October 23, 2018
SOUTH GEORGIA
This past week, the Produce Alliance team walked a series of fields in South Georgia that suffered wind damage as a result of Hurricane Michael.
We have seen a tremendous amount of damage from the sun (scalding)as well as viral impact (anthracnose) that seems to be present in the pepper crops which is resulting in black spotting and decay. At this time we noticed that cuke and squash crops have only suffered from wind scaring and scuffing.
Corn and green beans out of Georgia are very limited and fair quality. At this time, corn growers are recovering what they can, however please keep in mind that there will be a lot of immature corn(very small and lack of kernels) in the pack. This will be an issue through the remainder of the month and most likely through the 10th of November (Note: Thanksgiving retail/foodservice quick approaching).
Markets prices have improved on eggplant and squash.
FLORIDA
For the short term, the impact of the markets have been a reaction to the interruption of supply, but we are seeing improvement. Fortunately, Florida is about 10 days away from pepper and squash production. There is a limited supply of cukes and tomatoes in Palmetto, FL which are roughly 2 weeks out from full production. We also anticipate a small shortage in production around the beginning of November on squash, pepper and eggplant as crops in Georgia are 10 days ahead of schedule due to the warm fall we have had in the south.
WEST COAST
Squash is ramping up out of Nogales, as Tropical Storm Sergio was limited to only heavy rain damage and we are noticing squash availability improving daily. Tomato production is down and expected to stay that way for the next two weeks; however, it does seem to be SLOWLY improving, we expect to see relief on tomatoes soon.
NOTE
Hurricane Willa is expected to make landfall near Puerto Vallarta and Vicente (further south). This will impact production of tomatoes, bell pepper, and cucumber in Jalisco. Unfortunately, due to the two hurricanes hitting in similar regions, it is the cloud cover that will affect production in Culiacan (where the majority of winter veg is grown). Due to this weather issue, production will slow to a halt as a result of no sun for several days and only further delay the relief of Mother Nature’s onslaught this summer.
October 15, 2018
Our grower partners in South Georgia and the Florida Panhandle have suffered heavy damage throughout the region. We continue to hear reports of an upwards of 60% crop loss on cherry tomatoes as well as grape tomatoes due to the taller staking for those particular varieties and the round crop suffered less loss and estimates are anywhere from 40 to 50%.
As for today, we are seeing some reports of growers being able to harvest squash, eggplant, and bell pepper. However, cucumbers are still very short and have had very little production. Corn and green beans have suffered such heavy damage that there is almost nothing available on the market.
Crops that have been affected in Georgia and Florida include: Green Bells, Squash, Eggplant, Cucumber, Beans, Corn, Tomatoes.
Florida Citrus
The citrus growers in Florida are not currently experiencing any supply interruptions and expect a fairly decent crop this season. Growers in South Texas are struggling due to heavy precipitation this past week making citrus harvests nearly impossible. This will affect oranges and grapefruit coming out of Texas over the next few weeks.
Immokalee, Florida
Adel, Georgia
West Coast Import Program
As for the Baja and Central Mexico regions, Tropical Storm Sergio went through with 32 MPH winds and 2-3 inches of participation depending on the region. Growers have been able to harvest soft squash for arrival tomorrow; however, the quality is expected to be marginal at best this week. We do anticipate this to improve by the end of week as fields dry out and the plants recover.
With regards to tomatoes, it is still too soon to evaluate the conditions, but we will be sure to provide accurate information as soon as we receive it.
Crossings were halted over the weekend at all major ports of entry along the Mexican border due to the Mexican Government updating their customs system. We expect the border to be open today.
Fortunately, weather conditions are expected to improve in the region which should assist harvest crews over the next several days.
Hermosillo, Sonora Mexico
Vizcaino, Baja California Sur
We still anticipate a very short market on Tomatoes, Grape Round Tomatoes, Roma Tomatoes, and Cucumbers over the next week. Green Beans and Corn will be EXTREME over the next several weeks. We will provide updates as soon as possible.
Thank you for your patience and cooperation, and please keep everyone affected by these storms in your thoughts at this time.
October 12, 2018
Our grower partners in South Georgia and the Florida Panhandle have suffered heavy damage throughout the region. We are hearing reports of upwards of 60% crop loss on cherry tomatoes and grape tomatoes due to the taller staking for those particular varieties. It is looking like the round crop fared better and is expected to show less loss, with estimates ranging from 40 to 50%.
Now that the storm is subsiding, growers are able to begin fully assessing damages, and as a result, we expect to begin receiving more detailed information over the weekend and Monday. The growers will be evaluating how the plants are recovering today and will continue over the over the weekend.
Crops that have been affected in Georgia and Florida include: Green Bells, Squash, Eggplant, Cucumber, Beans, Corn, Tomatoes.
As for the Baja region, we will be sure to update as soon as we hear about conditions. Hurricane Sergio has currently crossed the Baja Peninsula and packed a punch with 5+ inches of rain and winds in excess of 45 miles per hour. It is still too soon to tell; however, crossings were minimal last night. Expect a very short market on vine ripe tomatoes as well as cucumbers through Otay.
October 11, 2018
Hurricane Michael Update
Hurricane Michael barreled through the Florida Panhandle as well as South Georgia with sustained winds in excess of 140 miles per hour. Fortunately, it was a fast-moving storm and is already departed Georgia, but quite a bit of damage was left behind to the following crops: Cucumber, Corn, Beans, Green Bell Pepper, Eggplant, Italian Squash, Yellow Squash (at the very least in Georgia). It will also affect all tomato product out of Quincy, Florida. It is too soon to completely evaluate the damage as some growers are not able to reach their land due to downed trees and power lines. However, we will update you as soon as possible. Please expect the markets on the items listed above will become very short this week and could potentially remain in EXTREME markets for several weeks.
Tropical Storm Sergio Update
In addition to dealing with the effects of Hurricane Michael in the East, we are closely tracking the Tropical Storm Sergio’s status off the coast of the Baja Peninsula. This storm has been churning in the Pacific now for over one week and is finally going to make landfall in southern Baja sometime this evening. It is expected to cross right over the growing regions where our growers have early winter Tomatoes, Corn, Cucumber, and colored Bell Peppers. We are confident it will cause a shortage of supplies through this month at the very least. Again, it is too soon to predict the potential losses; however, we will be keeping a close eye on this system. Our growers in the region are currently preparing for the worst and hoping for the best.