Organic Market Update #307

Week 7, 2023

Citrus

California Organic Citrus is in peak season supply for late February and will have plenty of  promotional opportunities in March. Heavy rain that affected California several weeks ago, has caused some bigger sizing in Organic Citrus, and larger fruit is now becoming more prevalent than smaller sizes. Organic Navel Oranges are peaking with Jumbo 40-48ct, and 4 pound bags. Organic Cara Cara Oranges are in excellent supply with great flavor. Organic Tango Mandarins are in good supply with nice quality, and 2lb bags are popular! Organic Grapefruit, Lemons, and Pummelos are steady with peak flavor and quality. Available, but not abundant supplies , are Organic Blood Oranges, Minneola Tangelos, and Specialty Citrus.

Peppers

Organic Mini Mix Sweet Peppers from FL have promotional opportunities in mid-February on outstanding quality.  Mexican grown 12/1lb Organic Mini Mix Sweet Peppers are in great supply.  Organic Green Bell Peppers from Punta Gorda, FL continue to yield strong supplies with outstanding quality and promotable prices. The harvest flush on Organic Color Bell Peppers from Mexico is subsiding and prices are returning to normal levels. Although volumes will decrease, quality is expected to remain strong.  Organic Chili Peppers and Specialty Peppers are readily available from Florida, including Organic Shishito Peppers.

Cucumbers

Organic Euro and Mini Seedless Cucumbers will start to drop in price and should be promotable as we head into March. Quality is great and new crop Canadian product has started. Organic Cucumbers from Mexico continue to yield stable volumes, with consistent quality and pricing.

Tropicals

Organic Hass Avocados are in great supply with promotable volume. Organic Kent Mangos will see volume dropping heading into March. Fruit has been very nice and is eating great. Expect pricing to rise as the end of the Peru production occurs and the beginning of the Tommy Atkins Mexican fruit season starts. New crop Organic Ataulfo Honey Mangos from Mexico are  in steady supply as Prices drop on smaller 18ct fruit. Organic Pineapple supplies from Costa Rica will continue to be strong.  Excellent opportunities to promote, as Fruit quality has been good!

Broccoli & Cauliflower

Organic Broccoli remains in steady supply from Yuma, AZ and El Centro, CA but are expected to tighten and prices to increase heading into March.  Organic Sweet Baby Broccoli and Organic Broccoli Rabe are experiencing limited supplies, with gaps in supply and increasing prices. Organic Cauliflower continues to be limited in supply and higher costs. Colder temperatures in the desert growing regions have slowed growth. Expect prices to remain elevated through the end of the month.

Potatoes

Organic Russet Potatoes are expected to get extremely tight over the next couple of weeks and will remain that way for the next few months—at least into April. Multiple growing regions have reported complete crop failures of storage potatoes that were expected to bridge the gap from February to July. Colorado is the only region that has any meaningful quantity of Organic Potatoes, with quality subpar at best. Over the next few months, expect  supply gaps on Organic Russet Potatoes and less than ideal quality.

Berries

Organic Blueberries remain promotable out of Chile. Quality has been good overall on newer arrivals, and Prices look to remain steady through the end of the month, and  Chilean deal finishes up. Organic Raspberry supplies are improving. High market pricing will hold for now but is expected to start to come down as supplies out of Baja are beginning to come on. Quality has been excellent. Organic Strawberry prices expensive but dropping.  The Baja deal has started, and fruit is beginning to come on strong very quickly. Quality has been excellent. Organic Blackberry supplies are beginning to tighten  but there shouldn’t be any shortages and quality has been excellent.

Grapes

Organic Grapes are being imported from Peru and South Africa at this time. Excellent quality on Peruvian fruit is now available  as production turns to  “Autumn Crisp” and “Sweet Globes” on the Greens and “Sweet Celebrations” on the Reds.