The demand for lettuces such as iceberg and romaine is fairly low right now. "After Thanksgiving, is typically a lower lettuce demand period," says Mark Vaughan of Fresh Avenue. "It seems perhaps a little slower than normal though."
As for supply, lettuce, which is seeing decent quality, is plentiful. Supply is coming from Yuma, Arizona.
Ice slowing harvest slightly
In terms of weather conditions, the district is seeing some ice this week in the fields–an event that's not necessarily unusual for this time of year. "In addition to the delayed harvest awaiting the ice to melt, which may impact timely shipments, the ice is bringing some mild epidermal peel and blister into play," says Vaughan, adding that other items such as tender leaf lettuce, spring mix, and spinach will be affected as well. "Because of tepid demand though, there should be a range of product to choose from," he says,
As for pricing, it continues to moderate due to that good supply and softer demand.
Looking ahead, Vaughan anticipates there continuing to be plenty of availability of good quality product. "There may be more shipping delays based on the ice. We're in the peak ice period here in the next two to three weeks," he adds.
For more information:
Mark Vaughan
Fresh Avenue
Tel: + 1-888-FRESH40
[email protected]
www.freshavenue.com