Preparations for Easter and Passover were made easy for shoppers with an abundance of holiday favorites to choose from. Apple and grape juices, leeks, honey, fresh horseradish, beets, carrots, and chestnuts were featured for Passover celebrations. Ads for pineapples, asparagus, cantaloupes, watermelons, grapes, avocados, and strawberries were plentiful as customers stocked up for Easter meals. Easter lilies, tulips, roses, candy, décor, and baked specialties added bright holiday flair to stores and flyers.
Total ad numbers this week were 263,163, a 5% increase from last week's total of 251,103. The total for the same week last year was 11% higher than for this year. The total number of ads broken out by commodity groups: fruit 127,474 (48% of all ads), onions and potatoes 20,373 (8%), vegetables 108,914 (41%), herbs 945.
Significant increases in price for fruit this week included only cantaloupes at 19%. Significant decreases included avocados at 30%, tangerines at 30%, and seedless grapes (white at 22%, red at 18%). There were no changes in price for onions and potatoes this week. Significant increases in price for vegetables this week included on-the-vine tomatoes at 14% and cucumbers at 10%. Significant decreases included only sweet potatoes at 14%.
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Source: mymarketnews.ams.usda.gov