The Trade Buzz

CROP UPDATES

STRAWBERRIES

strawberry

Oxnard

Quality: Crews are currently harvesting Winter/Spring Crop. Quality is good with good sheen, shape, firmness, 90-95% coloring. 

Volume: Volumes are light due recent rain events; however are anticipated to increase with improved weather conditions.  

Pack Counts: 14-18, depending on ranch.

Santa Maria

Quality: Crews continue to clean-up organic crops following the rain and are resuming harvesting conventional fruit this week. Quality is good with occurrences of green shoulders and some pinrot. Fruit has a nice shape, sheen and flavor. 

Volume: Volumes are slated to increase with improved weather conditions.  

Pack Counts: 12-16, depending on ranch.

Florida

Quality: Conventional and organic quality is good with occasional green shoulder and misshapen fruit. The area received a total accumulation of 2.88 inches of rain last week. Crews are throwing down a fair amount of damaged fruit to ensure a clean pack. 

Volume: Volumes are slated to increase with improved weather conditions.  

Pack Counts: Conventional: 10-12, 14-16, depending on ranch; Organic: 12-16 depending on ranch

Mexico

Quality: Quality is good overall with some heat related defects of overripe and soft-skinned fruit. Temperatures are expected to normalize this week and improve quality. 

Volume: Production is peaking. 

Pack Counts: Conventional: 25-28, depending on ranch

BLUEBERRIES

blueberry

Chile

Quality: Quality is good with some soft, shriveled fruit.

Volume: Volumes are expected to increase.

Oxnard

Quality: Organic quality is great

Volume: Cool wet weather has slowed ripening in the region. Production will steadily increase over the next 4 weeks.

Mexico

Quality: Quality is good with occasional attached flowers. 

Volume: Volume will steadily increase over the coming months. Spring crop peak is forecasted for weeks 10-16.

RASPBERRIES

raspberry

Mexico

Quality: Quality is very good with nice size and firmness.

Volume: Conventional and organic volumes are steady. 

BLACKBERRIES

blackberry

Mexico

Quality: Quality is good overall with some red cell and leaky fruit. 

Volume: Volumes are steady. 

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!”

The Trade Buzz

Subscribe to The Buzz trade newsletter and receive weekly emails with the latest berry news.

The Berry Buzz logo

Subscribe the Berry Buzz Blog for the latest berry news, recipes, tips, videos and more!