Crop Report: November 13, 2008
Eastern Growing Area
Vegetables:
· Cold temps from this week and three weeks ago continue causing shortages on most items from Florida.
· Cucumbers- very light supply, markets strong.
· Green Beans- good supplies. Markets steady
· Cabbage- good supplies. Markets steady.
· Florida starting this week quality should be better. Georgia corn available in limited supplies. Most corn is percentage grade.
· Pepper-moderate supplies. Markets steady.
Fruits:
- Lime market is getting stronger.
- Ugli fruit expected to start by mid December.
- Watermelons available from Texas, Mexico, Florida.
- Florida navels, tangerines, kumquats, tangelos, juice oranges, red grapefruit and white grapefruit available.
- Personal seedless available from Florida and Mexico.
Vegetable Commodities:
Avocado:
Eastern Growing Area: Florida is harvesting in good supplies. Sizing is very good. Markets are steady. Quality is good.
Broccoli:
Eastern Growing Area: Virginia and North Carolina are currently harvesting in better supplies. Markets are weaker.
Cabbage:
Eastern Growing Area: Illinois, Ohio, New York, Canada and New Jersey have steady supplies. Quality is good. Georgia and Texas has also started this week. Red & savoy are cabbage available. Markets are steady.
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Cauliflower:
Eastern Growing Area: Florida should start in December.
Carrots:
Eastern Growing Area: Canada and Michigan are harvesting with good supplies. Quality is excellent. Markets are weak.
Celery:
Eastern Growing Area: Florida expected to start by late December.
Collard Greens:
Eastern Growing Area: Currently loading product from Georgia and South Carolina with good supply. Prices are steady.
Colored Bell Peppers:
Eastern Growing Area: South Florida to start in mid December.
Concord Grapes:
Eastern Growing Area: Michigan shipping in steady supplies. Product is packed 12/1qt. Quality is good. Michigan will go to the end of December.
Corn:
Eastern Growing Area: Supplies in Georgia are limited. Quality is Fair grading 85% Plus. Ears are small 50-55ct Markets are firm. Florida expected to start this week with light supplies.
Cucumbers:
Eastern Growing Area: Florida is harvesting in limited supplies. Markets are very strong. Quality ranges from fair to good.
Eggplant:
Eastern Growing Area: Florida expected to start this week with very limited supplies. Georgia is finished. Markets will be very strong.
Grape Tomatoes:
Eastern Growing Area: Florida is harvesting in better supplies. There are a variety of packs available: 1#, 2#, and the pints. Golden grapes are in fair supplies. Organic red grapes are also available in fair supplies. Markets have remained firm but they are beginning to show some signs of weakening by next week.
Green Beans:
Eastern Growing Area: Markets are steady. South Florida started with good supply. Quality ranges from fair to good. Supplies could tighten some next week if Thanksgiving push is a lot for ads.
Green Bell Peppers
Eastern Growing Area: Florida is harvesting in moderate supplies. Markets are steady. Quality ranges from fair to good.
Green Onion:
Eastern Growing Area: New Jersey having some Discoloration. Both areas have fair volume. Prices are strong.
Hard Squash:
Eastern Growing Area: Markets are stronger as supplies have decreased on all varieties. Michigan, Ohio and New Jersey are the areas we are pulling from. Sq is expected to start with limited supply later in week.
Heirloom Tomatoes (Ugly Tomatoes):
Eastern Growing Area: Markets are firm. Quality is good. Supplies are limited.
Peppers:
Eastern Growing Area: Currently loading hot peppers from Mexico, Florida. Jalapeno, Serrano, Poblano, and Anaheim, also finger hots and Cubanelle. All Jalapenos seem to have growth cracks.
Leaf Items-Green Leaf-Boston-Romaine:
Eastern Growing Area: Finished.
Lettuce: Finished.
Mustard Greens:
Eastern Growing Area: Quality and supplies are good from Georgia, South Carolina. Markets are steady.
Pole Beans:
Eastern Growing Area: Available from South Florida in limited supplies. Quality is good.
Radishes:
Eastern Growing Area: Florida starting in good supply. Markets are finally starting to soften as more volume has come on. Quality is good.
Roma Tomatoes:
Eastern Growing Area: Florida harvesting in a little better supplies. Mexican romas are now crossing through Texas in better supplies. Markets have finally started to come off some.
Spinach: Jersey is harvesting in good supplies. Quality is good.
Sweet Potatoes: Eastern Growing Area: Mississippi and Louisiana are shipping cured, moderate supplies. North Carolina shipping with good supplies as well. Louisiana has loss of approx 60% due to 16-25 inches of rain. Mississippi has not received as much rain and damage is very little if any at all. Markets are steady.
Tomatoes: Florida harvesting light supplies. Markets are strong.
Turnip Greens:
Eastern Growing Area: Quality is good from Georgia and South Carolina. Markets are steady.
Yellow Squash:
Eastern Growing Area: Light supplies. Quality ranges from fair to good. Markets are strong.
Zucchini:
Eastern Growing Area: light supplies. Quality ranges from fair to good. Markets are strong.
Fruit Commodities
Apples:
Eastern Growing Area: Markets are finally beginning to weaken with all the varieties now off the trees and in cold storage. Most shippers can pack in either mesh or poly bags. Also bins are available as well. C.A. fruit should start shipping around the first of December.
Grapes:
Eastern Growing Area: Michigan is shipping concords until the end of December. Muscadines and Scuppernongs are finished. Quality is good.
Grapefruit:
Eastern Growing Area: Red grapefruit available in good supplies and the color is now much better than at the first of the season. We are also seeing better juice content and higher brix/acid ratios as the fruit is now maturing even more on the trees and is becoming more edible. Bahama Stars are now in better volume as well and Texas continues to ship both fancy and choice with really good deals available on choice fruit.
Limes
Eastern Growing Area: Mexico shipping lighter supplies and markets are getting stronger.
Cara Cara NavelOranges (Blood Oranges):
Eastern Growing Area: Season has started with moderate supplies. Quality is good.
Nectarines:
Eastern Growing Area: Season is now over.
Oranges:
Eastern Growing Area: Navels are available in good supplies. Quality looks good for early fruit this year. Hamlin’s are in much better supplies this week than last but the predominate size is 125’s. Gradually as the season progresses you will begin to see more of the 100’s.
Papaya:
Eastern Growing Area: Solo papaya’s volume and market are steady. Maradol supplies are better and we can load from South Florida or South Texas. Quality ranges from fair to good.
Peaches:
Eastern Growing Area: Finished for the season.
Plums:
Eastern Growing Area: Finished for the season.
Pummelos & Oroblancos:
Eastern Growing Area: Florida Pummelos available in moderate supplies on 6ct and 8ct. Smaller sizes (14ct) available in very limited supplies. Quality is excellent.
Carambola:
Growing Area: Florida is harvesting in lighter supplies. Markets are strong.Quality ranges from fair to good.
Strawberries:
Eastern Growing Area: Florida expected to start late November but do not plan any ads until January.
Tangelos:
Eastern Growing Area: Started this week and early fruit has good quality.
Ugli Fruit:
Eastern Growing Area: Supplies will start sometime in mid December.
Variety Melons:
Eastern Growing Area: Personal seedless melons are available from Florida. Supplies are light. Markets are firm.
