The Dish Market Report, Feburary 16, 2021

top of mind news

THIS WEEK’S DISH MARKET REPORT IS SPONSORED BY FRESH CONCEPTS.

Asparagus

Volume from Caborca continues to increase and this trend should continue for the next two to three weeks. We should see a leveling off on volume during the 2nd week in March. The Peruvian season has come to an end due to seasonality. Markets are less active with more volume from Mexico every week.

Green Beans

Florida production has slowed due to cold temperatures last week. Some growers will see a gap in two weeks due to cooler weather last week.

Blueberries

Market is less active this week with more Chilean and Mexican product available. Domestic and Mexican supplies remain limited due to very cold weather and rainfall.

Cantaloupe

Large cantaloupe remains very short with strong retail and processing demand in place on limited volume. Pricing on smaller-sized melons 12 counts, and 15 counts have started to settle in the east, with arrivals leaning more in that direction.  Quality continues to improve externally with each passing week. Second cycle production from the Zacapa region resumes in approximately two weeks, which will push growers clear of troubled fields experienced during the first three months of the season. Volumes will begin to gradually increase starting the first week of March before peaking towards the end of March. Ideal growing conditions so far leave growers very optimistic that premium quality is on the way.

Honeydew

Strong production from Honduras on the honeydews quickly saturated the market causing pricing to drop. The majority of the volume is on larger sizes as very few 8 counts are coming in. Growers anticipate a decrease in production over the next 7-10 days before Guatemalan supply starts to hit the market the first week of March.

Iceburg Lettuce

Supplies remain ample due to lower demand. Seeing some frost damage, but the quality is good. Harvest crews are working to mitigate the damage in packs. Supplies are expected to remain steady due to current demand levels.

Limes

Supplies are very light out of the growing region. Sizing is trending toward larger-sized fruit. Pricing is expected to increase significantly over the next several weeks. Supplies are expected to remain tight for the next 6-7 weeks.

Red Onions

There has been an increase in demand at the retail level for onions and a decrease in demand for foodservice packs. This trend is expected to continue until restaurant volumes return. The overall quality in the storage crop is good with ample supplies of most sizes.