Tomatoes
East
• Rounds- FOB prices are still low but are now above rock-bottom levels. The Palmetto growing region has all but finished up leaving less acreage in FL. Also, cool weather has slowed growth which has caused yields to temporarily drop. However, good supplies and excellent quality continue to be seen out of FL. Barring a weather event, we expect FOB prices to remain low through January.
• Romas- FOB prices for romas are generally steady with some upward pressures. Quality continues to be very good.
• Grapes- Cooler temps and less acreage have cause a decrease in supplies and FOB prices are higher compared to last week. Quality is very good.
• Cherries- Same situation as grape tomatoes. Fewer supplies have caused FOB prices to rise by several dollars over last week. Quality remains very good.
• Weather forecasts- Immokalee, FL: Better growing weather returns with mostly sunny days with highs around 80 through the weekend. Lows at night will be near 60. Little change of rain until next week.
West/Mexico
• Rounds- Baja is all but finished for the season. Good volume continues to cross at Nogales. Crossings also continue at McAllen. Demand continues to be weak for both mature greens and for 2-layer vineripes. FOB prices remain at Suspension Agreement minimums. Quality is good. Baring a weather event, we expect the round tomato market to remain relatively stable for the next 4-5 weeks.
• Romas- Nogales and McAllen crossings continue. Baja is practically finished for the season. Quality is improving. FOB prices are generally at Suspension Agreement minimums for the smaller sizes. Growers are able to charge a little more for the larger sizes
• Grapes- Crossings primarily at Nogales. Like the rounds and romas, the Nogales crossings continue to increase while the Baja crossing are practically finished for the season. Quality continues to be variable but is improving. Prices generally at Suspension Agreement minimums.
• Cherries- Like grape tomatoes, the quality of cherries continues to be variable but is improving. FOB prices are at or near the minimums.
Green Bell Pepper
East- Product remains plentiful this week while demand remains weak on all sizes. Accordingly, FOB prices are generally steady with some slight downward pressure on all sizes and grades. Quality is good.
West- Supplies remain strong, demand is weak and FOB prices remain generally steady at last week’s depressed levels. Quality is good.
Yellow Squash
East- FOB prices continue to rise steadily. We continue to see quality issues primarily due to scarring which was caused by the winds of the past week. The spread on FOB prices continue to be wider than normal with the quality product demanding a higher FOB price.
West- Supplies are practically non-existent this week. This is due to growers letting their fields go when FOB prices dropped below the cost of harvesting the past several weeks. As a result, the little product that is currently crossing at Nogales is demanding much higher FOB prices again this week. We are waiting on new fields to start to be harvested which should be toward the end of next week.
Green Squash
East- A similar situation for green squash. FOB prices are up again this week. Due to the wide range in quality, there is an extremely wide range of FOB pricing with the better quality fruit demanding a premium price.
West- The white-fly has infested some MX fields. Crossings are down and FOB prices are up this week for both grades/sizes. Crossings primarily at Nogales.
Cucumbers
East- For all practical purposes, the FL cucumber season is over. Off-shore volume continues. FOB prices are slightly higher this week compared to last. Quality of the off-shore product remains variable.
West- Nogales crossing continue. Demand has perked-up somewhat. FOB prices are steady to higher this week. Currently, the quality through Nogales remains good.
Eggplant
East- FOB prices remain low again this week on both grades and shows some signs of weakening even further. Quality is good.
West- FOB prices are steady to lower again this week. Nogales crossings continue and quality is good.
Jalapeños
East- FOB prices are generally higher this week. Quality is good.
West- FOB prices are generally steady this week. Supplies remain good. Quality is good.
Beans
East- FL lake supplies continue. FOB prices are steady this week but we are seeing some signs of upward pressures. Quality is good.
West- Quality continues to be variable this week. FOB prices are generally steady this week.