Organic Market Update #232

Week 34, 2021

Pears

The 2021 USA crop of Organic Pears is getting started, with late August through December being the best time of the year to highlight the category.  New crop Organic Asian Pears (Hosui Variety) are now in season from California and in steady supply.  New crop Organic Bartlett Pears are also being harvested in both California and Washington. Expect fruit from both regions through August until supplies ramp up out of Washington and prices start to come down in September.  California Organic Bosc Pears are available in limited supply, with Washington expected to begin in late September or early October. The first new crop Organic Starkrimson (Red) Pears are expected to arrive the last week of August with excellent supplies expected. New crop Organic Seckel Pears are expected in early October followed by Concorde in mid-October and a nice volume Green and Red Anjou crop out of Washington beginning in late October.

Berries

Driscoll’s Organic Blackberries out of California are in excellent supply with promotional opportunities available for the rest of August. Organic Raspberries are also in steady supply for late August into early September. Organic Blueberry supplies have tightened up significantly and prices reflect the tighter supplies. Fruit is now shipping out of Washington, Oregon, and British Columbia to cover orders. Some Peruvian imports are expected in early September. Organic Strawberries are in steady supply as we transition from Salinas, CA to Santa Maria and Oxnard.

Peppers

Organic Color Bell Pepper supplies from Canada continue to remain plentiful and promotable, as other growing regions are more limited with higher prices. Organic Green and Jalapeño Peppers supplies are bountiful. Expect steady volumes and pricing, with promotional opportunities.

Celery

Organic Celery and Celery Hearts are in abundant supply for the rest of August and heading into September. With good volume and great pricing, large displays should remain intact to encourage additional sales.

Broccoli/Cauliflower

Organic Broccoli supplies from California have improved as August winds down.  Although product is not plentiful, Quebec supplies are available again, creating some extra product and slightly lower prices. Organic Broccoli Crowns remain limited, but much like bunches, the return of Quebec product has helped availability and slowed rising prices. Organic Cauliflower continues to experience limited harvest yields, causing gaps from some suppliers and limited overall availability. Quebec supplies have created some relief.

Apples

New crop Organic Honeycrisp Apples out of Washington are in season, a little bit earlier than expected, with excellent quality.  New crop Organic SweeTango Apples are expected to begin in late August. Fresh crop Organic Gala Apples out of Washington are now in good supply. Smaller sized fruit is prevailing, and quality is very nice.  Storage crop Organic Pink Lady/Cripps Apples out of Washington have ended early, but there are still import supplies. Overall, the imports are short as well, so product may gap before new crop gets started in November.

Onions

Organic Yellow, Red, White, and Sweet Onions get started out of Yerington, NV this week. Pricing is expected to stay steady, with outstanding quality. Organic Red and Sweet Onions are still available from multiple East Coast growers and are good items to promote.

Lettuce

Organic Romaine and Leaf Lettuce production from Quebec continues in season. Mid-August saw a slight dip in supplies of leaf production, but volumes quickly returned. Supplementary supplies from both New York and California are also available. Organic Romaine Hearts and Iceberg Lettuce continue from both California and Quebec at promotable pricing. As the month continues, Organic Romaine Hearts are expected to increase in price.

Watermelons

Organic Seedless Watermelons continue in season, with PA and OH-grown harvests starting. Quality is expected to be outstanding, and available in both cartons and bins. Organic Mini Seedless Watermelons continue to come from new fields in CA, and quality has been exceptional.