The Trade Buzz

CROP UPDATES

STRAWBERRIES

strawberry

Florida

Quality: Quality is great for both conventional and organic fruit. 

Volume: Production has notably slowed due to cold weather slowing ripening. Plants are loaded with flowers and green fruit. Optimal weather forecasts mid-week will help to ripen green fruit.  

Pack Counts: Conventional: 18-20, 20-22 depending on ranch; Organic: 18-22, 24-28 depending on ranch 

Mexico

Quality: Quality is good with occasional green, overripe or cold-damaged fruit.  

Volume: Production is increasing.  

Pack Counts: Conventional: 24-28 depending on ranch 

Oxnard

Quality: Overall plants are healthy and benefitted from rain. Damaged fruit was harvested for juice this week. An additional round of juice harvest is necessary for clean-up and then crews will resume packing for fresh later this week.  

Volume: Volumes are light.  

Santa Maria

Region Update: No harvests occurred last week due to weather and flooding. Field access and damaged hoops are currently being repaired. Fruit was harvested for juice over the weekend.  

Volume: End of week may bring fresh fruit. Conventional spring crop scratch picking is anticipated for the end of January/early February. 

BLUEBERRIES

blueberry

Chile

Quality: Quality on arrival and at origin is good.   

Volume: Volume is decreasing due to temperatures in the 90’s followed by rain.  

Mexico

Quality: Quality is great with excellent bloom and flavor.  

Volume: Volume is steady as production transitions from fall crop to spring crop.  

Oxnard

Quality: Quality is excellent with great size and bloom.  

Volume: Production is steady.  

Peru

Quality: Quality is good at origin.  

Volume: The last organic container is anticipated to arrive this week. Political unrest has caused delays at the ports.  

RASPBERRIES

raspberry

Mexico

Quality: Quality is good with occasional broken or overripe fruit.  

Volume: Production is increasing each week

BLACKBERRIES

blackberry

Mexico

Quality: Quality is good with occasional calyx retention and dried tips. 

Volume: Production is steady.

 

Organic Produce Summit (OPS)

July 10th – 11th
Monterey, CA

IFPA Foodservice Conference

July 25th – 26th
Monterey, CA
Booth #617

SEPC Southern Innovations

Sept. 12th – 14th
Nashville, TN

 

IFPA Global Produce & Floral Show

Oct. 17th – 18th
Atlanta, GA

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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