Moderate supplies out of Florida from Central America. French type; prices are unchanged. Quality and condition are variable but generally good.
Green bell supplies have tightened. Prices are up this week. The product is available in Central California. Red pepper supplies have improved. Yellow and orange peppers are steady. Moderate supplies from Michigan and North Carolina. Movement expected to begin decreasing seasonally. Market fairly active. Prices are higher; quality is good.
Movement expected about the same. Trading is moderate. Prices on Jalapeno and Anaheim much higher, Poblano higher, Serrano slightly lower, Habanero generally unchanged. Quality is variable.
Light supplies from Virginia expected to decrease seasonally. Prices are unchanged. Quality is good overall.
Cucumber prices are steady this week. Supplies are steady, but the quality has been nice. There are a few crossing through Nogales but very limited quantities. Moderate supplies from Michigan and North Carolina, expected to continue the seasonal decline. The market is active. Prices are generally unchanged.
Moderate supplies from Georgia and Michigan expected to decrease as the season winds down. The market is active. Prices are unchanged. Quality is good.
NW Onions OR & WA, Demand is building; prices are inflating on all colors. Transportation costs have gone up. Trucks are a bear to secure in many circumstances. Harvest will be finished soon and growers are no longer under pressure to sell. They are glad to raise prices and will slow production as needed while filling storage with these beautiful onions. Yield is said to be a bit off this season. Many storages may even remain empty this season. Export on all three colors is helping keep supplies tight and market firm. #2 onions are abnormally short this season. All colors of Organic Onions are available including sweets. Mexico-Movement is expected to be about the same. Supplies in too few hands to establish a market.
Mt Vernon: the harvest is in full swing. All colors are available including Fingerlings. The market is steady. All other districts in the US are harvesting and markets are holding a steady pace with good demand. Organics are available. Eastern WA continues with a supply of Red & Yellow potatoes along with colored Fingerlings. Quality is good. ORGANIC colored spuds and fingerlings are available as well.
Russet Potato Prices continue to fall on large bakers. Due to COVID and the subdued draw from the Food Service sector, movement on the big side is tricky. Idaho sheds are pushing to fill bale orders for retail while dropping count prices that normally fill the restaurant trade. This can be said for most of the major growing areas. Transportation costs have skyrocketed. Lending even more pressure onto the FOB prices. USDA Food Box Program has put substantial demand on small cartons and consumer packs. Export is also taking the small sizes when most of the fields currently being harvested are peaking on LARGE size profiles. Harvest will be complete within the next 3 weeks. Marketers hope prices will stabilize then. Another major concern is that acreage and total volume is projected to be down from last season. Quality is outstanding. Organic Russets are available.
Moderate supplies from North Carolina, Mississippi, and Louisiana. Prices generally unchanged. Quality is generally good.
Zucchini – Fresno and Santa Maria are harvesting, supplies have tightened and prices are up. Nogales has started crossing some zucchini but supplies are very limited. Moderate supplies from Michigan and North Carolina. Prices are higher. Quality is good.
Yellow Squash – Product is shipping from Santa Maria, Fresno, and Baja, same situation as zucchini, supplies are tight and prices are up. We should start seeing some product cross through Nogales towards the end of the month. Moderate supplies from Michigan and North Carolina expected to continue its seasonal decline. The market is active; prices are higher. Quality is good.
The East: Availability is super tight due to heat and rain over the past few months. We will have to wait for the Palmetto/Ruskin growing regions to start mid-October to give supply relief.
The West: Doesn’t have much supply to help the east. Baja is dealing with extreme heat and Central Mexico is on a week lull in their production cycle. Expect this market to be tight. We expect to see a supply increase starting this next week.
The East: Like the rounds, romas have the same challenges that are affecting production. They to are awaiting the Palmetto/Ruskin growing regions to start late October.
The West: Baja and Eastern Mexico are waiting on new crops in the next week or two so supplies remain light. California is feeling the effects of an earlier heatwave; which will continue for a few weeks.
East Coast: The majority of the crop’s volume has tightened even further due to weather. We are in hopes the Palmetto/Ruskin growing areas will help fill the gap albeit they are forecasted to be light and are not due to start until mid-late October.
West Coast: Baja and Eastern Mexico are wrapping up their summer crop. Availability will remain light until the fall crop begins in a week or two. The majority of California’s green crop is seeing volume issues and will continue to decline as the season wraps up the middle of October.