Tag: produceiq

Driven by strong Superbowl and Valentine’s Day demand, overall produce industry prices remain 14 percent higher than in any prior year.

Pineapple Express takes aim at the West Coast. Among the widespread targets are oranges, green onions, lettuce, leafy greens, and strawberries.

Though overall industry prices range from stable to slightly declining, the ProduceIQ Index remains +12 percent higher for week #4 than in any prior year.  Industry prices typically decline over the next six weeks and then begin to ascend in later March as volume from Mexico tapers off.

As you can imagine, crops like tomatoes and cucumbers that fled South with the rest of Florida’s snowbirds wonder if the driver was using Apple Maps and missed a turn somewhere.

We didn’t intend for last week’s headline to become a self-fulfilling prophecy. Let’s agree to blame El Nino, OK?

Winter is making up for lost time. Back-to-back storms Ember and Finn brought wintery weather to most of the United States over the weekend, including ice to lettuce-growing regions in Arizona and more rain for water-logged Florida.

Although the rest of the world is so over 2023, we have a few more observations from the peanut gallery to digest.

We can’t guarantee 2023 will end on a high note, but we can predict it will be an expensive finale for produce buyers.

Heavy rain and cooler weather have plagued growers across the Southeastern US and Mexico for weeks. Produce prices are accelerating as holiday demand swells.

Supply is strong for commodities beginning their winter season in the Western Desert region, and the annual transition from the Salinas Valley, CA, may stick a soft landing (to steal a phrase from the fed) despite El Niño related weather challenges.