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Market Insider September 4, 2020

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Key:
  • Promote
  • Caution
  • Alert
  • Steady

Beans

Beans
steady

Moderate supplies out of Florida from Guatemala; French type. Prices are slightly lower. Quality is variable.


Bell Peppers

Bell Peppers
steady

Green bell supplies are down a little this week and prices are steady. The product is available in Central California. There are better supplies of red, yellow, and orange peppers; prices are down a little. Moderate supplies from Michigan expected about the same current week, decrease following week. Prices are higher. Quality is good.

 


Chiles

Chiles
steady

Movement expected about the same. Trading early active, late moderate. Prices Jalapeno slightly lower, Serrano slightly higher, others generally unchanged. Quality is variable.


Corn

Corn
steady

Steady supplies from Michigan and Virginia. Prices are higher. Quality is generally good.


Cucumbers

Cucumbers
steady

Cucumber prices are steady this week. The product is crossing from Baja. Supplies are steady, but the quality has been nice. We should start to see some cucumbers through Nogales next month. Moderate supplies from Michigan. Prices are higher. Quality is generally good. Moderate supplies from North Carolina. Some growers are experiencing a production gap.


Eggplant

Eggplant
steady

Moderate supplies from Michigan. Prices are higher. Quality is good overall. Most shippers from Georgia expect to start harvest in the next two weeks.


Onions

Onions
steady

NW Onions OR & WA, Demand is good overall on all colors including Sweets. Lower again this week but the market has stabilized. As with most harvest periods in the PNW, the Growers have nearly taken the prices to below grower costs. It can only go up from here. Medium Yellow and reds are tight as demand is heavy towards value-added packaging. Organic Onions- all colors are available with a limited supply of mediums as Organic growers work through the large profiled Transplants. There is better volume of Medium sizes next week once regular season supplies are harvested. Mexico’s movement is expected to be about the same. Supplies in too few hands to establish a market.


potatoes

Colored Potatoes

Colored Potatoes

steady

Colored Potatoes

Eastern WA continues with a good supply of Red & Yellow potatoes along with colored Fingerlings. Quality Good. ORGANIC colored spuds and fingerlings are available as well. Mt Vernon has begun harvest. Not all colors are available just yet. Production will be in full swing by the end of September when all colors including fingerlings and Organics will be abundant.

Russet Potatoes

Russet Potatoes

traffic light with yellow light lit up

Russet Potatoes

The Russet Potato market is volatile. Harvest time is an interesting time, to say the least. Growers are in full harvest mode and pushing to get their share of the movement. Thus, prices are falling across the board in Idaho. Conversely, WA/OR seem to be holding prices on 70ct and larger where demand exceeds supply in many cases. While some fields peak on a large profile, there are many others that are peaking on small sizes. Consequently, there is much confusion amongst marketers on what the real deal is. 10oz #2’s are as elusive as 40 counts. Prices on small cartons and consumer pack sizes seem to be dropping weekly. Quality is outstanding. Worth noting that the processing sector will be short of supply this season as COVID preempted potential contracts and many fields were not planted accordingly. Once Foodservice regains its place in the world – supplies will be pulled away from the table potatoes. Needless to say, markets will rebound in unprecedented ways. Organic Russets are now available.

Sweet Potatoes

Sweet Potatoes

steady

Sweet Potatoes

Moderate supplies from North Carolina. expected to decrease as a few shippers have finished with 2019 inventories and are transitioning to 2020 crop. Prices are generally unchanged. Quality is variable. Light supplies from Mississipi expected to slightly increase for the Labor Day holiday. Quality is generally good.


Soft Squash

Soft Squash
steady

Zucchini – Fresno and Santa Maria are harvesting, supplies, and quality has been good. Prices are steady. There is also some product crossing from Baja. Nogales should start crossing zucchini towards the end of September. Light supplies from North Carolina. Prices are slightly lower. There is good demand.

Yellow Squash – The product is shipping from Santa Maria, Fresno, and Baja, supplies are decent and prices are steady this week. We should start seeing some product cross through Nogales towards the end of the month. Light supplies from Michigan. Prices are lower. Quality is variable. Light supplies from North Carolina as many growers are experiencing a production gap.


tomatoes

Grape Tomatoes

Grape Tomatoes

steady

Grape Tomatoes

East Coast: Supply levels vary by growing region, quality is good.

West Coast: Lots of supply as Baja and Central Mexico’s production has increased. Promotions encouraged.

Roma Tomatoes

Roma Tomatoes

steady

Roma Tomatoes

The East has steady availability however quality is varying depending on the region.

The West has steady supplies; new growing areas are producing Jumbo and XL sizing.

Round Tomatoes

Round Tomatoes

steady

Round Tomatoes

East Coast: Vineripes’ supply is strong with multiple growers going. Wide range of quality depending on the area.

West Coast:  Baja’s numbers have eased a bit; CA has a good supply on mature greens. Quality has improved.