Happy Halloween!!
Most things in the produce world seem to have settled down as this time of the year is usually slow throughout the industry. Things will gear up as we approach Thanksgiving. A few commodities are trying to show some early strength, i.e. green onions and asparagus, but for now the seas are relatively calm.
Lettuce has shaken its frenzy and quality seems to be improved. There's a little bit of weather issues ( occasional mud, tipburn, etc.), but not very severe. Some of the leaf lettuces are actually quite nice. Romaine lettuce has reversed its prices and come back down and iceberg is stable. Now we'll have to hope that when lettuce shifts down to the desert for the winter, we don't see another gap with escalating prices.
The tomato market is weakening a bit with Florida product beginning to come aboard. Slicing tomatoes still seem to be mediocre in taste, though there are better choices for grape tomatoes than before. Romas have also come down a bit in price.
Zucchini and yellow squash remain in the ahh, let's say there is little demand and prices remain inexpensive. Quality is very good.
Red and green peppers are in the same boat, as product is coming from several states leading to a supply exceeds demand situation. Good for us!
Leeks and green onions are in very short supply and prices are high, especially for leeks.
Cantaloupes continue to be in very short supply. Prices are approaching $40 for the large sizes and the mid $30's for smaller fruit. This will last until Dominican Republic starts shipping. Honeydews remain tight also.
Eggplants are very clean and prices are low. Most eggplants are coming from Georgia right now.
Juice oranges from California have come off in price in anticipation of the beginning of the Florida season. This has allowed us to reduce the price of our fresh orange juice a bit. The juice is very sweet right now.
Have you noticed the price of baby peeled carrots with tops lately. Here's the story. It was discovered that most of the supplies of these carrots were coming from Mexico just south of the border near Nogales. These production facilities were like small offices with families and kids peeling away day and night, then taking the carrots home and continuing to process them there. Let's say the facilities were rather primitive and the powers that be busted the operations and closed them down. Well, now there is very little supply of these carrots and prices are around $40. Might be a good time to look for a substitute until this situation gets straightened out.
The above picture is in the caves of Halong Bay in Vietnam, while the sculpture below is in front of the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, Spain.
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( 3 / 69 )Actually it's the lettuce update and news is mixed. Iceberg lettuce has come off its ridiculously high prices, while all romaine products have gone up in price. They thankfully haven't gone as crazy as last weeks iceberg prices.
Broccoli--word has it that prices may ease off a bit next week. We'll keep watching.
Seedless Cucumbers--a bargain. $10 for a case of 12 this weekend.
Watermelon--new crop melons from Mexico have just begun. Most domestic watermelons are finished for the season. Prices should come off and quality should begin to improve.
Cantaloupe--prices are very high for limited Arizona product. Very few distributors want to handle Mexican product, which in past years have had e-coli issues. Mexican honeydews don't seem to be an issue, and are usually very tasty. Importers of cantaloupes for the winter deal from Nicaragua and Honduras, are touting their new varieties. They claim to have higher sugar content and better consistency than in previous years. They usually start in late November, so stay tuned!! We'll certainly welcome summer like melons in winter.
Limes--the lime market is dropping mostly from lack of demand.
Winter Squash--supplies are beginning to dwindle, especially for the more specialty varieties. These would include sweet potato, sweet dumpling, carnival, spaghetti, red kuri and the like. Acorn and butternut are still available, though if you have proper storage conditions, buying ahead would not be a bad idea.
Brussels Sprouts--people either love 'em or hate 'em. Prices have come down considerably this week. We can also obtain baby brussels sprouts from Holland with a weeks notice. They're awesome!
Sweet Potatoes--by now my staff is tired of me reminding them that "they're all sweet potatoes and not yams that are grown in the U.S." The California red skinned garnet variety is my favorite for its creamy texture and sweetness. The beauregard variety from down South is the variety we're most familiar with. They come packed in different grades from #1 to Jumbos, so if you can handle a large size sweet potato they're about half the price. Just let our order crew know.
We also can obtain baby or fingerling sweet potatoes of several varieties. They cook up quickly and are tasty and versatile.
I've found a new batch of pictures to dress up this blog site. They're from Vietnam. Hope you enjoy.
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( 3 / 211 )Well, I’m going to prove that I can be a glass is half full guy.
If you did a little deeper, you can see there are all sorts of
wonderful things happening in the produce industry.
Citrus—we're talking lots of good news here. The California Navel crop is supposed to be super for the 2007-2008 season. Great quality and an abundance of fruit are just around the corner. The crop has already begun to be harvested, though the first few varieties are pale and sour. I anticipate good fruit to be available by early to mid November. Actually there is very tasty navel oranges available right now from South Africa. These are the midknight variety.
Texas juice oranges, the mars variety, have also begun which will hopefully allow us lower the price of orange juice in the near future.
Texas and Florida grapefruit have also started their respective harvests. Fruit is a bit green, but it won’t be too long before both states are shipping tasty grapefruit.
New crop lemons from Arizona, California and Florida have begun. It shouldn’t be too long before the lemon market begins to fall.
How are we doing so far. Want some more good news—ok, here it comes.
Potatoes—Red A and B size potatoes are being freshly dug from many states, creating a good value for the end user. The same is true for baking or russet potatoes which are available from Idaho, Washington and Wisconsin. Prices are very reasonable. Even Yukon golds which can often get very pricy, are only in the mid $20 range. For you fingerling potato users many varieties and colors are currently available.
Root Vegetables—such as parsnips, beets, carrots, turnips, rutabagas and celery root are all fresh and sweetened by the cooler weather. Root vegetables are a particularly good value.
Yellow Squash and Zucchini—are coming from several states and Mexico creating a good supply to keep prices down.
Hawaiian Papaya—a load of these came into the Detroit Produce Terminal and by mistake they came fully ripe. That’s just how we like them. With many fruits being in a gap or out of season, these papayas might be a good substitute this weekend.
Pomegranates and Quince—these two fall fruits are in the midst of their season and quality is excellent. Pomegranate seeds add nice texture and crunch to green salads.
Medjool Dates--new crop medjool dates from the California desert are plump and juicy. These beauties come in 11 pound cases and are at the peak of their season. Dried string figs from Greece have also appeared at the market and are available in 14 oz. bricks or rounds.
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( 2.6 / 151 )
Well folks, tighten your seat belts because we're in for one heck of a ride. Things are so scarce for lettuce right now in California, that the big boys have enacted the Act of God clause. This is never a good thing. Just the sound of Act of God clause makes one sit up, take notice and maybe look over their shoulder or at least at their menu. How is this thing going to affect my cost of goods!! So, here's what's going on. Adverse weather, i.e. cold and rain in the Salinas Valley where most the California vegetables are winding up, is limiting the supply of many vegetables, especially iceberg lettuce. The transition to the next growing area, the Huron district in the central valley, is off to a late harvest so there is very limited product out there to currently help the situation. The "Huron Deal" is always short lived before the "hand-off" to Yuma and the Cochella Valley ( the winter deal) occurs. That usually happens around Thanksgiving, one of the largest veggie demand times of the year, and they might not be on schedule either. Things could get messy for a while!!
So, the Act of God clause gives shippers the right ( or out ) to cancel prices of contracts with their brokers or distributors. This happens mostly in the pre-cut world. All salad mixes with iceberg lettuce or romaine is being affected. We have received faxes from all of our vendors stating price increases. Two such increases have already happened this week and is anticipated for next week. Receivers of fresh product, like romaine or iceberg are warned that once you have booked a truck of product it's yours, suspending the normal inspections that take place if there are quality concerns. "You bought it, you own it." Gosh, that's not very nice.
Iceberg Lettuce--prices are already approaching $50 and climbing. Do you really need it?
Romaine--riding on its brothers coat-tails, it's moving up every day. Currently about $25.
Leaf Lettuces and Spring Mix--as of yet, these items are just inching up. Quality issues in spring mix could be an issue.
Broccoli and Cauliflower--prices are strong for both vegetables. They are in the same supply boat as lettuces, packing their bags for the move to Huron and Cochella Valley for the winter. Those cute snowbirds.
Strawberries--oh no, not these also! The Berry Bowl label is finished for the season, leaving Driscoll as about the only game in town. Boy, do they love this situation. Prices will be higher for the weekend. Florida strawberries will provide some relief in December. If it quits raining in California, that would help also.
Cantaloupes and Honeydews--this is a different situation, though the results are the same. Shorter days in the growing areas, mostly Arizona, make it difficult for melons to gain sugar and ripen properly. Prices are showing strength and quality has been variable. Offshore melons from Guatemala will help soon.
That's all the bad news I can digest at one sitting. I promise to write a blog with only good news soon.
It could be a short one.
Rick
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( 2.9 / 50 )
Cranberry season has begun. It's one of the few fresh produce items that has a short lived season, which usually ends in late December. So, stock up and freeze some berries when they are at their peak in November. Most bogs are located in Wisconsin, Massachusetts, and even Michigan.
Pineapples, which go well with cranberries, are becoming more plentiful and prices are falling.
Blackberries are winding down in Nicaragua and we are waiting for production to kick in from Mexico. Prices are much higher!
Blueberries are very scarce and quality is poor. My advice is to wait until production begins from Argentina, which should be in a couple of weeks.
Pears --many varieties are now available as the season hits its stride. Green and red bartlett's, comice, seckel, bosc and forelle pears are currently all available. Raw in salads, poached, or baked like in a pear crisp, pears are a wonderful treat.
Honeydews are very scarce as there are limited supplies from California's Central Valley and the Arizona Desert. Prices are much higher. Cantaloupes and watermelons are no great shakes either. Quality is variable.
Potatoes--fall is harvest time for potatoes and there are numerous choices out there. From Michigan white potatoes (very inexpensive) to many varieties of fingerlings, to baker potatoes, yukon golds, reds, and whites, potatoes are perfect for fall menus.
Tomatoes--no relief yet as prices skyrocket for all varieties. Production out of Florida in a week or so will boost supply and help the situation. We are shifting to California product for slicers and romas which seems to be of good quality. We'll try to keep 'em red and ripe and ready to use.
Lettuce--iceberg prices are going through the roof. Prices are over $30 per case. Other varieties are stable for now.
Zucchini and Yellow Squash --have been on a roller coaster ride lately. Prices seem to be dropping for the weekend.
Michigan Veggies still available include red and green cabbage, mustard and collard greens, kale, a bit of eggplant, potatoes, beets, turnips, parsnips and winter squash. All of the above are great values, especially in light of so many high prices.
About The Pictures--both buildings were worked on by the famous architect Antonio Gaudi from Barcelona in about the late 1880's. The top one is of the very famous La Sagrada Familia or the Holy Family. Gaudi worked on this Roman Catholic Basilica for over 30 years, and it is still only partially complete. The 2nd picture is the Casa Battlo which originally was an apartment building commissioned by the wealthy industrialist Josep Batllo. I'm not sure how it went over back then, but today it is a fascinating museum, visited by thousands of tourists each year. Google Gaudi and check out his work!
Later gators,
Rick
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