Potatoes – Onions – Vegetables – Northern Veggies – Melons – Tomatoes – Nuts and Bolts

MARKET REPORT 8/17/09

Potatoes and Onions:
California russets have finished. Nevada and Idaho are still shipping old crop burbanks but they are showing distress. New crop norkotahs from Washington and Oregon are arriving in small numbers and mostly to the smaller sizes. Look for higher prices as the new crop settles in. Many California onions growers are finishing up for the season. The Market on both reds and yellows will increase as supplies dwindle.

Vegetables:
Both green and yellow bells have cleaned up since last week and are up in price. The red bell market has backed off and is now comparable to the yellow market. Italian and yellow squashes are up slightly this week but are still good buys. This should be the last week for Mexican asparagus as the quality is falling off with feathering tips and crooked, irregular sizing. We have already made the switch to air freight Peruvian for quality. Prices are higher on larger sizes. Jumbos are very short. Blue lakes remain very short and expensive. No change for eggplant or cukes this week.

Northern veggies:
Look for modest increases on leaf products this week as production slows down with cooler weather in the Salinas valley. Broccoli and cauliflower are still very reasonable with excellent quality. Look for slightly higher prices on romaine hearts as one of our main suppliers lost major acreage due to widespread mildew. Celery remains a very good buy. Brussel sprouts having finally made a come back after about a month off. The green onion market has really taken off. Look for higher prices possibly through September. Cilantro is also up sharply from last week. Bok choy, napa, leeks, fennel, kale, endive, escarole, green and red chard will be good buys all this week.

Melons:
Mild interest and sluggish chain store ads have allowed this market to back off from last week. Look for better pricing and excellent quality on both cantaloupe and honeydews. Cantaloupes are showing very nice exterior color and netting with full slips and good brix. Seedless watermelon remain moderately priced with good quality. All mixed melons are currently available.

Tomatoes:
The round tomato market continues to firm up as crossings fall off. Vine ripes out of northern Baja remain the best bet but even these tomatoes are showing imperfections. The roma market will be very tough again this week. With many shippers gapping on Baja fruit and color at a premium, this market looks to stay high for at least another week. Cherry and grape tomatoes have also cleaned up a lot since last week. Prices are higher but still very reasonable.

Nuts & bolts:
We have switched to Tommy Atkins mangos as the Kent variety has finished up. Exterior color will show more blush but they will not eat as well. Prices should remain stable. We are also switching from flame seedless red grapes to a Scarlett variety. Look for a larger more elongated berry with excellent sugar. Costa Rican pineapple continue to cut very well. Prices to remain the same this week.

Tags: Produce Reports