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.

 

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!”

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!