Freshspective

Slightly lower supplies on cantaloupes this week compared to last as growers experience vessel delays, but still fair availability. Volumes are expected to increase the end of the month. Very strong quality has been seen all season with no expected changes or disruptions. 

Oranges

• California Navels: Crop is heavy to large fruit, with supplies peaking on 56/72/48 counts. Small sizes, 88/113/138 counts, remain tight and will continue to be limited throughout the season. Rain this season has contributed to more puff and crease on the fruit. General quality is reported to be good, but there is more choice fruit coming out of pack-outs than typically expected for this time of year.
• California Cara Caras: Sizing is currently peaking on 56/72 counts and is expected to trend larger as the season progresses. Rains have also contributed to size growth, further limiting availability of smaller fruit, 113/138 counts. 
• Florida Juice Oranges: Limited availability on small California navels has pushed demand on Florida juice oranges. Valencias are available with peak sizing on 80/100/125 counts. Florida groves experienced freezing temperatures last month which have affected the crops. Growers are anticipating a shorter season with limited availability. 

Lemons

• California Lemons: Harvest is active across Districts 1 and 2 with District 3 finished for the season. Weather has impacted quality, resulting in more Choice-grade fruit than typically expected for this time of year. Sizing is peaking on 95/115 counts as smaller sizes will remain limited.

Grapefruit

• Florida Grapefruit: Florida grapefruit is exhibiting good quality, but crop has been impacted by the February freeze. Most growers are finishing out the season this month.
• Texas Grapefruit: Texas grapefruit is peaking on large sizes will limit supply on mid-sized and smaller fruit. 
• California Grapefruit: Star Rubies are currently being harvested. No quality concerns are being reported at this time. 

Mandarins

• Import Moroccan Mandarins: Nadorcotts are available in the Northeast. Fruit is has been reported to be good quality with minimal skin defects. Available supplies should run through mid April, pending demand.
• California Mandarins: Rain and prolonged fog earlier this year has impacted quality, resulting in softer fruit and growers estimating anywhere between 10-40% fruit drop. Current quality is good but may weaken in the next coming weeks. The excess moisture this season led to softer fruit that will impact utilization. The mid- to late-season varieties, Tangos and Murcotts, are projected to see reduced overall volume.
  
   
   
  
  
  
  

Fruit availability should improve slightly on both coasts this week. However, green grapes remain much tighter than red, so green-only orders may still be difficult to fill. Spot-market pricing is expected to stay around last week’s levels despite the increase in volume; however, prices may jump toward end of the week if volume continues to move. 

Demand exceeds supply on honeydews with very light offshore volume as Guatemala transitions between growing cycles. Both Honduras and Guatemala have seen lighter yields this season due to whitefly pressure. Southern Mexico continues to harvest honeydews loading in Nogales, but supplies remain tight. 

Region: Veracruz, Mexico

Weather Update:
Warm and humid conditions are expected throughout the week. During the first few days, heavy rains may occur, accompanied by partly cloudy skies. Toward the end of the week and the beginning of the following week, conditions are expected to become more stable, with a lower probability of precipitation. Maximum temperatures are forecast to range between 80 °F and 90 °F, while minimum temperatures will remain between 62 °F and 68 °F.

Market Intel:
The market is changing rapidly so please contact the lime team for more information regarding pricing. 

Sizing Profile:
Peak sizes 175/150/230; and size distribution: 110-1%, 150-5%, 175-14%, 200-18%, 230-32%, and 250-30%.

Quality:  
Heavy rainfall is expected to pose a potential quality risk during the upcoming week, as the fruit may remain wet and damage could occur during the harvesting process (oil spot).

Looking Ahead:
For the late March harvest, a significant amount of medium-sized fruit can be observed on the trees. This fruit is expected to be harvested with good quality, supported by the moisture retained in the foliage and soil due to the expected rainfall conditions. For the month of April, we anticipate reduced volumes, as this crop bloomed in December during a period of heavy rainfall and low temperatures. However, thanks to the strength of our grower network, we are confident in maintaining a solid supply and securing a steady flow of medium-sized fruit to meet the needs of our key programs.

SUPPLY MEETING DEMAND FOR PAPAYA IN THE USA MARKET.
Conditions remain good at the farms with enough supply to service demand.  More volume arriving this week versus last week with growers seeing stable yields and less quality issues. Internal Mexican market remains good and will keep the overall availability of fruit being exported just right out of Mexico. Supply for at least the next two weeks for papaya production is expected to be stable with good papaya weather improving yields and harvest conditions. Prices slightly lower in the U.S. market and should remain stable through March. 
Inventories showing less availability to offer. 
Majority of sizes are between 6–12s with good surplus fruit.
Quality is reported as good with shorter shell life, stem issues, and lower color.
Color 25%- 50% / 12-14 brix at point of shipping. Ideal temperature for Imperial papaya is 48 degrees to avoid quality issues upon receiving.
Crop outlook:  Forecast has conditions for less supply for the next two weeks.
Market Intel:  Enough supply to service demand.
Fruit Condition: Some speckling and some scarring, with mostly clean skin. 

We are now shipping pears from Oregon and Washington State, where we are loading Bosc, Anjou pears, and red pears. Overall, we have a fantastic pear crop and will have lots of fruit to promote at good prices all season. The Anjou and red pears are projected to be year-round this year and will be promotable through at least June. The Bartletts have finished up out of the Northwest and there are now new-crop imported Bartletts from Argentina that are available on the East Coast. Pricing and quality are both attractive on this variety and I expect them to remain promotable for the next several months. Overall, the pear category will be very promotable the next several months.
 

• California – Favorable growing conditions are supporting excellent quality, consistent sizing, and good color.
  • Salinas / Watsonville early production weekly projections increasing week over week.
  • Santa Maria has steady production.  
  • Oxnard production is entering “peak” with strong volumes expected through March. 
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• Baja Region – Production remains steady with good overall availability expected over the coming weeks. Current projections indicate the Baja season will continue through late April to early May, weather /quality/market permitting.
• Florida – Production acreage is starting to downtrend due to the recent heat. The Florida season is expected to continue through late March / early April, weather and quality permitting. Most growers are hoping to stretch the production to Easter. 
• Central Mexico / South Texas – The season in this region has concluded.
  
   
  
  
  

Watermelon supplies remain tight as Southern Mexico is winding down on both mini watermelons and watermelons. The quality remains good, but you see some issues this time of year with lower brix and bruising due to the shorter growing days and transit distance.  Northern Mexico will start in the middle of April.  Offshore is going with limited supplies.  Florida will start at the end of March with lighter supplies.  The cold weather in Florida a couple of weeks ago pushed the crop for Arcadia back a couple of weeks and supplies will be better in May.