October 7, 2020

The wildfires in California continued to be the main cause for concern in September’s fresh produce distribution. While the number of produce items on high alert in the first half of the month did not go past four, that number more than doubled by the end of the month. Reports by National Produce Consultants showed that nine different produce items were on high alert by the end of the month as a result of fires and heat-waves. These bad weather conditions created significant issues as growers continued to protect their staff with limited labor and harvesting hours. 

Apart from heat and wildfires, the USDA Food Box Program affected several produce items in the open market with oranges and onions being primarily affected. Problems in the east arose after Hurricane Sally affected production in Georgia for both corn and cucumbers. Finally, romaine, pineapples, and strawberries were the produce items on alert throughout the month due to quality and weather issues. 

Fresh Produce Watch

Affected By Weather

Pineapples – Strawberries – Broccoli – Eggplant – Iceberg

Affected By Hurricane Sally

Cucumber – Corn

Other Issues

Chinese Garlic (Import Issues) – Romaine (Quality) – Oranges (USDA Food Box) – Onions (USDA Food Box)

For the full reports, click here.

What to Expect at Your Local Fresh Produce in October

October might be a tricky month for fresh produce and food distribution considering how September ended. With the month ending with a high of nine produce items on alert, orders should be placed well in advance to give suppliers enough time. Loading times and hours in labor will continue to impact the food industry for the next couple of weeks.

Watch out for oranges as there might be a supply shortage for a couple of weeks in the middle of October. Domestic Navels are not arriving until late October and Valencia oranges are only lasting until the beginning of the month. 

Quality issues with romaine are expected to continue, as well as with iceberg and broccoli. Production in Georgia will continue to deal with the aftermath of Hurricane Sally, affecting the corn and cucumber market.

Pineapples supply will continue to be low as heat and rain impact the quality causing misshapen crowns. Finally, prices for both strawberries and tomatoes are expected to be on the rise due to quality and supply.

Peddler’s Son Is Here For You

As a family-owned fresh produce distributor since 1988, Peddler’s Son is here to help your business grow. We provide exceptional customer service through transparency and integrity and continue to build valuable relationships by supplying Arizona customers with the best quality products. Contact us today to learn more about becoming a customer.