The Trade Buzz

CROP UPDATES

STRAWBERRIES

strawberry

Florida

Quality: Quality is good for conventional and organic fruit, with some water damage from the recent freeze.  

Volume: Production has decreased slightly due to cold weather slowing ripening. Volumes are expected to increase in the following week. 

Pack Counts: Conventional: 20, 22-24 depending on ranch; Organic: 20, 22-24 depending on ranch

Mexico

Quality: Quality is good with occasional bruised fruit and green shoulders. 

Volume: Production is steady.  

Pack Counts: Conventional: 20-24-28, depending on ranch. 

Oxnard

Harvest Status: Plants are healthy with heavy blooms and some green fruit. An atmospheric river is forecasted for this week, growers will assess the impact throughout this week and next. Light volumes are expected in mid-January. 

Santa Maria

Weather: Significant rain from an atmospheric river is forecasted for this week. While fields are hooped, flooded furrows may delay harvests. 

Quality: Organic quality is good with some pin rot and water damage from wet, cool weather.  

Volume: Production is decreasing for the season due to continued rain and cool temperatures.  

Pack Counts: Organic Fall Crop: 22-28, depending on ranch 

 

BLUEBERRIES

blueberry

Chile

Quality: Quality on arrival and at origin is excellent.  

Volume: Volume is increasing with conventional peak projected for mid-January.

Mexico

Quality: Quality is excellent with great bloom and flavor. The only defects are occasional ripped calyx and shrivel.  

Volume: Volume is steady.

Oxnard

Quality: Organic quality is excellent.

Volume: Volumes are increasing. 

Peru

Quality: Quality is good at origin.  

Volume: The last organic container is estimated to arrive in mid-January. Political unrest has caused slowing at the ports.

RASPBERRIES

raspberry

Mexico

Quality: Quality is good with some soft and broken fruit due to fluctuating temperatures.  

Volume: Production is steadily increasing. 

BLACKBERRIES

blackberry

Mexico

Quality: Quality is good with some overripe fruit.  

Volume: Production is decreasing with an increase forecasted for late January. 

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:

“I am in Quebec, Canada. I just opened a box of your raspberries. They are the best that I have ever tasted. They are huge, deep red, and sweet just like the berries my aunt used to grow in her garden back in the 50’s and 60’s. When the berries were ripe I would walk about her raspberries and pluck them right off of the bushes. You brought back a wonderful memory to me. Thank you so much. Please pass my message on to the workers in the fields so they know their work is appreciated. Thank you and happy harvesting!”

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