Organic Market Update: Nov. 1-Nov. 8, 2024

Tropical Fruit

7ct Organic Pineapples in good supply for early November, allowing for promotion. 60ct Organic Hass Avocados from Mexico will be in the best supply to start November, perhaps even promotable. 48ct and larger fruit remains a little tighter and more expensive. Equal Exchange Organic Fair Trade Avocados are available in 48 and 60ct fruit, along with ReadyCycle 8/4ct recyclable packs. Organic Mangos from Ecuador are in season heading into November. This new crop “Tommy Atkins” fruit will be lower priced than the domestic California product, which is now done for the season. Organic Red Flesh Dragon Fruit will be steady to start November. Quality has been good from California where Organic Kiwano Melons and Passion Fruit are also in season. Organic Rambutan is expected to arrive around November 6. These Guatemalan-grown Organic Rambutan will add some cool diversity to your produce shelf! Organic Royal Star Papayas are in solid supply for November. Quality has been nice. The 2024 harvest of USA Organic Medjool Dates has arrived. Consider offering bulk, packaged, and value-added SKUs for the holiday, baking and sweet snacking season.

Brussels Sprouts

An all-time favorite for the holidays, Organic Brussels Sprouts will be very accessible in November. Thanksgiving promotions present the ideal combination of favorable pricing and excellent availability. Include pre-packaged 1-pound bags of Organic Brussels Sprouts as a convenient “grab-and-go” choice for the holiday rush!

Organic celery growing in the ground.

Celery

Conditions for Organic Celery remain favorable in November and should continue through Thanksgiving. Costs will go up slightly as the holiday approaches due to increased demand, but conditions will still be advantageous.

Sweets and Potatoes

Organic Potatoes and Sweet Potatoes are in promotable supply and good quality. Look for attractive pricing on all Organic Red, Gold, and Russet Potatoes for the beginning of November.

Citrus

California’s new season Organic Navel Orange harvests continue to be delayed to allow more sugar development, and will now be arriving on the East Coast in mid-November. The first new crop Organic Mandarins are expected to arrive around November 18. Organic Grapefruit from California is just starting, with light supplies and high pricing for early November. The first California Organic Pummelos are set to be available around November 11. Organic Lemon prices are firm out of California, with sizes peaking smaller and larger fruit being limited and higher priced.

Apples and Pears

Organic Gala and Fuji Apples are generally promotable. And for premium snacking Apple promotion, Organic Envy, Opal, Kanzi, SugarBee, and SweeTango are in peak season! Organic Granny Smith Apples are expected to inch up in price as volumes are modest. Quality has been excellent with solid green fruit. Organic Honeycrisp Apple prices are on the rise leading to limited supplies, especially on prime sizes like 72-88s. Washington and Oregon Organic Anjou Pears are in season and should be in firm but in steady supply moving forward. California and Washington growers will run out of large-sized, 1-layer Organic Asian Pears by early November. This will force a transition into some smaller-sized 2-layer fruit, and the crop will finish for the season in mid to late November. Organic Bartlett Pears are in tighter supply this season and are expected to finish by early December.

Cartons of organic raspberries

Berries

Organic Blueberries will be very promotable! We are in peak Peruvian season as vessels continue to come in with great volume. Quality has been excellent. Organic Blackberries are available out of Mexico. Harvests are increasing, quality has been nice, and both are improving with every arrival. Organic Raspberries will be tightening up as harvests are down due to planting gaps. Expect pricing to rise through November and supplies to continue to tighten up. Quality has been ok, but some slight soft berries are expected moving forward. Organic Strawberries continue to be available out of California. Pricing will go to higher levels for November, reflecting lighter volume. Quality has been nice overall.

Broccoli and Cauliflower

Californian Organic Cauliflower is still widely accessible and reasonably priced in early November. This is anticipated to change later in the month as supply availability is expected become scarce. Pennsylvania Organic Stalk Broccoli and Naked Cauliflower continue in season for early November. As Thanksgiving draws near, Organic Broccoli is still generally available in November. Prices from the West Coast are expected to rise but there are good yields coming out of North Carolina, which should help moderate pricing. Organic Sweet Baby Broccoli and Organic Broccoli Rabe have returned to decent supply.