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Commodity Updates
Keep up-to-date on how weather and other conditions across the country and the globe affect the quality, availability, and pricing of your fresh fruits and produce.
STRAWBERRY ALERT!
Strawberry demand exceeds supplies in all California growing regions. Availability has decreased drastically and will continue to do so throughout the month of November.
Northern California has received a tremendous amount of rain over the past two weeks. This rain has impacted the quality of the berries and prevented growers from getting into their fields to harvest. Salinas,
Watsonville, and Castroville have ended production for the season.
Production in the southern California growing areas of Santa Maria and Oxnard are extremely short. As they are past their peak, production will continue to decline weekly. Rain and cooler weather here have posted another set of challenges- delayed growth and disrupted harvests.
Florida strawberry production is projected to begin around the end of
November, beginning of December.
Our orders have been getting cut and pro-rated; and we expect this to continue through the week. Our buyer is working hard to source them
for you. We may not have inventory until Friday.
MARKET UPDATES... 
Avocados - Short supplies exist as more rains at the end of last week halted harvest. We should start to see supplies getting caught up by the end of the week. We are now in the new crop and quality is very good. Keep in mind: This early season fruit will have a tendency to remain green when ripe, as the skin isn't mature enough for it to darken. Color is not an indication of ripeness, pressure is. >>Click here for information on avocados.<<
Blueberries - Pricing continues to climb; domestic fruit has ended and demand has continually increased for the short, sporadic supply of offshore fruit. This is an industry-wide shortage. Volumes of offshore fruit are expected to increase when Chile ramps up in November.
Celery - Demand exceeds supplies; escalated pricing is in effect. Quality continues to be reported as good in all growing areas.
Kale - Supplies out of California are good. Overall quality continues to be good and pricing looks to be competitive throughout the week.
Oranges - All shippers have begun packing this year's California Navel crop. Volumes will continue to pick up.
Iceberg Lettuce - Demand continues to exceed supply. Production in Salinas is finished. Huron production is light due to rains delaying harvest on Sunday and Monday. Escalated pricing is in effect included value added items. Seeder and light weights are the biggest issues in all growing areas. Other quality issues include: small and irregular head size, decay, puffiness, insect damage, and internal burn. Seeder and light weights are the biggest issues in all growing areas. Defects are a direct result of past and current high temperatures. Yuma has begun production but quality is only fair due to heat damage. Defects are industry-wide and will continue throughout the month.
Romaine Lettuce - There continues to be light production in Huron and Yuma. The quality issues continue in all the growing regions. These issues include fringe burn, small and irregular sizing, insects, dehydration, seeder and internal burn.
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