Farmer's Report
Produce Trends - June 14, 2019
All produce pricing trends are based on the USDA data as of 6/11/19.
VEGETABLES
POTATOES
Russets 
The market on russets is steady to up this week. Burbanks out of Idaho are up on 70 ct., steady on 90 ct. and up on 6 oz. minimum size. Moderate supply, good demand, and quality are being reported out of Idaho.
Reds
The red potato market is up this week. Product out of Florida and Kern District, California is up. There is moderate supply and good demand.
Yellows 
The markets out of both Florida and California are steady. Quality is good, with moderate supply and demand.
CABBAGE
Round Green 
The cabbage market is down this week with light supplies. Many growing regions across the country are gapping, influenced by the unusual spring weather this year.
LEAF LETTUCE
Green Leaf
The green leaf market is up this week. Supplies are expected to be light, due to quality issues caused by the poor weather conditions in May, and now the heat wave California is experiencing.
Romaine
The romaine market is up this week. Romaine supplies are expected to be light this week. Prices have taken an upward turn, and demand is up. Supplies will be low, and quality will be fair in response to recent rain and high temperatures in California’s growing region. As far as quality, expect to continue to see occasional fringe burn, and salt and pepper, most of which is found on the outer leaves.
ICEBERG LETTUCE
The iceberg market is up this week. Iceberg supplies are expected to be light this week. Strong demand has influenced an increase in pricing. Volume out of California is expected to decrease because of unusual weather conditions. On quality, expect to continue to see low percentages of mildew pressure and occasional internal burn, due to the light rain and the warm temperatures.
GARLIC
Domestic garlic is steady, with good supply and demand and good quality being reported.
ONIONS
The jumbo yellow onion market is steady to up this week, depending on the growing region. Product out of Imperial Valley, California and Mexico is up, with moderate supply and good demand. Product out of Georgia is steady, also with moderate supply and good demand. Quality will vary by growing region.
MUSHROOMS
There are no issues to report on mushrooms coming off the East Coast, with good supplies, demand, and quality. There continue to be issues on mushrooms coming from the West Coast regarding supply and quality.
CILANTRO
The cilantro market is mixed this week. Product out of Oxnard is steady on 30’s and up on 60’s. There is moderate supply and demand. Product out of Central Coast, California is up on 30’s and on 60’s with moderate supply and good demand.
CUCUMBERS
Cucumber prices continue to go up, per the USDA on 6/11/19. Supplies are tight, as we transition to newer fields for the summer. Farms are battling warm weather, which is causing quality issues.
CELERY
The celery market is up this week. Celery supplies will be around normal this week. The market is slightly fluctuating. There is good demand, but prices are dropping.
Yellow Squash
Yellow squash prices continue to go up, per the USDA on 6/11/19. Supplies remain tight as squash transitions to new fields. Quality continues to be an issue, with heavy scarring being reported.
ZUCCHINI
Zucchini prices are steady to up for the week, per the USDA on 6/11/19. Georgia and Mexico are flat, while North Carolina is reporting a price increase. Supply remains snug due to the transition in both regions. Quality is fair for zucchini.
GREEN BEANS
The green bean market is mixed this week. Imported haricot verts are steady, with moderate supply and demand. Machine-picked product out of south Georgia is up, with light supply and good demand. Quality will vary depending on the growing region.
BELL PEPPERS
Green
Green bell peppers are steady to up for the week, per the USDA on 6/11/19. The West looks to be flat out of California, with supply meeting the demand. The East is seeing short supply due to transitions into new fields. Quality will vary due to the transition period.
Red
Red bell prices are flat to up for the week. California prices look to be flat week-over-week. Hothouses are seeing a price increase due to a decrease in their supply. Offshore volumes continue to slow down as domestic season approaches. Quality is fair to good for the time being.
TOMATOES
Rounds
Round tomatoes are up in price in both regions, per the USDA on 6/11/19. Both the East and West are working through transition, leaving the inventory a little light. Quality is mixed, with reports of scarring and soft fruit.
Romas
Roma prices are down slightly for the week, per the USDA on 6/11/19. Supply remains tight, but the demand has tapered off a little bit. Roma are also going through a transition, which causes a variance in quality between new and old crop.
Cherry
Cherry tomatoes are steady to up this week, per the USDA on 6/11/19. Mexico is flat, while the East is seeing a price increase. Both regions are in the process of transitioning to newer fields, resulting in a tightened-up supply. Quality continues to vary in both regions.
Grape
Grape tomatoes are mixed again for the week, per the USDA on 6/11/19. Mexico appears to be flat, while Florida is seeing a slight price drop. Transition is occurring in both regions, which will create a varying quality.
CARROTS
The jumbo carrot market is mixed this week. Product out of California is up, while product out of Mexico is steady. There is moderate supply and demand out of California, with good quality being reported. There is moderate supply and good demand out of Mexico, but quality will vary.
GREEN ONIONS
The green onion market is mixed this week. Product out of Mexico is steady on medium and down on small. There is moderate supply and light demand. Product out of South Carolina is steady, with lighter supply and good demand.
CAULIFLOWER
The cauliflower market is up this week. Cauliflower supplies are expected to be good this week. Availability of supplies is up out of California. The market is trending lower in response to the increase in volume. As far as quality, not much of a change this week, except for some slight discoloration and/or cream color in low percentages.
ASPARAGUS
The asparagus market is mixed this week. Product out of Peru is up and product out of Michigan is steady, while product out of Mexico is down. There is moderate supply and demand.
BROCCOLI
The broccoli market is down, and supplies will be good this week. The California market is lower with higher volume. However, the market on Mexican product is mostly stable, with lighter volume this week. As far as quality, expect to see an increase of yellow beads and brown bit caused by the warm weather.
HANGING FRUIT
Apples and Pears
Apples
All varieties are steady this week with moderate supply and demand. Good quality is being reported.
Pears
The pear market remains stable. Green and red D’Anjou and Bosc are available. The small end of pears remains tight, while 90 ct. and larger remain constant.
CITRUS
ORANGES
Orange prices are flat per the USDA on 6/11/19. Orange supplies have begun to improve, allowing the market to be steady to down for the week. Navel sizes continue to trend toward 88/72/113 counts. Valencia will continue to improve in the upcoming weeks. Tangelos have finished their season now. Cara Caras are trending to 133’s, and Blood Oranges are 138/163/113 cts.
LEMONS
Lemon prices are steady to up for the week, per the USDA on 6/11/19. Lemons continue to trend toward larger sizes, leaving smaller sized lemons in tight supply. Vendors are waiting to see if offshore product can help with the lack of small sized lemons. Quality still looks to be fair to good for now.
LIMES
Lime prices are steady to up, per the USDA on 6/11/19. 110’s and 150’s are in tight supply, pushing their prices up, while other sizes look to be flat week-over-week. Quality looks to be good for the time being.
BERRIES
STRAWBERRIES
The strawberry market is up this week. Quality has been solid, though California did get some heat over the weekend, and they do expect to see some issues in the field this week, such as bruising and possible issues with solidity.
BLACKBERRIES
Quality is remaining consistent, with mostly firm berries and some undersized. Overall, there is good quality out of Georgia.
RASPBERRIES
Raspberry volume is winding down due to the recent rains, with a tentative end-date for the end of June. Overall, fruit still looks firm and large.
BLUEBERRIES
Mexican blueberries are slowing down significantly, as they will soon transition out of Mexico.
GRAPES
The grape market is down this week out of Mexico. Black Seedless are down on Large. Flame Seedless are down on Large, XL/Large and Medium/Large. There is moderate supply and demand.
TROPICAL
PINEAPPLES
Pineapple prices are flat this week, per the USDA as of 6/11/19. Pineapple markets are trending towards smaller sizes. We are expecting to see less 5’s and more 7’s and 8’s for the next two months. Quality is very good right now, as the climate in Costa Rica has improved, which is optimal for maintaining good quality.
BANANAS
Banana prices continue to be flat week-over-week per the USDA on 6/11/19. Production continues to be steady, and quality is not an issue currently.
AVOCADOS
The avocado prices are up this week, per the USDA on 6/11/19. Mexico supplies have tightened up, as demand increases and transition begins to Loca fields. California supply continues to dwindle down, with Peru supply helping where it can.
MELONS
CANTALOUPES
The cantaloupe market is down this week. Vendors are harvesting melons in Arizona. Quality is good, with sizing trending large due to growing conditions. Small fruit is difficult to come by currently.
HONEYDEWS
The honeydew market is up this week. Vendors are harvesting melons in Arizona. Quality is good, with sizing trending large due to growing conditions. Small fruit is difficult to come by currently.
