The latest Rabobank North America Agribusiness Review shows that strawberry shipping-point prices were around USD 10 per flat for non-organic fruit, down about 40% YOY for product from California, by mid-August. Shipments over the past four weeks have been up 10% YOY. Strawberry availability in the US will show the typical seasonal decline in the next few months. After mostly steady supplies in the US growing season, blueberries will transition to the import season.
Lemon shipping-point prices -140s- started the 2024/25 marketing season at around USD 35 per carton, down 2% YOY, and surpassing the five-year average for mid-August by 3%.
California avocado shipping-point prices for 48s were over USD 75 per carton, at a similar price than a year ago, but up 39% compared to the five-year average by mid-August 2024. Avocado shipments from California were up more than 20% YOY during the past two months, whereas avocado arrivals from Mexico are down about 20% YOY for the same period. Drought conditions in 2023 and throughout the first half of 2024 impacted fruit development in Mexico.
Fresh apple prices still show lower price levels than a year ago for most varieties after the bumper crop in 2023. Varieties with the sharpest YOY declines in recent shipping-point prices include Granny Smith, Honeycrisp, and Red Delicious. The WSTFA estimates the 2024 crop to be at 124m boxes, which represents a return to historical average production, after a smaller crop (104m boxes) in 2022 impacted by cold and wet weather and a strong rebound in 2023 (136m boxes).
Vegetables
Fresh produce consumer price index showed YOY declines. During June, retail fresh produce sales reached 7.6bn dollars, up 2.1% YOY, while fresh vegetables sales accounted for $3.4bn during the period. Vegetable sales are higher YOY both in volume and value. Vegetables that showed positive YOY variation in volume sales during the summer include tomatoes, lettuce, potatoes, salad kits, onions, peppers, cucumbers, carrots, and broccoli, per IFPA.
Potatoes: US potato production for 2024 is expected to be down roughly 3% YOY to 427m cwt, per NAPMN. Summer growing conditions have been mostly favourable in US regions, yields are likely to surpass earlier estimates for the year, but are still down YOY. Area to harvest is likely to reach 937,200 acres, down roughly 2% YOY.
Leafy greens and brassica: At about USD 10 and USD 12, romaine 24s and hearts (12x3) were down 5% and 18% YOY, respectively, by mid-August. At about USD 13, the price for iceberg wrapped 24s was down 39% with respect to the price the year before, by mid-August 2024. At about USD 20 per 20-pound carton, the broccoli crown price was up 23% YOY during by mid-August, while prices for short-trim crowns were at USD 22, up 22% YOY.