demand will ease as we start this week and supplies will improve. Promotable volumes are projected for next
week and into the first week of March. Below normal temperatures in Florida. If weather cooperates, we should see an increase in availability in
about 10 days but expect tight supply from Florida to continue this week. Oxnard, California fruit has good color, occasional white shoulders,
pack bruising, soft shoulders, discoloration and scarring from the wind, and misshapen. Average counts are 18 to 20, occasionally higher and
lower.

RASPBERRIES / BLACKBERRIES– Raspberries: Mexico continues to be impacted by the freeze damage in January. Tight supplies are
expected until new growing regions start in March. Look for this market to remain very expensive with very limited supplies.
Blackberries: Demand exceeds supply due to the freeze in Mexico a few weeks ago. This is driving the market up as there is light production.
New regions will start producing mid-March. Market continues to be very active, but not as high as raspberries.

GOLD PINEAPPLES– Costa Rica: Strong winds, as high as 60 miles per hour are being generated by the passing of a cold front through the
Caribbean Sea with partial to total cloud cover at both the Caribbean and Northern regions of Costa Rica. Growers are monitoring temperatures
as this could generate a naturally differentiated flowering (NDF) event. Quality is reported as good but with still some unstable weather affecting
the internal condition with some water spotting and brix levels. The USDA crossing report is showing a spike in crossings last week at nearly
1,250 inbound containers from Costa Rica. This is up from the prior week’s crossing of 600+ inbound containers. Demand as moderate with the
market holding steady. Demand for pineapples is moderate with plenty of surplus fruit at most shipping points. Even with additional inbound
volume, demand continues to keep up with inventories as the market remains somewhat stable. Mexican supply is increasing significantly,
placing additional pressure in markets in the Gulf states.
STONE FRUIT- Supply is limited on Chilean peaches, plums and nectarines due to shipping delays and unloading of vessel delays arriving at
ports in Philadelphia and Los Angeles. Quality is good with steady pricing. Pomegranates are now from Turkey or Israel.
ORANGES- California Navels: Navel demand has picked up over the last week. Pricing has been steady as the weather has been nice. Supplies
on small sizes have started to become limited and expect this to get worse as time goes on. Sizes are peaking on 56s/72s/88s. Exporting has
been going strong and fruit is leaning strongly to fancy over choice. USDA programs have also started so expect to start seeing limited choice
fruit. Quality has been excellent, with great color. Brix has been consistently over 11+ with many shippers over 12+. Imports: Mexican supplies
(loading in South Texas) will be available until July/August. 88-count fruit dominates this crop. Spanish oranges are available on the east coast
at very reasonable prices. 80/88-count fruit also dominates this crop. California Blood/Cara Cara Oranges: The crop continues with size
peaking on 88/113 count with very limited amounts of 72 count and larger. Internal color is great and external color is good with some outer
blush. Availability will continue through mid-March. Florida: Florida juice oranges are in abundant supply with prices remaining steady. We will
see continued good supplies as start February. We have transitioned from then Hamlin variety to the Pineapple variety. Quality is very good.
LEMONS– The market is trending upward with supplies keeping up with demand at this point. District 3 will most likely be finishing in the next
month or so which is earlier than normal. We currently also have plenty of lemons coming out of District 1. Fancy 115s and 140s are a bit
limited. Exporting has been strong and quality has been excellent out of both districts. Expect the market on lemons to continue rising in the
coming weeks. Watch the market in coming days due to expected heavy rains. Meyer lemons are also available.
CLEMENTINES/MANDARINS- California: Clementine’s have gone up a bit in price, but still where the deal is right now. Pricing is not as
aggressive as it was. Quality and brix have been strong and will only improve as the season goes on. Offshore: Morocco is currently
transitioning into Nardocot mandarins. Prices are steady as supplies remain strong. Retail continues with some aggressive ad’s which will keep
pricing from falling further.
GRAPEFRUIT- Grapefruit out of Texas and Florida has been steady over the past few weeks. Quality has been good, but we have seen a good
bit of scarring and softness. Supplies are healthy and pricing has come down compared to where it was a few weeks ago. Demand continues to
remain strong and this is a great item to promote, especially 56s. Texas is expecting to end their season the end of March to middle of April.
There are a few shippers with Star Ruby grapefruit in California, but supplies are limited, especially on small sizes. Quality is excellent. There is
also some fruit from Israel arriving on the east coast, keeping the market reasonable.
LIMES- The lime market is getting active with current production region wrapping up for the season. The weather forecast was also showing rain
at the end of last week, which could slow harvest. The demand for limes has been high. Sizing profile is peaking on sizes 175/200/150/110, with
size distribution as follows: 110-18%, 150-19%, 175-24%, 200-20%, 230-13%, 250-6%. Several quality issues have been reported this
week–blanching, scarring, oil spots–in addition to shorter shelf life on the 110/150s. Looking ahead to the next few weeks, expect small fruit to
become tight. We can expect lower supplies in February until new crop starts.
CANTALOUPE- The cantaloupe market is slightly lower but still strong. Demand is good on all sizes especially larger sized (9’s/J9’s) fruit.
Availability on the east has improved while the west coast continues to struggle. Offshore cantaloupe arrivals from both Guatemalan and
Honduras continue mainly into Florida ports. Volume is light due to hurricanes at the beginning of the offshore season. Due to low yields and
poor quality, growers are sending most product to Florida due to shorter transit time. These next few weeks will be challenging but we do
anticipate the market to improve in March.
HONEYDEW- Similar to cantaloupe, honeydew demand is light and markets are slightly lower. There is good availability of offshore fruit out
east and Mexican fruit in the west. Quality has been fair and brix levels are ranging 10% or better. Sugar on the offshore fruit has been decent,
and quality has been just okay. Occasional black spots have been found, with minimal wind scarring. Quality on the southern Mexico fruit has
been very nice with good sugar.
PEARS– Washington: There are good supplies of Anjou, Bosc, and red pears out of Washington and Oregon. Bartlett pears are finished for the
season. The overall crop was smaller this season which has put pressure on supply and pricing all season. The small pears are the tightest as the
fruit grew big this season. The prices have remained higher this year versus last year and we are projecting that the pricing will stay firm on all
the pears for the rest of the season. Imported pears from Argentina and Chile will start to arrive into the east and west coasts in the next week
or so. Demand will be good in the beginning until volumes ramp up in March.
AVOCADO- Post Super Bowl, avocado inventories are down nearly 20% versus the week prior and the week is expected to start off with strong
demand. Meanwhile, field prices are up and some buyers are outbidding others in order to restock. Demand is outpacing supply on all sizes
except 70s/22s and 84s/28s. Quality is excellent and supplies are fresh. Industry arrivals for last week totaled 43.1 million pounds. Mexico
shipped 42.9 million pounds and California harvested 241,410 pounds. Current inventories at the border reflect a total of 56 million pounds, of
which 3.7 million pounds are organics. Mexico dominates industry supplies with the majority of total inventories reported. Volume ranges remain
wide due to uncertainty posed by the global pandemic. Weekly averages for the next 4 weeks should adjust down to the 48-54 million+ pound
range, when combining arrivals from Mexico and California. Mexico- Michoacán reported 50.7 million pounds last week with 42.9 million pounds
shipping to the United States. Harvest for this week is expected to return to average production levels as we expect a full week of harvest
through Saturday. California- Harvest for last week was 241,410 pounds, and the expected harvest for this week should be well around
800,000 pounds. Preliminary forecast for the entire season has adjusted down to 300+ million pounds. Market Outlook- Pricing this week has
increased quicker than anticipated as Mexico moves to higher elevation fruit following the Super Bowl pull. We see less grade #1 fruit that could
cause potential size challenges in the coming weeks and increase field costs. Shippers will be competitive in the field to ensure they are getting

the best sizing for their customer base. California is getting a slow start with the sizing is on the smaller end due to lack of rain. We expect to
see the market continue to increase as Mexico has upcoming holidays, and Holy Week (March 28 - April 3) will limit volume, as it does every
year. Please anticipate an increase in costs over the next month.
GRAPES– The imported grape market remains tight on both the east and west coasts, with continued vessel and container delays limiting
availability. Arrivals from both Peru and Chile will continue steadily through the month of February; but early March is still expected to be very
difficult as Peru will be winding down rapidly, and Chilean arrivals during this time will be limited due to the heavy rain during the last weekend
in January. Estimates out of Chile are that 60% of the mid-season grapes have been affected by this rain in some way, which were
particularly damaging to the green seedless grape varieties on the vine. The industry will know far more on the extent of this damage
over the next few weeks as the Chilean growers resume harvest, but a close eye will need to kept on quality with any fruit picked and shipped,
post-rain. There will be a significant increase in pricing over the next few weeks, possibly until Mexico’s season starts. Looking at current
varieties being shipped, a wide range of red seedless options (Allison/Sweet Celebration/Flame/Crimson) are still being sold across a wide range
of price points, with multiple green seedless varieties (Sugraones/Thompson/Sweet Globe/Arra 15) still available also.
TOMATOES– Round tomato prices are remaining reasonable with steady supplies in Florida and supplies increasing in Mexico. The grape tomato
market remains steady to slightly lower while yields are rising. East Coast: Florida has been dealing with cool temperatures and scattered
showers which has slowed harvesting, limiting volume. Florida typically reduces acreage for January, February and March as Mexican production
dominates the market driving the pricing to the mandated minimums, which is where we are today. Florida is having to adjust pricing down to
compete with the Mexican markets. This trend is expected to continue the rest of the month. Quality continues to be good from Florida at this
time. Grape tomato prices continue to drop, as demand remains weak and production out of Mexico is good. Cherry tomatoes are in the same
situation but still demanding higher prices as there are fewer growers growing cherry tomatoes. West Coast: Demand is fairly light while
production is increasing. As a result, this is sending the market to the floor with most being at the mandated minimums. Mexican production is in
full swing and with the warm weather in the growing regions, this will continue to allow promoting and affordable markets through the beginning
of March. Roma tomatoes continue to be priced at the floor. Until demand increases there is the potential for supplies to get backed up at the
border; quality will slowly become an issue we need to watch out for. Grape tomato prices continue to remain low, as demand continues to be
light with strong production. Cherry tomatoes are in the same situation but still demanding higher prices as there are fewer growers growing
cherry tomatoes.
APPLES- Washington: The apple market remains tight again this week as demand remains strong. We expect this tight and higher-priced
market to remain this way for the next couple of months as inventories are lighter than last year at this same time. The tightest items are the
Red Delicious, Golden Delicious, premium Honeycrisp, Granny Smith, and large Pink Lady apples. The items that are the best value right now are
the Fuji and the Ambrosia apples. We expect the import apples from Chile and New Zealand will start to arrive in early April. Early reports are
that Chile has an average crop with good quality. Ontario/Quebec/Michigan/New York: Growers continue to pack out of controlled
atmosphere storage rooms. MacIntosh, Empire and Red Delicious are in good supply. Royal Galas will start to wind down as we finish February,
while Gold Delicious are essentially finished. There is also good availability on Cortland, Ambrosia, Honeycrisp and Red Prince. Quality is good
with steady pricing. Offshore: There have been arrivals of Granny Smith on the east coast from Italy with good quality.

Black Trumpet: From Oregon. Top quality. Supply limited. Pricing active. 

Hedgehog: From Oregon. Prices stable. 

Yellowfoot: From Oregon/British Columbia. Prices stable. 

Bluefoot: From France. Limited quantities available. 

Chanterelle: From Oregon. Prices are up a bit. 

Winter Truffles: From Spain. Top quality. Lower pricing. 

CASTLEFRANCO / CUBANELLE PEPPER / POMEGRANITE / FLORIDA JUICE ORANGE / CLEMENTINES / CARA CARA ORANGE / BLOOD ORANGES / APRICOTS / PEACH / NECTARINE / MEYER LEMONS 

DRAGON FRUIT / GOLD KIWI / CORN / WAX BEANS / POLE FLAT BEAN / CHERRIES / APRICOTS /QUINCE 

STEM STRAWBERRIES / RED PLUM / FAVA BEAN / ENGLISH PEA / SHELLED PEAS / BLACK ANGELINO PLUMS / STARFRUIT / PUNTARELLE / TANGERINES / PERSIMONS / SEVILLE ORANGES