Produce Market Reports for Restaurant and Foodservice Operators

January 27, 2000
Quality & Pricing	Fresh Tips

Item	Quality	Price	Comments
Fruit

Apples	High	Avg	CA crop coming out of storage is absolutely beautiful; a vintage crop for quality
Avocados	Avg	High	Very few #2 from the new crop in Calif.; oil content still low
Berries	Avg	High	Blackberries and Blueberries are by far the best value for mixed berries
Grapes	High	High	Lunch Bunch just starting up from Chile; berry sizes have been pretty good
Grapefruit	High	Low	Try a baked Grapefruit on your menu
Kiwifruit	High	Low	If you need them ripe, leave them in your backroom, but keep them covered
Lemons	Avg	Avg	Demand still outpacing supplies right now
Limes	Avg	High	Demand still outpacing supplies right now
Melon-Cantaloupe	High	Avg	Quality, shelf life, color and flavor have all improved; best for this time of year
Melon-Honeydew	High	Avg	Honeydew still a great value for this time of year; mostly off-shore, some Mexico
Melon-Watermelon	Avg	High	What a treat for winter menu; color a little light but flavor is excellent
Oranges	High	Low	Skin is thickening due to colder night temps, so is sugar and flavor
Pineapple	Avg	Avg	Shell color is very green on boat product from Hawaii; Del Monte Gold is better
Stonefruit	Avg	Avg	Air-freight fruit will have the best flavor for sure
Strawberries	High	Avg	It's summer in January; at least in the strawberry fields in Calif. and Florida
Vegetables
Asparagus	Avg	High	Product from new fields from Mexico is looking much better; better supplies too
Broccoli	Avg	Avg	Roller Coaster pricing for a few weeks as fields get back into the swing of things
Cabbage	High	Avg	Steady supplies from most regions, Calif., Texas, New York, etc.
Cauliflower	Avg	Avg	Finally, warmer temps have helped fields catch up in supplies
Celery	High	High	Prices are starting to soften slightly because supplies are improving
Cucumbers	Avg	Avg	The market hit the "boomerang" point and has bounced back downward
Lettuce,Iceburg	High	Avg	Quality has really improved, better color, size and weights
Lettuce,Leaf	Avg	Avg	Really have to be careful; plenty of quality issues on some lots
Onions	High	Low	This time of year, may start to see some "storage bruising;" not a huge impact
Peppers(color)	Avg	Avg	Mexico and Florida are at their peak of supplies for the season this year
Peppers	Avg	Avg	Quality and supplies should stay here for a while
Potatoes,Russet	High	Avg	Smaller sizes tighter because processors made huge purchase; larger is best value
Potatoes,Other	High	Avg	Washington getting ready to end Red supplies; expect color to be lighter
Squash-Yellow	High	High	Plants in both Florida and Mexico just aren't pushing out the product
Squash-Zucchini	High	High	Supplies just haven't caught up to demand, particularly on larger sizes
Tomatoes,Cherry	Avg	Low	A lot of mixed quality for color, sizing and solidity; watch carefully
Tomatoes,Roma	High	Low	More acreage in Mexico has helped keep supplies and pricing good for the winter
Tomatoes,Vine-Ripe	High	Low	Finally getting back to more normal pricing for this time of year
Other
Snap Peas	High	Avg	Plenty of supplies coming in from the desert; a great value right now
Green Beans	Avg	High	Prices are very firm; just not a lot of good product available from Mexico/Florida
Sno Peas	Avg	High	Imports from Guatemala ended very quickly, sending prices very high quickly
Oso Sweet Onions	High	Avg	You want a Spring Sweet Onion? Here it is. Better prices than the Maui.
Kumquats	High	Avg	"How about a Kumquat my little chickadee." Time to come and get them
Blood Oranges	Avg	Avg	Color will improve; some supplies from Arizona and California

FRESH TIPS

THE PRODUCE PUZZZLE

Our last JC PRODUCE PUZZZZLE dealt with quotable quotes about produce: Shakespeare provides us with this week's quote, from "A Midsummer Night's Dream," Act IV, Scene II, Bottom says, "…And, most dear actors eat no _______, for we are to utter sweet breath…" What is it? Of course you knew this one…Garlic! We continue taking a look quotable quotes about fresh food: This comes from Michael Marks, known on HGTV as "Your Produce Man:" "__________ is the most mis-named produce item on earth!" What is it? Read next week's "Fresh Tips" for the answer.

PRODUCE SPOTLIGHT

--LIMES: The weather problems in Mexico, causing higher Lime prices, is certainly being magnified by the disease problems in Florida. Unfortunately for Florida growers, they could be losing up to 3,000 acres of Lime trees, which may all but wipe out Florida's lime production for the year. The big problem is a tiny canker organism which causes lesions on the skin of the fruit. About 21 of 24 lime groves south of Miami have evidence of canker outbreaks. Fruit from infected with the disease cannot be sold to the fresh market, and trees infected will be uprooted and destroyed. Growers tell us that four tropical hurricanes and storms late last year most likely contributed to the spread of the disease in southern Florida. Prior to Hurricane Andrew a few years ago, Florida Lime production was around 2 million cartons. Andrew wiped the industry out. Growers were just getting up to 1 million cartons a year. Florida will take an aggressive stance against the canker, to prevent it from infecting other citrus groves like oranges, grapefruit and tangerines. Exports of all citrus fruit from Florida could be quarantined, particularly for fruit heading to Texas, Arizona and California, other citrus growing regions. Foreign exports could be affected as well.

They have played over 20,000 games in 115 countries, bringing smiles to over 100 million fans for over 70 years. Now, "America's Ambassador's of Goodwill" will be giving away tickets for life for any baby born in the year 2000. Guard Roy "Zazu" Byrd, tells us that all you have to do is log on to their website to register for your free tickets for life. Logon at www.harlemglobetrotters.com for details. Also, JC Produce has an autographed Harlem Globetrotters basketball to giveaway. Simply email at mmarks@jcproduce.com and answer this question: "What is the most popular fruit eaten by the Harlem Globetrotters?" All correct answers will be put into a drawing on Valentine's Day. One lucky winner will win that basketball. All others will just have fun trying.

--CHINESE NEW YEAR: The Chinese are way ahead of us, celebrating the year 4,698, the Year of the Dragon. Chinese New Year is on Feb. 5 this year. Produce plays a big role in their celebrations. Oranges given as gifts represent success in the New Year. Tangerines with stems and leaves attached represent success and happiness in the New Year. Never give a gift of Tangerines without the stems and leaves! Green Onions symbolize cleverness. Bringing lettuce home represents bringing more money home in the New Year. Red apples are a common gift. Never green apples, which represent immaturity.

--WEATHER: Weather, more than anything else, determines what we buy, how much it costs, and how good it is. Most grapes and treefruit grown in the U.S. are grown in California. They just went through their driest December in over 100 years, and despite recent rainstorms, January will most likely be one of the drier months as well. In December and January, growers prune the vines and trees. This allows better growth on "new wood" which helps stimulate better fruit blossom and fruit set for the season. But without rain, the trees and vines will put out weaker and smaller "new wood," which in turn will put out fewer blossoms, less fruit and smaller fruit. Lack of rain this winter may impact supplies and prices of peaches, plums, nectarines and grapes this summer. Also, weather does have an impact on demand as well. Recently, sub-zero weather conditions in the upper mid-west and fierce cold in the northeast, will mean less produce demand. People won't eat out as much and they won't shop as much. This lack of demand could back-up supplies and mean softer pricing on most fruits and vegetables.

--BANANAS: Expect some shake-ups in the world of bananas during the first decade of this century. Over the past two years, banana importers have really taken a hit. Last year, Hurricane Mitch hurt production in Central America. This year, the European Union has caused some major trade trouble. The EU increased banana imports from former EU colonies in the Caribbean and Latin America. This created surplus supplies in Europe forcing Dole to close operations in Nicaragua and Venezuela. Stock prices for the three main banana importers in the U.S. have plummeted over the past 12 months. Dole stock was trading at a 12 year low with prices falling 47% in the past 12 months. Chiquita stock was down 50% in the past 12 months and Del Monte is down 53%. With stock prices that low, these companies just won't be able to continue banana operations as they have in the past. Supplies could be in jeopardy.

PRO*ACT is a cooperative of independent distribution specialists based in Monterey, California. While maintaining a traditional, hands-on approach characteristic of family-owned companies, PRO*ACT also provides innovative procurement services, customized sales and marketing programs, and comprehensive customer support programs to the Foodservice industry. Whether serving commercial or institutional, multi-unit or single unit Foodservice operators, PRO*ACT members make a difference on a national, regional, and local level. Check them out at www.proactusa.com.