February Produce News from the Front Line
Berries
- Heavy rain has caused flooding in the California strawberry fields and there will be major shortages industry wide on strawberries right before Valentine’s Day
- Florida strawberries are not able to keep up with demand as they are behind in production due to recent cold weather.
- Expect strawberries to be in short supply and prices to increase.
- Raspberries, blueberries and blackberries will also be affected by these weather related shortages.
- We highly recommend looking at alternative fruit options when planning your Valentine’s Day menus.
Tomatoes
- Winter tomatoes from Florida and Mexico are in full harvest this month. Currently both areas are producing well which is leading to very fair pricing to the consumer. Round slicer, romas, cherry and grape tomatoes are great quality and pricing is fair.
Apples
- Strong demands and storage volumes are keeping the markets stronger than this time last year. Look for pricing to slowly increase in the coming weeks.
- The Granny Smith market is very strong and the price will climb about every two weeks.
Navel oranges
- Navel oranges are still going strong with very good harvest numbers. Prices are fair and quality is good
Lettuces
- Iceberg, romaine and most leafy type lettuces are in good supply
Broccoli and Cauliflower
- Harvest numbers are a little short, but available
Florida, Mexico and Imports
- Squashes, bell peppers, cabbage, greens and cucumbers should all see better harvest numbers over the next week or two as long as the weather stays warm.
- Import grapes are in and the quality is good, however, the prices are still on the higher side.
- Import cantaloupes, watermelons and honey dews all have decent harvest numbers, but the crop is leaning toward the smaller sizes. Larger sized melons will be harder to come by.
Check out our weekly specials
Prime time for Citrus!!!
In stock now:
- Paige Mandarins
- Meyer Lemons
- Kumquats
- Blood Oranges
- Cara Cara Oranges
- Sumo Mandarins
- Finger Limes
