The Trade Buzz

CROP UPDATES

STRAWBERRIES

strawberry

Oxnard

Quality: Quality is good with nice sheen, firmness, and 90-100% color. Crews are working hard to keep water-damaged and botrytis-impacted fruit out of packs.

Volume: Peak production has started.

Pack Counts: 14-16, 18-20, depending on ranch

Santa Maria

Quality: Conventional and organic quality is good with some occurrences of soft fruit and pin rot due to recent rain. Crews are working hard to keep packs clean. 

Volume: Production is quickly increasing with the warm weather.

Pack Counts: Conventional 14-16, 18-20 depending on ranch; Organic 14-18

Watsonville/Salinas

Quality: Quality is good with some spongey, crooked fruit and water-damaged tips from recent wet weather.

Volume: Production is anticipated to increase quickly as weather improves.

Pack Counts: Conventional 9-12; Organic 14-16

BLUEBERRIES

blueberry

Central Valley

Quality: Quality is good

Volume: Organic production is increasing as warmer weather helps with ripening. The first conventional picks of the season have started.

Florida/Georgia

Quality: Quality is excellent

Volume: Volumes are in peak production. 

Oxnard

Quality: Organic quality is good with occasional soft fruit

Volume: Volumes are decreasing as peak production winds down.

Mexico

Quality: Quality is good.  

Volume: Production is steady.

RASPBERRIES

raspberry

Mexico

Quality: Quality is good overall with occasional soft fruit due to hot weather.  

Volume: Volumes are steady. 

BLACKBERRIES

blackberry

Mexico

Quality: Quality is good with some red cell and small-sized fruit due to hot, dry, windy weather.   

Volume: Volumes are steady. 

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SEPC Southern Exposure

March 6 – 8th
Orlando, FL

USHBC/NABC Blueberry Hill Climb

March 24 – 28th
Alexandria, VA

CPMA

April 8 – 10th
Montreal, Canada

IFPA Retail Conference

April 30 – May 1st
Dallas, TX

IFPA Washington Conference

June 9 – 11th
Washington, DC

Organic Produce Summit

July 9 – 11th 
Monterey, CA

IFPA Foodservice Conference

July 31 – August 1st
Monterey, CA

SEPC Southern Innovations

September 10 – 13th
Charlotte, NC

USHBC/NABC Blueberry Convention

October 8 – 10th
Seattle, WA

IFPA Global Produce & Floral Show

October 16 – 18th
Anaheim, CA

A berry nice note from a California Giant Berry Farms shopper:

“Absolutely delicious! Unbelievable life span (refrigerated)! Just as good today as when purchased 5 days ago!”

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