The Trade Buzz

CROP UPDATES

STRAWBERRIES

strawberry

Santa Maria

Quality: Quality is good with some soft-skinned, deformed fruit, and occasional pin rot on shoulders. Shape, size and color is good. Crews are doing a good job keeping packs clean. 

Volume: Fall crop production increasing with peak estimated for first week of October. Organic spring crop production is decreasing.  

Pack Counts: Conventional Fall Crop: 18-20; Organic Fall Crop: 16-18, 20-22 depending on ranch; Organic Spring Crop: 28-30, 32-35

Watsonville/
Salinas

Quality: Quality is fair for both organic and conventional fruit with some soft and overripe fruit due from the heat wave.  

Volume: Production is decreasing; downward trend expected through month of October.  

Pack Counts: Conventional: 20-26; Organic: 30-34 

BLUEBERRIES

blueberry

British Columbia

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

Volume: Production is light as the season finishes.   

Mexico

Quality: Quality is excellent. 

Volume: Production is increasing as the season gets underway. 

Oregon

Quality: Quality is good.  

Volume: Production is decreasing.   

Peru

Quality: Quality at origin and upon arrival is great with good bloom and firmness.   

Volume: Production is increasing with peak estimated to start the last week of September.

 

RASPBERRIES

raspberry

Mexico

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

Volume: Production is steady.   

Watsonville

Quality: Quality is fair due to hot weather. 

Volume: Volumes are steady and will continue to gradually decrease through the month of October. 

BLACKBERRIES

blackberry

Mexico

Quality: Quality is fair. 

Volume: Production is increasing.  

Watsonville

Quality: Quality is fair with red cell and leaky berries due to hot weather. 

Volume: Volumes are steady and will begin to decrease in the coming weeks. 

Santa Maria

Quality: Quality is fair with some red cell, soft and leaky fruit due to hot weather.  

Volume: Production has decreased due to last week’s heatwave.   

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 sweet message from a Meijer shopper: 

“I just wanted to tell you how much I love California Giant strawberries. I recently purchased a couple cartons of them, and they were by far the best I’ve ever had!! Keep up the good work!”

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!