November 2, 2012

Hurricane Sandy Updates

Storm Update
There was little storm damage in Boston and north. The major damage was in the New York / New Jersey area. There will be East Coast fish available to ship out of Boston tomorrow, but in limited amounts; supplies should be better by the weekend. There will be closures of shellfish harvest areas for a period after the storm, but we have not heard any definite information on this yet. Our Virgina truck is scheduled to leave tomorrow to arrive on Friday - a day later than normal.

On the Great Lakes, some fishermen made it out before the heavy winds so we will have a good supply of whitefish and lake trout for the end of this week. Walleye and perch from Lake Erie is also in good shape. We'll have to wait and see how the storm behaves over the next few days to get an idea about supply for the upcoming weekend.

October 26, 2012

Produce Market Highlights

Highlights
Michigan items - Items that are still available this season from your local Michigan growers include: Apples (limited), Cabbage, Carrots, Celery, Parsnips, Peppers, Radish, and Winter Squash.

Honeydew - Market is very active with prices high due to lack of supplies. Central Arizona/ Nogales/ Desert are going but supplies still remain limited. Color is cream to white. Over-all quality is mixed.

Cantaloupe - Market is hot which should slow movement and thus bring the market back into line. Color is light straw with concrete cast with fair to good quality.

Watermelon - Seedless supplies are fair with sizing/weights off. Short supplies and small sizing will continue. Seeded watermelon are non-existent at this time.

Georgia - is up and running with Eggplant, Green Peppers, Beans, Yellow Squash and Zucchini, Corn, Cucumbers, and Cabbage.

Strawberries - Salinas/Watsonville area is pretty much done. Some fruit is being harvested but is very weak and won't travel. Expect to see prices rise as we finish up in the north and roll into the south with the Fall/Winter crop.

Green Peppers - Markets very active this week. Volume has dropped and demand has surpassed supply. Expect higher prices next week.

Roma Tomatoes - Market very active this week. It should ease up a little bit next week. Not much volume and Mexican market has been very active. It will probably stay in good shape for the rest of the month.

December 6, 2011

Produce Market Report

Things you should know~
Lettuce market is active! Ice on the plants has delayed production with all growers.

Strawberries are very limited with fair quality.

LETTUCE - The lettuce market is active. A few suppliers started the week sold out while others were open in pricing. Ice on the plants has delayed production with all growers. Epidermal peel and blister are going to be issues caused from the cold weather. Although demand is steady, expect it to pick up in the middle of the week. Place orders early. Lettuce carton weights continue to be 35-40 pounds on average. Salinas will have some production if needed for the beginning of the week.

LEAF LETTUCE - The romaine market is stronger. Demand is steady but supplies are lighter. Suppliers are dealing with ice in the fields which is causing harvesting to begin much later than normal. Blister and epidermal peel are issues we will be dealing with for the next couple of weeks. Green and red leaf also will have the same issues as romaine. Demand is steady as well. The main growing area is in Yuma. The Thermal area has also begun production. Supplies out of Santa Maria are light in availability.

STRAWBERRIES - Strawberry market is firm with limited supplies out of all areas (Oxnard, Mexico, Florida) Florida strawberry growers have starting harvesting very limited numbers. Quality is being reported as fair to good depending on the lot. Market is firm. Market is active with light supplies. Quality problems to be aware of will include bruising, decay, pin rot, mold and white shoulders. All fruit coming out of California is running very light in color with up to 30% white shoulder and sides. Fruit is still only holding up more than a day or so after they arrive. Central Mexico and Baja growing areas have started harvesting strawberries in a light way. This fruit is shipping out of Texas but still not enough volume to offset the demand. Markets are very active.

BROCCOLI - Demand is steady but supplies are off. This market is stronger. Demand has become stronger after the holiday pull. Yuma availability is light. Salinas continues to have production and some suppliers continue to transfer to Yuma. There are also supplies available in Scottsdale.

CELERY - This market is higher. The cold temperatures have slowed the growth of this commodity. Suppliers are heaviest in availability to the 30and 36s. Santa Maria as well as Oxnard looks to be the main areas of production. Demand has picked up. The quality is good with no major issues to report at this time. Suppliers are willing to take product to Yuma for an extra charge.

CAULIFLOWER - This market is much more active, as demand clearly exceeds supplies. Availability is expected to be light throughout the week in Yuma so please place orders early. Supplies will be light out of Santa as well. Suppliers continue to have the best availability on twelve count sizing. The overall quality has been good.

November 9, 2011

Produce Market Report

Highlights ~


ASPARAGUS: This market is stronger to begin the week on small and standard sizing being produced in Mexico. Mexico production continues to be very light on jumbo sizing and is commanding a premium price. Peruvian product is moderate in availability. The quality out of both growing regions are having issues of soft tips and browning. Demand has picked up, overall.

RASPBERRIES: Supplies are lighting up due to the cool weather. Markets are steady but look to firm up as the week moves on. Quality is being reported as good.

CELERY: This market is active on all sizes. Suppliers continue to be heaviest in availability to the 24 counts. Salinas and Santa Maria as well as Oxnard are in production. Cool weather and rains has slowed down production. Demand has increased significantly.

BROCCOLI: This market is active on bunched product as well as crowns in all growing regions. Supplies are light in the Salinas valley as well as Santa Maria. Salinas and Santa Maria continue to be the two main growing regions for this commodity. Yuma will not begin production early like lettuce or leaf items. There are no major quality issues to report at this time.

EGGPLANT: Fresno volumes remain light as they are past their peak in production. They are producing mostly # 2 fruit. The California desert has started with light production. Demand is good. Demand is strong as Georgia starts to clean up on eggplant. With Florida not quite producing the volume to keep up, this market is tightening up. Quality, however, remains good.

LETTUCE: This market is very active. Supplies in Salinas are getting very light. Weights are down and head sizing is very irregular. Lettuce carton weights along with head size will be on the smaller, lighter side for the entire product that is being harvested in Huron as well. Huron is also showing pale color with most suppliers. The rains and cool weather will make production numbers light throughout the week on this commodity.

LEAF LETTUCE: The romaine market is very active. The market has also picked up on all other leaf items. Demand has gotten stronger. Cooler weather and rains has slowed production and supplies are expected to be light to moderate throughout the week. There continues to be sporadic issues of tip burn and decay with all leaf items upon arrival. Please remember these plants are tired and quality will not be as strong as in past months.

STONE FRUIT: California Peaches and Nectarines have finished up for the season. Black and red plums are both available with lighter availability this week and will start to clean up for the season.

November 1, 2011

Produce Market Highlights

Highlights in the Produce Market:
BLACKBERRIES: Supplies are still limited but do look to improve as this week moves on. The wet weather in the growing areas has finally cleared. Quality should start to improve.

BLUEBERRIES: The main pack is 4.4oz with a few 6oz still being harvested. Market is steady. Supplies are building out of Argentina as the North West supplies slowly wind down. Quality is being reported as good.

CUCUMBERS: Western Cucumber: Production continues light this week as growers have moved through the flush of their new fields in Baja. Production from Mainland Mexico through Nogales is increasing. Eastern Cucumbers: The cucumber market is finally reacting to the limited volume. With demand continuing to be strong, the prices are rising. Expect a sharp spike going into the weekend. Quality, however, remains good.

CANTALOUPE: Cantaloupes are continuing to increase in volume. Mexican growers are ramping up their volumes and crossing into Arizona. Most of the fruit in Nogales from Mexico is starting off on the larger size. The Arizona grown fruit is running on the small size. The cantaloupe market is showing weakness due to the increase in volume while demand remains steady.

STONE FRUIT: California Peaches and Nectarines have pretty much finished up for the season. Black and red plums are both available with lighter availability this week and should continue through next week and clean up for the season.

October 27, 2011

Produce Market Highlights

Produce Highlights
ASPARAGUS: This market is steady on small and standard sizing being produced in Mexico. Supplies on jumbo grass are fair out of Peru. Mexico production continues to be very light on jumbo sizing and is commanding a premium price. The quality out of both growing regions are having issues of soft tips and browning.

AVOCADO: Mexico inventories are lower, but steady with harvest retuning back to normal. Chile has cut back imports to the US by 30% as they are shipping a larger percentage of their fruit to Europe, this will affect the overall available supplies and firm the market.

BLUEBERRIES: The main pack is 4.4oz with a few 6oz still being harvested. Market is steady to slightly weaker. Supplies are building out of Argentina as the North West supplies slowly wind down. Quality is being reported as good.

STRAWBERRIES: Supplies are being harvested in Salinas/Watsonville, Santa Maria, Oxnard and Mainland Mexico. The quality has improved out of the Salinas/Watsonville growing areas with the nice warm days and cool night. Counts are in the 18 to 22 with full red color. Markets are steady to slightly firmer. Supplies will slowly wind down out of the Salinas/Watsonville areas over the next couple of weeks or till the next rain event. No rain in the forecast for the next ten days.

BROCCOLI: This market is softer on bunched product as well as crowns. Supplies are stronger in the Salinas valley. Salinas and Santa Maria continue to be the two main growing regions for this commodity. There are no major quality issues to report at this time.

CANTALOUPE: For the most part Mexican growers are just starting to scratch this week. Most of the fruit in Nogales and Yuma will be large starting off and very limited. The Arizona fruit is now running very small as the first fruit out of the fields has cleaned up. Cantaloupe continues to be very limited this week with a very strong market. Demand is better.

HONEYDEW: Mexican honeydew crossing over into Nogales is still running mostly to 5’s. The small fruit will continue to be limited this week. Arizona fruit is available but lighter this week as the first fields are cleaning up. The market is steady with light demand.

LETTUCE: This market is higher. Supplies in Salinas are drying up and the quality is suspect. Early field reports in Huron indicate potential insect problems, which is typical of this fall transitional acreage. Carton weights along with head size will be on the smaller, lighter side. Huron is also showing pale color with most suppliers. Expect lettuce to be active throughout the week.

SQUASH: Baja and Santa Maria supplies are fair. Mainland Mexico production is good and is now the major supplier. The squash market has spiked as the effects of recent rains has taken its toll on the quality and supply. This market will remain tight for the remainder of the week.

STONE FRUIT: California Peaches and Nectarines have pretty much finished up for the season. Black and red plums are both available with lighter availability this week and should continue through next week and clean up for the season.

October 18, 2011

Produce Market Update

Things you should know ~
Volcanic Ash hitting Southern Argentina from a Volcano in Chile could affect supplies of offshore Blueberries.

Small Honeydew and Cantaloupe very limited due to the transition.

BLUEBERRIES: Volcanic Ash is hitting Southern Argentina from a volcano in Chile. This will have a slight delay on fruit being flown out of Buenos Aires. Flights out Tucuman are not being effect by the ash at this time. The main pack is 4.4oz with a few 6oz still being harvested. Market is firming with light supplies coming out of the Pacific Northwest. Argentina has started in a light way with a high markets. Quality is being reported as good.

MELONS: Cantaloupe: The Westside district is finishing up quickly with little to no demand. There is extremely limited availability. The desert has started up in a light way and will have better availability next week. All fruit in the new growing areas is running large. Honeydew: Availability is limited with Westside shippers finishing up and Arizona/ Mexican product running mostly to 5’s and just starting up. It will take a couple of weeks for good volume to come on.

STRAWBERRIES: Hot weather in Santa Maria/Oxnard (90 to 103 degrees) last Wednesday/Thursday has hurt quality and harvest numbers out of this growing area. Weather in the Salinas/Watsonville areas has been idea and growers are back in the field harvesting fruit which has help to stabilize the market currently. Overall quality is improving out of all areas. Mainland Mexico is starting to cross strawberries into McAllen, TX.

RASPBERRIES: Supplies are still limited and will not improve till mainland Mexico picks up volumes which will slowly increase over the next couple of weeks. Market is steady quality is fair to good.

BLACKBERRIES: Supplies are limited with a firm market. Quality is fair at best. Guatemalan blackberries have started to show up in a light way.

SQUASH: Western Squash:Baja and Santa Maria supplies are fair. Fresno supplies are good Zucchini. Mainland Mexico production is good and is now becoming the major supplier. Eastern Squash: Georgia is in good productions now on both zucchini and yellow squash, so the market is beginning to loosen up. The quality has been good, and demand is excellent. However, rain and cool temperatures in the forecast may cause a spike toward the middle of the week.

STONE FRUIT: Peaches have very limited availability with demand exceeding supplies the market is strong. Mostly tray packs available with large fruit, limited to no supplies of volume fill. Nectarines are limited as well as California finishes up for the season. Angelino black plums are available as well as light supplies of California red plums.

WATERMELON: California watermelon is finishing up for the season. Mini seedless are limited and will continue to be until Mexican product gets going around the 3rd week of October.

GREEN ONIONS: This market is firm. Supplies out of Mexico continue to be on the light side. The quality has been fair with some issues of sliminess and decay being reported upon arrivals. Pencil sizing will have the best availability. Supplies will continue to be light for the rest of the week.

AVOCADO: California season is done. Mexico supplies are tighter to start the week due to heavy rains in the growing areas. Harvest should pick back up by the end of the week. Chile has cut back imports to the US by 50% as they are shipping a larger percentage of their fruit to Europe.

ASPARAGUS: This market is firm. Supplies on jumbo grass are fair out of Peru. Mexico production is heaviest to small and standard sizing and supplies are only moderate. Jumbo sizing are non-existent coming out of Mexico. Production is expected to be light throughout the week. Continue to place orders early. The quality out of both growing regions are having issues of soft tips and browning.

October 11, 2011

Produce Market Update

Market Highlights
***Strawberries are very limited due to rain last week in the growing areas.

***Small Honeydew and Cantaloupe very limited due to the transition.

STRAWBERRIES: The weather has cleared up from last week’s rain but we are seeing the affects from the rain in the packs. Quality problems to be aware of include bruising, decay, pin rot, white shoulders and water soaked berries. Due to tender fruit condition out of all growing areas, only order what you need. Look for the markets to be high with limited supplies. All shippers will be in a fill rate situation.

RASPBERRIES: Supplies are still limited and will not improve till mainland Mexico picks up volumes which will slowly increase over the next couple of weeks. Market is active Quality is fair to good.

BLACKBERRIES: Supplies are limited with a firm market. Quality is fair at best. Markets are active. Guatemalan blackberries have started to show up in a light way.

BLUEBERRIES: The main pack is 4.4oz with a few 6oz still being harvested. Market is firming with light supplies coming out of the Pacific Northwest. Argentina has started in a light way with a high markets. Quality is being reported as good.

CANTALOUPE: The Westside district is finishing up quickly with little to no demand. Extremely limited availability. The desert has started up in a light way and will have better availability by mid October. All fruit in the new growing areas is running large. Nogales should start Cantaloupe in a couple of weeks.

HONEYDEW: Availability is limited with Westside shippers finishing up and Arizona/ Mexican product running mostly to 5’s and just starting up. It will take a couple of weeks for good volume to come on.

GREEN ONIONS: This market is active. Supplies out of Mexico are light with all suppliers, and expect this trend to continue throughout the week. Bad weather in Mexico in past weeks has damaged the yields with all growers. Pencil sizing will have the best availability. Supplies are expected to be light throughout the week.

LEAF LETTUCE: The romaine market is slightly higher compared to the previous week. There are a few suppliers that are very light and are pricing three dollars over the market. The market is stable on green and red leaf. Demand has slowed up compared to the previous week. There have been some issues of tip burn and decay with all leaf items. The plants are getting tired at this time of the season and the quality will not be as strong as in past months.

SQUASH: Georgia is in good productions now on both zucchini and yellow squash, so the market is beginning to loosen up. The quality has been good, and demand is excellent. However, recent winds and rain may cause quality issues toward the end of the week.

STONE FRUIT: Peaches have very limited availability with demand exceeding supplies the market is strong. Mostly tray packs available with large fruit, limited to no supplies of volume fill. Nectarines are limited as well as California finishes up for the season. Angelino black plums are available as well as good supplies of California red plums.

TOMATOES: With the advent of the California rain, tomato buyers will be looking to the Eastern Shore of Virginia & Maryland for the sporadic yields from their fall crop, and also the new fields from the Panhandle of Florida near Tallahassee over the next week. Early reports are that the central Florida crop in Palmetto/Ruskin is due to kick off in mid- October at the earliest, more likely towards the 20th-25th of this month.

EGGPLANT: Fresno volumes remain light as they are past their peak in production. They are producing mostly # 2 fruit. Demand is very strong. New eggplant is available out of Georgia, with volume starting to increase. The market is still strong, quality has been good so far, and demand is steady.

October 4, 2011

Produce Market Update

Things you should know:
Rain is in the forecast which will make the Strawberry quality and supplies even worse!

BERRIES ARE ACTIVE!

Strawberries: The first winter storm of the season is forecasted to hit the Northern strawberry growing areas tonight then a second stronger storm is to come in Tuesday night. If these storms do hit it will hurt the quality and harvest numbers for the balance of this week. We will see this market turn into a demand exceeds situation quickly. We will have to wait and see what happens. Santa Maria and Oxnard new crop has started in a light way with better quality. Market is higher out of these areas. The second storm is also forecasted to move thru Southern.

Raspberries: Supplies are still limited and will not improve till mainland Mexico picks up volumes which will slowly increase over the next couple of weeks. Market is active Quality is fair to good.

Blackberries: Supplies are limited with a firm market... Quality is fair at best. Markets are active. Guatemalan blackberries have started to show up in a light way.

Blueberries: The main pack is 4.4oz with a few 6oz still being harvested. Market is firming with light supplies coming out of the Pacific Northwest. Argentina has started in a light way with a high markets. Quality is being reported as good.

EGGPLANT: Western Eggplant: Fresno volumes remain light as they are past their peak in production. They are producing mostly # 2 fruit. Demand is very strong. Eastern Eggplant: New eggplant is available out of Georgia, with volume starting to increase. The market is still strong, quality has been good so far, and demand is steady.

GREEN ONIONS: This market is steady. Bad weather in Mexico in past weeks still has suppliers trying to catch up with demand. Pencil sizing will have the best availability. Supplies are expected to be light throughout the week.

SQUASH: Georgia is still tight on both zucchini and yellow squash. The new crop has started, but the cooler weather is keeping the product from coming on in any volume right now. The quality has been good, and demand is excellent, keeping markets high.

STONE FRUIT: Peaches have very limited availability with demand exceeding supplies the market is strong. Mostly tray packs available with large fruit, limited to no supplies of volume fill. Nectarines are limited as well as California finishes up for the season. Angelino black plums are available as well and good supplies of California red plums.

September 27, 2011

Produce Update

Things you should know:
STRAWBERRIES: Light demand the start of this week has weakened the market slightly. Quality out of the North is fair. A few Santa Maria growers have started harvesting new fall crop which has better quality and size. Market is firm on this fruit. Shippers are getting selective on where they are going with their fruit at this time and are keeping their fruit with customers that understand the condition of the fruit. Any type of temperature swing will weaken the fruit quicker.

AVOCADOS: California harvest is winding down and should be done soon. Mexico supplies are increasing and will continue to do so. We are seeing increasing supplies from Chile, as well as light supplies of fruit from Peru that has enter the market with limited numbers.

BELL PEPPERS: Western Bells - The California crop on green bells is producing increased volume. Demand is increasing on bell peppers. Colored bell supplies are increasing while demand remains steady. The lack of increased demand is bringing the market down. Eastern Bells - Some peppers are still available in Michigan, but the deal is winding down. North Carolina will also have some peppers. Quality has been good and demand is average. More off grade sizes are available than before.

BLUEBERRIES: The main pack is 4.4oz with a few 6oz still being harvested. Market is firming with light supplies coming out of the Pacific Northwest. Argentina will start in a light way the end of this month with good numbers being shipped to the US by the middle of October.

BROCCOLI: The market continues to be firm on both bunched product as well as crowns. Suppliers have begun the week only moderate in supplies. Demand is moderate. Salinas and Santa Maria continues to be the two main growing regions for this commodity. There are no major quality issues to report at this time.

GREEN ONIONS: This market is active. Hail and rainstorms in the Mexican growing region have left all suppliers very light in availability. The market has almost doubled. Pencil sizing will have the best availability. Supplies are expected to be light throughout the week.

SQUASH: Western Squash - Baja has fair supplies. Santa Maria production looks to be lighter this week on Zucchini and Yellow. Cooler weather is slowing growth. Fresno has started some Zucchini this week. Demand is steady. Eastern Squash - The squash market remains tight, but there should be some additional product starting in Georgia this week on both zucchini and yellow squash. Demand has been very good and will continue to exceed supplies for a while until the Georgia deal has more volume. North Carolina should also have a few squash. The market is very strong right now. Quality on what is being shipped has been good.

STONE FRUIT: Peaches are available with the demand starting to exceed supplies the market is strengthening up a bit. Mostly tray packs available with large fruit, limited supplies of volume fill. Nectarines are available with high demand and fruit peaking to large sizes most fruit is being packed in trays. We have another 2-3 weeks of domestic peaches and nectarines with 4-5 weeks left on plums. Angelino blacks have started with excellent quality and availability. All stone fruit is now running large with very limited small fruit available. Apricots are finished up for the California season.

September 21, 2011

Produce Market Highlights

Produce Market Highlights ~
CARROTS Carrot market is steady but still coming off slightly on Jumbo & conventional packs. Processed Baby’s market moved up on overall pricing. Be sure to give your sales rep a call now for the changes. Supplies are fair.

ORANGES Valencias are going, firm hard fruit, good color and eat nicely. Sizing is peaking 88/72. Very light supplies of 138/113's with the market increasing weekly on these sizes as schools demand increases. Market is mostly steady on larger sizes; but up on small sizes. Some fruit is showing greening at the stem end due to the heat. Shippers have scaled back and are currently only packing 3 day a week to hopefully extend this crop.

SEASONAL CITRUS Grapefruit supplies are out of AZ & desert with Ruby & Rio's. The fruit looks nice with light exterior blush and interior color of med‐pink. Consolidation in Fresno area is available. CLEMENTINES are now available in Calif from Chile, product looks very nice available in 3# bags and 5# ctns. Peruvian MINNEOLAS are now available in Fresno area. Color is very nice and the eat great.

CALIFORNIA STONEFRUIT Peaches market / demand are slow to steady as we finish up the domestic crop. Nectarines market demand are slow to steady as we finish up the domestic crop. California Red and Black Plums supplies starting to fall off, market is steady as we enter the last few varieties. Pluots are short lived at this time and will be done in the next 7‐10 days. Persimmons/ Pomegranates/ Asian Pears are all on the horizon ready for your eating pleasure.

BEANS Michigan has supplies, quality is stable. Market is up due to the Tennessee deal being hurt by Tropical Depression Lee that passed through last week.

GREEN BELL PEPPERS The market is up due to Michigan finishing up and California having great demand to cover all supplies. Georgia will be starting around the 1st of Oct.

ONIONS The market is slightly weaker as growers harvest and run the last of the summer onions. As harvest shifts to the Storage type varieties the market may become bullish. Also consider that there has been rain in Colorado, and hurricanes on the East coast. These and other factors including yield may yet set a different pace for the year. New crop is very nice! Product is solid!!!

STRAWBERRIES The berry deal is a little rough right now. The weather has been a challenge. Fruit quality is not real good, size is off, counts are running in the 18‐24 size. Lots of brusing!!!! Plants are getting tired, the remainder of the Northern CA deal will have small fruit and just fair quality. We will start some fall production in the Oxnard district in about a month, typically this is better fruit, will keep you posted.

ICEBERG LETTUCE Not much happening on the lettuce front. Demand is off and supplies keep trickling in. Cool and damp temperatures will keep the market from the bottom, but until we get some activity, things will stay the same. Hopefully this week, there will be some action. Quality is good.

RED AND YELLOW PEPPERS Green House Red Bells have been very active this past week. Expect higher markets. Field reds have been active as well not as much as the GH ones but decent markets. Last week the volume on yellow bells decreased, expect higher markets in the next few days. Still somewhat a tight market.

GRAPE TOMATOES Still a very active market. Both California and Texas are pretty tight on grape tomatoes. Very low volume.

September 15, 2011

Fresh seafood market update for post Labor day.

EAST COAST:
For the most part, fishing has been decent out East. Cod landing have been steady with prices staying fairly stable. Haddock landing have been down this week resulting in very limited availability and high prices. Pollock, Hake and cusk all have been in good supply. Flatfish have been fairly tight with a few greysole, yellow sole and fluke showing up this week. Ocean Perch in Nova Scotia has been in extremely tight supply, ther has been some nice domestic perch available but prices are up. Some East coast halibut has also been showing up this week, slightly less expensive than the west coast product. Wild striped bass are being caught again in limited numbers from New York, prices are higher than the Massachusetts run, but we will look into bringing some fish in next week.

GREAT LAKES:
Lake Erie has reopened for perch fishing, but so far landings have been very light. Fishing is expected to improve soon, and packers will work hard to get frozen stocks replenished. There has been some fresh white perch showing up in the yellow perch nets. Fresh walleye is once again available from Winnipeg, with Lake Erie expected to open at the end of the month. We continue to struggle with finding the “right sized” whitefish to cover the demand for our premium sized fillets (8-10 and 10-12) with the vast majority of the fish we been receiving producing 6-8 0z fillets. The large fall whitefish landing are expected to take place in the upcoming weeks and we are planning on putting up a good supply of frozen fillets for the winter. Fresh smelt is still available from Lake Erie, but the supply is expected to wind down in the next week or so. White Bass is expected to be available in decent numbers the first of October. I did receive word that our Lake Huron raised “ Ruby Trout” will be in short supply for the next 2 weeks as the fish are very small and need time to grow to market size. We will look into a South American option to fill for shortages.

TUNA:
The supply of fresh tuna once again has become very tight with very little production coming from the Pacific, which is very unusual for this time of year. South American production has been OK, but there simply has not been enough high quality fish around to meet demand. We are hopeful that landings will improve some from Fiji, Indonesia and the Phillipines in order to take some of the pressure off of the South American catch.

ALASKAN FISH:
The wild Alaskan salmon season is winding down. Sockeyes are done and coho are nearing their end. After a very good season on sockeye, the coho landing were very disappointing. There are some coho being harvest from the Washington and Oregon coasts along with a few kings. Halibut continues to show up in moderate numbers keeping prices high.

SOUTHERN / GULF SPECIES:
The fall Mahi-Mahi season in South America is just underway. Landing are expected to improve dramatically in the next few weeks and stay strong for the fall and winter. Prices are coming off and will continue to do so as the season progresses. Swordfish landing have been good this week in South American as well as in Canada. Chilean production has been off on sword, with no pre-cut loins available this week. Grouper from Mexico has been in erratic supply with very limited product brought in last weekend, supplies improving mid-week and tightening up again as we approach this weekend. Variety has been fairly limited this week with a fair amount of snappers, blue marlin, mako shark, golden corvine, wahoo, escolar and kingklip showing up in Miami.

FARM RAISED SALMON:
Chilean production continues to remain strong and prices are holding steady. I have been told that in the next two week, Chile will be processing a smaller class size of fish, with mainly 2/3 lb fillets available. Canada production has been good, but the current class of fish being processed is large, producing mainly 3-4 and 4/5 lb fillets.

FARM RAISED CATFISH:
We have decided to try a new / old supplier in order to better meet our fresh catfish needs. Heartland Catfish continues to struggle with covering the demand on fresh fish. Harvest Select has recovered from the severe shortage situation faster than most of the other domestic catfish producers, so we are going to give them a shot. We will have 2 deliveries per week: Mondays and Thursdays to cover our fresh catfish needs. Please be sure to give us your input to let us know how this change is working.

September 14, 2011

Produce Market Highlights

Produce Market Highlights
DOMESTIC AVOCADOS: Avocados are becoming increasingly promotable (heavy to 60’s). We are seeing some price relief, and will continue to see pricing steadily decline as we progress forward. Market volatility is due to the simple fact that Chile, Mex, and Peru all showed up at the same time, and each area will bring good volume. Look for the marker to settle down in 4‐6 weeks. Pricing orders at time of booking with lids, and if need be reevaluate price on day of shipment. California is wrapping up the season. We should have bits & pieces through this month, and possibly very light in October. Lamb Hass are also available at this time. Cali fruit quality, oil content, and flavor are impeccable. California fruit is demanding a premium over imported fruit.

CARROTS: Carrot market is steady but still coming off slightly on Jumbo & conventional packs. Processed Baby’s market moved up on overall pricing. Be sure to give your sales rep a call now for the changes. Supplies are fair.

CALIFORNIA STONE FRUIT: Peaches market demand exceeds on both 2‐layer & VF, good activity on large fruit, very few VF supplies remain tight. Conditioned fruit is also winding down. Nectarines demand exceeds on small VF, mostly tray packs fruit sizing on larger fruit, very few VF. Conditioned fruit available in 1 & 2 layer packs will finish up in the next two weeks. California Red and Black Plums supplies starting to fall off, market improving with higher prices and anticipate increasing prices as we enter the last few varieties.. Conditioned fruit will in 1 & 2 layers are now available. Pluots/Apriums specialty varieties are not going in tray packs. These are short lived varieties last in 7‐10 day so call for availability of the "flavor of the week" and availability. These are great treats!

COLORED POTATOES: Supplies are light on all colored potatoes. Stockton is the place to be for new crop REDS, WHITES & YELLOWS. Quality has been good with nice skin set. Smaller sizes B's & C's are tight at this time and Reds are few hands.

CORN: Northern corn is just about finished, CO is too. Georgia will be starting around Oct 1st, but supplies will be short. Once we see the corn "silk" up we will have a better idea of a starting date.

EGGPLANT: Michigan pricing seems to be increasing, quality is good, nice color on the eggs.

BEANS: Michigan has better supplies, quality is stable. Market is starting to tighten up due to the Tennessee deal being hurt by TD Lee that passed through last week.

YELLOW SQUASH AND ZUCCHINI: Michigan supplies are tighter Be careful on future promotions and ad lids. Georgia should see decent supplies in the next few days, with volume picking up in the coming weeks.

STRAWBERRIES: The berry deal is a little rough right now. The weather has been a challenge. Fruit quality is not real good, size is off, counts are running in the 18‐24 size. Lots of brusing!!!! Plants are getting tired, the remainder of the Northern CA deal will have small fruit and just fair quality. We will start some fall production in the Oxnard district in about a month, typically this is better fruit, will keep you posted.

ICEBERG LETTUCE: Lettuce market was slightly active last week. Supply is down a bit and East coast demand has picked up due to weather related issues. Shippers are going to try and push the market up this week. Quality is good.

RED PEPPERS: Green House Red Bells have been very active this past week. Expect higher markets. Field reds have been active as well not as much as the GH ones but decent markets.

GRAPE TOMATOES: Still a very active market. Both California and Texas are pretty tight on grape tomatoes. Very low volume.

September 7, 2011

Produce Market Update

THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW ~
ASPARAGUS: This market is firm on all sizes. Supplies continue to be light coming from Peru and although production has picked up in Mexico, overall supplies are still light in the market. Standard sizing continues to be the most readily available.

STRAWBERRIES: The market continues to firm but steady the start of the this week. It looks like we are going to be in a very tight supply situation on Strawberries for the next month or so. We are into typical end of summer fruit shipping out of the Salinas/Watsonville growing areas.

WATERMELON: Better supplies of seedless watermelon with good to excellent quality. Seeded watermelon is a little light in supply but the market is weakening anyway due to a lack of demand.

STONE FRUIT: Peaches are available with the demand starting to exceed supplies the market is strengthening up a bit. Mostly tray packs available with limited supplies of volume fill fruit. Nectarines are available with high demand and fruit peaking to large sizes most fruit is being packed in trays. Red and Black plums are available with good volume on larger sizes. All stone fruit is now running large with very limited small fruit available. Apricots are finished up for the California season.

YELLOW AND ZUCCHINI SQUASH: Michigan supplies are starting to tighten up. Be careful on promotions and ad lids.

CELERY: Celery market continues to struggle on demand with plenty of cheap deals out there. Quality overall has been excellent with no real problems being reported. Expect this market to stay flat for thru next week.

GRAPE TOMATOES: Market is extremely active. Both California and Texas are pretty tight on grape tomatoes. Prices doubled since last week.

September 1, 2011

Produce Market Highlights

Produce Market Highlights
STRAWBERRIES: Demand exceeds supply is being caused partially due to the Labor Day pull which is going in full swing this week. The seasonally decline in supply with the usually cool and foggy weather is not helping the supply situation. Sizing of the fruit is still small counting in the 18 to 24 range. Quality is still fair out of all areas. Stem strawberries are very limited and the ones that are being packed are for the most part are strawberry with a long stem.

RASPBERRIES: Moderate supplies and demand is causing a steady market. Quality is good with a few fair lots showing up.

BLACKBERRIES: Quality is still fair at best. Demand is good with light supplies. Look for the market to stay firm for the next couple of weeks. Only order what you need as the fruit will not hold up like you are use to.

BLUEBERRIES: Market continues to be about steady with lighter supplies. Quality is being reported as good.

BROCCOLI: This market has started the week steady on bunched product as well as crowns. Salinas and Santa Maria are the two main growing regions for this commodity. Some suppliers are better off than others so the pricing is sporadic. Demand continues to be light. There are no quality issues to report at this time.

CARROTS: California carrot supplies are good with good size on the jumbo product as well.

CANTALOUPE: Less volume this week as shippers that were backed up on fruit last week has cleaned their sheds out. Demand is light and cantaloupe is peaking to 12/15’s again.

HONEYDEW: Better availability this week and light demand has brought the price of honeydew down this week. There are some deals out on there on small fruit.

ONIONS: California yellows are steady to lower on all sizes. Most suppliers will still deal on volume orders. New Mexico is finished for the season. Colorado and Washington yellows are both steady and heavy to the jumbo size. California red supplies are limited but the market is steady. Colorado and Washington both have a few of their own reds but mixer volume only. White supplies are limited in both California but the market is stable. Colorado & Washington have a few whites. Stay ahead on whites and reds until Idaho/Oregon starts packing in late August to mid September. Quality in both California is much better now that they are in long-day varieties. Colorado and Washington quality has been good as well.

STONE FRUIT: Peaches are available with the demand starting to exceed supplies the market is strengthening up a bit. Mostly tray packs available with limited supplies of volume fill fruit. Nectarines are available with high demand and fruit peaking to large sizes most fruit is being packed in trays. Red and Black plums are available with good volume on larger sizes. All stone fruit is now running large with very limited small fruit available. Apricots are finished up for the California season.

TOMATOES: WESTERN: The planned light plantings for August in the central valley of California are finally having a market effect. All sizes have increased in price by 15%-20%, and virtually nothing in mature green tomatoes remains unsold in the gas rooms. Interestingly, the size profile has backed off somewhat to more equal representation of extra large, large and medium sizes, which should eventually result in correcting the inverted market pricing situation of the last three weeks. Expect more business to come California’s way in the coming week with Hurricane Irene bearing down on the Eastern seaboard. UPDATE: Growers are holding their pricing cards very close to the vest this morning while the Eastern tomato deals assess the damage from Hurricane Irene, which will no doubt turn the Western tomato market higher. EASTERN: Hurricane Irene has come & gone, and the growers & analysts are left to assess the damage. While the Eastern Shore district in Virginia/Maryland were in a skip of sorts, the key is to determine how much of the fruit due to be picked in mid-September is harvestable. The track of Irene passed directly across the Delmarva Peninsula, which does not bode well for what is left of the crop of rounds, grape & cherry tomatoes.

August 26, 2011

The biggest issue in the world of Fresh Seafood currently is Hurricane Irene. The current tracking models have the storm running up the eastern coast, hitting the coast sometime Saturday around Virginia and working its way up the coast thru the weekend making its way thru Massachusetts and New York. This has all kinds of potential for causing major disruptions in the supply of fresh fish and shellfish. We will watch this storm closely and work with our suppliers to get product in here in a timely manner.

From the Weather Channel website:
§ Irene has the potential to be a serious and multi-hazard threat for the major metropolitan areas of the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast. This includes Norfolk, D.C., Baltimore, Philadelphia, New York City, Hartford, and Boston. This hurricane has the potential to produce flooding rains, high winds, downed trees (on houses, cars, power lines) and widespread power outages. Significant impacts along the immediate coast include high waves, surge and beach erosion. The severity of the impacts will be determined by Irene's exact path and intensity, which remain uncertain at this time. § Timing: Irene will make its closest approach to North Carolina late Friday night through Saturday. Northeast U.S. impacts would be this weekend into early Monday of next week. We remain a couple of days away from Irene's direct impacts along the US East Coast and critical uncertainties related to Irene's exact track and intensity remain.

EAST COAST:
Expect supplies to be very tight by mid-week next week on all East Coast Shellfish and Groundfish. We will have fish in house Sunday night, but it’s very hard to predict past that.

GREAT LAKES:
We had a bit of a surprise this past week with limited amount of fresh walleye available, unfortunately the supply was very short-lived as the one boat that was fishing on Lake Erie is no longer. Manitoba will open for walleye September 5 while Lake Erie won’t re-open until the first of October. Fresh whitefish continues to be in very tight supply and the majority of the fish finding their way into nets have been running small, producing mainly 6-8 oz fillets. The word I am receiving from the fishermen in Northern Michigan is that it has been very windy, boats are in and there will most likely not be any fish to ship to arrive Sunday night. I hope they are wrong and the weather improves, I will continue to update as I know more. Fresh smelt continues to be available from Lake Erie and we received some FRESH white perch fillets on our Thursday night delivery. Still no fresh white bass – refreshed or IQF only.

TUNA:
After a 2 week struggle to source high quality tuna, supplies finally improved this week. South America has produced good numbers of fish as has South Africa. Supply is anticipated to remain strong into next week.

ALASKAN FISH:
Coho salmon continue to be in very erratic supply, no consistency so far to the 2011 run. Pricing on Coho has stayed strong with now big run of fish yet. Some suppliers are thinking this may be a down year on Coho and the big run may not happen. Sockeyes are winding down to just a trickle with prices on the rise and quality on the decline. King salmon continue to be available both on net caught fish as well as troll-caught. No changes in halibut, low harvest numbers and high prices have been the consistent pattern for this year.

SOUTHERN / GULF SPECIES:
Supplies on Southern species have been good this week despite hurricanes brewing in the tropical regions. Mahi-mahi supplies continue to be low and prices high. South American swordfish has been in good supply with reasonable prices. Grouper from Mexico has bee fairly consistent on smaller fish. Snappers continue to be available in decent numbers particularly on small fish. Available variety has been good with Mako shark, Golden Corvina, Wahoo, Amberjack, Escolar and Kingklip all available this week. Supplies are expected to be good next week out of Miami with demand from the East Coast expected to be way down.

FARM RAISED SALMON:
So far, Chile continues to produce good amounts of fish and prices remain a value. Demand is increasing on the Chilean product continues to be readily available. Both Canada and Scotland have reacted to the lower prices by dropping their prices for next week. Canadian fish continue to run large as they work thru the current fish class.

FARM RAISED RAINBOW TROUT:
Clear Spring Trout continues to struggle with their supply allocating orders on every delivery. Very limited production from South America has caused a shortage of fish. Our local supplier is also feeling the affects of the increased demand and weather effects causing slower than normal growth rates. Canadian Ruby trout continues to be a good option to the white meat trout.

August 23, 2011

Produce Market Update

Produce Market Highlights
Things you should know ~

Blackberry quality is fair at best.

Brussel sprouts will continue to have very light availability this week.

BLACKBERRIES: Quality is still fair at best. Demand is good with light supplies. Look for the market to stay firm for the next couple of weeks. Only order what you need as the fruit will not hold up like you are use to.

ASPARAGUS: This market continues to be active on all sizes. Supplies out of Mexico continue to be light. Standard sizing is the best size available, but this size continues to get more expensive daily. Peruvian product will be light throughout this week. Place orders on this commodity early all this week as supplies will be on the lighter side.

BROCCOLI: This market is firm to start the week on bunched product as well as crowns. Salinas and Santa Maria are the two main growing regions for this commodity. Some suppliers are better off than others so the pricing is sporadic. The back to school promotions should start to make the market more active later in the week.

CUCUMBERS: Western Cucumber: Baja production is lighter and demand is heavy. Eastern Cucumbers: Cucumbers in Michigan are hit and miss, with more Super Selects becoming available this week and lesser volume being seen on cartons and selects. Quality has been good and demand on the off-grades continues to be strong.

SQUASH: Western Squash: Baja has fair supplies. Santa Maria production is light, demand is very strong. Market is very active. Eastern Squash: Squash is more plentiful this week in Michigan and markets have dropped with additional availability. Quality has been good, and demand on medium yellow squash and zucchini has continued to be strong.

August 16, 2011

Produce Market Update

Produce Market Update
THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW:

Strawberries are having issues with bruising

Blackberry quality is fair at best

Strawberries: Demand is good with lighter supplies is causing a slightly firmer market the start of this week. There is a two tier market due to quality. The better quality fruit command a premium in price. Unseasonably cool days and cool damp nights continue to take their toll on the strawberries. Sizing is small running 18 to 22 counts which are causing stems to be very tight and the ones they are packing are a strawberry with a stem.

Raspberries: Improved quality and supply have steadied the market out at current levels. The shippers continue to clean up on a daily basis but are beginning to entertain offers in the outlying growing regions.

Blackberries: Good demand and light supplies is causing a firm market. Quality is fair with most lots being shipped arriving with issues currently. Advance orders are being covered with "day of" availability still very short.

Blueberries: Although the market continues about steady there are some indications of lighter supplies in the near future. Most suppliers are backing off of any type of "promotional sales" for the end of the month.

Cantaloupe: Volume continues to increase on Cantaloupes with product peaking on 12’s and 15’s. Small fruit has picked up in volume with deals being cut on 15’s and 18’s.

Honeydew: Honeydews continue to remain limited. Shippers are continuing to slowly increase their volumes however fruit is peaking to 5’s with 6’s extremely limited and 8’s are almost nonexistent.

Asparagus: This market is extremely active on all sizes. Peruvian product is light out of Miami. Supplies out of Mexico are not good enough to meet demand. Standard sizing is the best size available, but this item is up three to four dollars compared to the previous week. Peruvian product will be light throughout this week. Place orders on this commodity early all this week as supplies will be on the lighter side.

August 12, 2011

Many challenges this week in the fresh fish arena. Local Great Lakes Products have been in very limited supply and fresh tuna basically disappeared this week. Here is what else is happening in the world of fresh fish.

GREAT LAKES:
We are in the midst of the summer fishing lull on the Great lakes with another very tough week for fresh Great Lakes fish. Lake Erie was closed this week until one boat went out on Wednesday targeting yellow perch. Expect yellow perch to be in much better supply next week. Fresh whitefish has been in extremely tight supply this week. Very little fish being caught and we scrambled all week to find enough fish. Lake Trout has been caught in good numbers with many suppliers requiring a trout purchase with any whitefish orders. Unfortunately whitefish supply is expected to remain somewhat spotty until the end of August. Fresh walleye is not available, just IQF or re-freshed fillets. Manitoba will open for walleye September 5 while Lake Erie won’t re-open until the first of October. Fresh smelt is currently still available from Lake Erie, still no fresh white bass or white perch – refreshed of IQF only.

TUNA:
The supply of fresh tunas absolutely dried up this week. Very low production this week severely limited the supply of fresh tuna on the market. Another big factor contributing to the shortage of tuna is the upcoming holiday in Japan that basically closes the fishing industry there for three days. Much of what little fish has been caught is being directed there to cover the holiday demand and the Japanese are willing to pay high dollar for the fish. There is also currently a shortage of high quality CO-treated tuna, particularly on saku blocks resulting in a big demand from frozen processors who are desperate to buy fish to get into production. So, in a nutshell, there is a big increase in demand and low production resulting in big shortages.

ALASKAN FISH:
The 2011 Sockeye salmon run is winding down. Sockeye are still available, but in much smaller quantities. Currently we are seeing fish from Yakutat and Kodiak regions. The Coho run is still very sluggish, with no big numbers coming in yet. We have been sourcing our fish mainly from Kuskokwim and the Southeast regions of Alaska. Fishermen are hopeful that the coho numbers will pick-up fairly soon. We are still seeing some nice king salmon; mainly troll-caught fish form the coast of Washington and British Columbia. Halibut continues to be available with prices staying strong.

SOUTHERN / GULF SPECIES:
The production of fresh mahi-mahi is finally starting to improve and we are seeing prices come off the very high prices of the past month. Swordfish production has dropped off a bit this week causing prices to start to creep back up particularly on domestic and Canadian fish. South American swordfish production has been decent with fish arriving from Ecuador and Chile. Fresh Grouper supply continues to be steady on larger sized Reds and Blacks, not many small fish showing up. The supply of fresh snapper, particularly on large fish has been spotty this week, actually fairly typical for snappers recently. We did see a fairly good supply on “variety” or specialty fish from the gulf region this week. Blue Marlin, Wahoo, Escolar, Golden Corvina, Pompano and Kingklip all available to sell.

EAST COAST:
The striped bass run off the coast of Massachusetts concluded this week with season ending on Wednesday. Fresh cod supplies continue to be tight and expensive on day boat fish. The supply of fresh haddock was better this week and prices came off a bit. Fresh flatfish supplies were very limited this week with a few greysole and channel blacks showing up at auction. The supply of fresh ocean perch has been steady with prices remaining stable. Fresh Pollock and hake continue to show up at auction in decent numbers.

FARM RAISED SALMON:
We are continuing to see good production of salmon out of Chile with some over-production happening. This has caused some aged product to be available at low blowout prices with questionable quality. Rumors are that Chile is going to cut back production in order in an attempt to raise the current market over the next few weeks. We’ll have to wait and see it that happens. Canadian fish did respond by dropping their prices to narrow the price gap. I did receive word that our Canadian salmon supplier in into a large class-size of fish and for the next 2-3 months, they expect to be processing mainly 12+ lb fish. There will be minimal 2-3 lb fillets, some 3-4 lb fillets with the vast majority of fresh fillets in the 4-5 lb range. Supply is expected to be good, just big fish. Prices on imported Scottish fillets are expected to follow suit and come down in the next week of two. Very little change on Norwegian fish, very limited supply with firm prices.

FARM RAISED CATFISH:
Just when we thought the catfish supply was improving, we’ve experienced some shortages once again this week on both fresh and frozen products. All communication we’ve received is that the supply chain is improving, just not quite where it needs to be yet.

FARM RAISED RAINBOW TROUT:
The farm raised rainbow trout industry is experiencing supply issues similar to what the catfish industry faced, just not quite as severe. Demand has surpassed supply to the point that trout producers have to allocate orders. There is still very limited production from South America causing the strain on the domestic producers. Fortunately we have our local trout form Harrietta Hills Trout Farm to offer as a premium quality local alternative. Ruby Rainbow Trout from Canada is also a great option to the white meat Idaho trout.

August 9, 2011

Produce Market Update

Produce Market Update
HONEYDEW: Honeydews are scarce, what is available has good overall quality. Market is still up. Peaking on 5/6 with a few jumbo 5's tossed in. Packing nice clean skin, good brix, occasional loose pack, mostly cream to light green with a nice cavity. Weather is still warmp this weekend and for the next 5 days in the mid to high 90's, then another possible cool down, the people in the mid‐west and east coast could be so lucky.

CUCUMBER: Michigan has good supplies, but expect them to start tightening up soon.

EGGPLANT: Michigan started, pricing seems to be stable, quality is good, nice color on the eggs.

CABBAGE: Michigan and Wisconsin have started cutting, prices and supplies are good for promotions.

GREEN BELL PEPPERS: North Carolina, Tennessee are basically finished. Michigan has started, still some crown pickings going on. The Market is stable due to California having decent supplies.

YELLOW SQUASH: Michigan has supplies and the quality is good, but beware that the rain and heat wave could affect supplies here.

ZUCCHINI SQUASH: Michigan has supplies and the quality is good, but beware that the rain and heat wave could affect supplies here.

ONIONS: Yellow/red/white onions are gapping. With exception of a few over‐wintered onions that are still available‐with some "issues". There will be new crop direct seed yellow onions beginning August 4th or 5th. Most shippers starting week of August 8th with a few more the week of the 15th. Only a few new crop reds and whites will be available week of August 1st. but no volume until after August 8th.

August 4, 2011

Produce Market Update

Produce Market Update:
THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW:

Strawberries are having issues with bruising.

Honeydews and Pineapples are very limited!

AVOCADO - August looks to be the most volatile and confusing month of this avocado season. California harvest is winding down and is 75% shipped. Volume for this week will drop 15% from last week, and 40% next week. We look to be about done with California fruit by the end of the month. Mexico is beginning to increase just a bit this week and slowly increase over the next couple of weeks. We will begin to see some increasing supplies from Chile in the next 2 to 3 weeks, as well as some fruit from Peru enter the market around mid August.

BERRIES:

Strawberries: The market remains steady with all shippers selling out on a daily basis. The quality issues we have experienced during the last few weeks seem to be improving. We are still seeing some issues with bruising and soft berries on arrival but to a lesser degree.

Raspberries: Demand continues to be very good with slightly improved supplies. Quality is being reported as generally good. All shippers are still selling out on a daily basis but all advance orders are being covered.

Blackberries: Good demand and light supplies is causing a firm market. Quality is being reported as good to fair. Advance orders are being covered with "day of" availability still very short.

Blueberries: Oregon, BC and Michigan are the three main areas that are harvesting blues currently. The markets remain about steady but there are early indications of improving supplies out of the northwest.

LETTUCE - This market is stable. Salinas and Santa Maria production is good. Weights continue to average 42 to 46 pounds on lettuce. The weights throughout the week are expected to be strong. Some suppliers are offering discount pricing on volume orders so please be aware.

MELONS:

Cantaloupe: Better volume today on Cantaloupe with product peaking to 9’s. Small fruit will be limited for the remainder of the Westside deal.

Honeydew: Honeydew remains limited. Shippers are continuing to slowly increase their volumes. Volume is peaking to 5’s with 6’s extremely limited and 8’s are nonexistent. Additional volume should be available by next week.

STONE FRUIT - Peaches are still coming on strong with very good volume. The domestic peaches are very good quality. Nectarines are limited again with demand exceeding supplies. Red and Black plums are available with good volume. All stone fruit is now running large with very limited small fruit available. Apricots are finishing up with very limited availability.

July 29, 2011

Alaskan Salmon continue their strong run, hot weather is doing no favors for local fishemen

ALASKAN FISH:
Sockeye salmon continue their strong run in Cook Inlet and Yakutat, but the season nearing it’s end. Cohos are starting their run and are starting to show up in better numbers. The Coho run is just staring to build and we should see good numbers of fish being caught over the next six weeks. King salmon continue to be available mainly as troll-caught fish from the coast of Oregon to Vancouver. Halibut supply was very tight this week out west with East Coast fishermen taking advantage of the situation by targeting east coast halibut.

GREAT LAKES:
The extreme heat of last week resulted in the supply of fresh fish to be very limited to start the week. As the temps returned to normal, whitefish and lake trout became much more available. The majority of the whitefish being caught are on the small side, producing mainly 6-8 oz fillets and the fish is much softer this time of year when compared with fish coming from colder waters in the fall, winter and early spring. Larger size fish continue to be very difficult to find. Very little happening on Lake Erie, with only 2 boats this week fishing for yellow lake perch. The perch they’ve caught this week have mostly been on the small-side with very little “Ohio-sized” fish available (fillets over 5 5/8” in length). There is no commercial walleye fishing going on right now on Lake Erie, what fresh fish that is available is coming from Canadian Lakes near Winnipeg, Manitoba. Trawlers are out on Lake Erie targeting smelt. Fresh smelt should be available for the next 4 weeks are fishermen target the smelt to replenish freezer stocks. White Bass and White Perch will not be targeted until fall.

SOUTHERN / GULF SPECIES:
Swordfish continue to be in good supply with good stable prices. We’re seeing fish from South America, Canada, South Africa along with some nice domestic fish. Mahi-Mahi continues to very limited in supply as very high priced. Many suppliers are offering Wahoo as a less expensive alternative to mahi. The supply of grouper from Mexico has been good this week, particularly on red groupers, but Tropical storm Don is sure to limit supplies next week. Snappers have been in decent supply again this week, particularly on small fish. Blue Marlin, Corvina and a few nice pompano from Florida showing up on auction lists this week.

TUNA:
Fresh tunas have been in good supply this week with very nice quality fish and steady pricing. South America seems to be seeing the most action with a lot of nice fish coming in from Ecuador and South Africa.

EAST COAST:
The striped bass run continued into this week with the catch being much better than the first two weeks. The stripers are running big, but are very nice and should be available for at least the next 2 weeks. Fresh cod has been available on a much more consistent basis with more stable prices this week. Haddock supply is still somewhat limited with prices staying high. Pollock and hake are showing up in good number and the supply of fresh flatfish has been steady. Ocean perch continues to be available from Nova Scotia with prices holding steady.

FARM RAISED SALMON:
Plenty of fresh salmon on the market these days with wild fish from Alaska being harvested in good numbers and salmon farms running at full production. Chile continues to produce and ship plenty of fish keeping the market fairly soft. Our Canadian supplier experienced some production issues this week resulting in some product shortages, but we had plenty of options to recover with fish available not only from Chile and Canada, but also from Scotland and Norway.

FARM RAISED CATFISH:
The farm raised domestic catfish supply continues to show signs of improvement, with very few shorts on fresh products. Frozen stocks are still fairly limited with processors working to fill stocks on key sizes.

July 27, 2011

Produce Market Update

Things you should know ~


Green Grapes still very limited

Cantaloupe and Honeydew are still extremely limited

Strawberries: Good demand the start of this week has most shippers sold out into Tuesday. Market has firmed up slightly. Quality is being reported as fair to good. The main issue showing up in the packs currently is bruising due to foggy wet mornings. The Salinas/Watsonville growing areas have hit their peak production about two weeks ago and their numbers will season wind down. Sizing is medium counting in the 16 to 20 range. Stem strawberries are limited due to small sizing in the fields currently.

Lemons: The lemon market continues to strengthen in the face of improving demand that is typical for this time of year. Specific sizes are cleaning up on a daily basis but advance orders are well covered.

Oranges: Late season navels are just about finished and the remaining supplies are dwindling. Valencia oranges supplies are shorting up on 88’s and smaller. Demand for small fruit is starting to increase.

Cantaloupe: Product is still limited today and tomorrow with better volume coming on Wednesday. Quality is excellent and sizes are peaking to 12’s and larger now.

Honeydew: Honeydew are extremely limited still as shippers should be able to harvest today and have better volume tomorrow and later in the week. Ad volume should be available by the second week in August.

Grapes: There are additional shippers coming on this week with red grapes which is helping the market. Quality is excellent and demand is light. Green grapes however remain limited this week with better volume expected next week. Sugars are still a problem across the board on both colors with less volume available during this time period than normal.

July 20, 2011

Produce Market Update

Produce Market Update
THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW ~ Grapes are limited on reds and extremely limited on green should have better volume at the end of the week. Cantaloupe and Honeydew are extremely limited!

Strawberries: Good demand and light supplies the start of this week is causing a firm market. Strawberry plants are in between fruit set currently which will last for about two weeks before the next set comes on. Look for the market to be active and supplies on the short side for the next couple of weeks.

Raspberries: Good demand and moderate supplies is causing a firm market. Quality is being reported as good with an occasional fair lot. Look for supplies to get better in the next couple of weeks.

Blueberries: Oregon and Michigan are the two main areas that are harvesting blues currently. Oregon was hit with some heavy rain on Sunday which has interrupted harvest for a day. This will hurt supplies being transferred down to Watsonville for the front part of this week. Supplies are done in California and New Jersey Quality is being reported as good out of these new areas. Look for the market to stay firm into the end of this week.

Broccoli: This market is a little stronger. Large orders this past week has allowed suppliers to get caught up with their production. Expect pricing to slowly increase throughout the week on bunched product as well as crowns.

Lemons: The lemon market continues to strengthen in the face of improving demand that is typical for this time of year. Specific sizes are cleaning up on a daily basis but advance orders are well covered.

Lettuce: This market is stronger with all suppliers. Salinas and Santa Maria production has lightened up compared to past weeks. The weights on lettuce are averaging 42-46 pounds. Production is expected to be lighter towards the end of the week. Brown butts, brown spotting and fringe burn are some issues currently with lettuce. Expect pricing to get stronger throughout the week.

Potatoes: The Idaho carton market has leveled off for now but suppliers are still limited especially in 60’s and larger. All shippers are still rationing their product out to avoid or minimize a gap, by only covering regular business. Plan ahead as the market will continue to climb; in fact several Idaho packers have already finished packing!

July 19, 2011

Michigan Crop Update

Michigan Crop Update ~
Hot, Dry Weather! Six days were suitable for fieldwork during the week ended July 17, according to the USDA, NASS, Michigan Field Office. Hot and dry weather conditions allowed for ample field activities to occur this week. A strong weather system rolled through the Lower Peninsula on Monday causing some long-term power outages damaging some fruits trees. Crops were in need of moisture. Field activities included first and second cutting of hay, harvest of cherries, blueberries, strawberries, peaches, oats, and wheat.

Fruit

The tart cherry harvest continued in the southwest. Storms on July 11 caused extensive damage to trees and fruit in some orchards. Harvesting began in the west central, and fruit was 18 mm and red in the northwest. Sweet cherry harvesting began in the northwest and continued elsewhere. The harvest of Bluecrop blueberries began in the southwest; Duke and other early varieties were picked in the Grand Rapids area. Phomopsis has been a serious problem. Juice grapes were at berry touch in the southwest. Growers in the northwest were tucking and tying wine grapes; viniferas there were past bloom.

Vegetables

Summer-like conditions this past week were good for vegetable crops, but precipitation is needed as soils were getting dry. Irrigation was being used where available. Celery harvest was underway for some growers. Tomatoes and peppers were filling out and flowering. Carrots continued to grow. Sweet corn was at harvest stage in some fields, but others were still in silk. Cucumber, zucchini, and summer squash harvest continued. Cucumbers for pickles ranged from just planted to setting and developing fruit. The onion crop was growing well. Downy mildew was detected in onions this past week. Cabbage continued to be harvested, with indications of a good crop season. Cantaloupe and watermelon were setting fruit, and were nearing full size in some fields. Collards and mustard greens were being harvested in the southwest.

July 15, 2011

Wild salmon from Alaska is plentiful while fresh walleye from Canada is getting scarce.

ALASKAN FISH:
Alaska continues to produce good numbers of fish with sockeye continuing to dominate the catch with fish coming in heavy from Yakutat and Cook Inlet. Coho salmon are just starting to show up in Southeast Alaska processed in Petersburg while chum salmon are pretty much done in most areas. King salmon continue show up in decent numbers along with the sockeyes. Halibut supply continues to be somewhat limited with mainly small fish being caught, prices holding firm.

GREAT LAKES:
Fresh walleye supply is getting very tight as Lake Erie shuts down for the summer. The hot weather and warmer water results in shorter shelf life and fish of less than optimal quality. There will be a few fish coming in from Northern Canada, but supplies will be very limited and prices on the rise. Small IQF walleye fillets (6-8 oz and smaller) are virtually non-existent. We do have decent supplies on 8 oz and larger fillets. Fresh Yellow Perch is expected to be available in decent numbers thru the summer. There continues to be no fresh white perch or white bass available, re-freshed or IQF fillets are the options on these species. There are rumors of smelt trawlers going out next week, we’ll see if that happens. Whitefish and lake trout have both been in good supply with whitefish running on the small side, producing mainly 8-10 oz and smaller fillets.

TUNA:
The supply of fresh tuna was very tight this week particularly on premium #1 grade fish. Catch rates were down this week mainly due to boat cycles as we were caught in a week when many boats headed out to fishing ground and very few returned to port with their catch. The season in Fiji is winding down and most of the catch from the Philippines is going to Japan. Supplies are expected to improve by this weekend.

SOUTHERN / GULF SPECIES:
Mahi-Mahi supply improved a bit, but prices a staying high. The supply of grouper continues to be good with Red grouper being a higher percentage of the catch than Black. Swordfish have bee in good supply on fish from South America, but domestic fish have been in tight supply. Snappers have been in good supply with a good variety available – lanes, silks, reds, yellowtails, hog and dogs all available. Decent variety showing up on offering sheets – blue marlin, escolar, corvine, wahoo, triple tail, wreckfish, and king mackerel.

EAST COAST:
The Summer Striped Bass season opened this week with limited catch so far. High temps out east have caused fish to go deeper (in theory) causing fishing to be slower by the smaller hook & line fishermen. We expect to see fish in on Sunday night. This is a small quota fishery so once the quota is met, the season is over. Fresh cod supplies improved this week with prices coming back down to more reasonable levels. Haddock continues to be available in good numbers as do flatfish (sole, flounder and fluke). Hake, Pollock, monkfish and skate also have been showing up in decent numbers.

FARM RAISED SALMON:
The market on farm raised Atlantic salmon seems to have settled somewhat this week. Chile continues to produce good amounts of fish but prices seem to have leveled off. Word is that both Chile and Europe are cutting back production in an attempt to raise prices a bit. Canadian farms are watching the situation closely and are slowly lowing their costs in an attempt to stay competitive.

FARM RAISED CATFISH:
Catfish supplies finally improved this week, with the majority of our fresh orders being filled this week. Hopefully as supply continues to improve, prices will eventually soften.

July 13, 2011

Produce Market Report

Things you should know:
Grapes are limited on greens should have product by the end of the week.

Blueberries are very limited on both coasts due to growing areas changing and weather supplies should improve in the next 7- 10 days. Michigan product is now available.

Cantaloupe and Honeydew all small fruit new crop only available.

Colored Bell Peppers are tight and quality is only fair. New crop expected to start in 2 weeks.

Michigan Produce that is available right now includes Green Beans, Blueberries, Cabbage, Cucumbers, Romaine, Green Leaf, Red Leaf, Hydro Bibb, Snap Peas, Snow Peas, Yellow Squash, and Zucchini.

July 6, 2011

Fresh Produce Update:

Michigan Produce:
Michigan produce is increasing in items available as we move into July. - Items now available include Blueberries, Green Cabbage, Cucumbers, Romaine, Green and Red Leaf, Hydro Bibb, Snap Peas, Snow Peas, Yellow Squash, and Zucchini.

Grapes will be very limited on reds for the next 2 weeks - Mexican crossings are finishing up on red and green are very limited. Shippers are cleaning up for the season and getting unexpected shipments in when they think they have cleaned up. Nice large fruit is limited and demanding higher prices if available.

Blueberries are very limited on both coasts due to growing areas changing - Supplies are winding down out of California which has firmed the market on the West Coast. The next growing area to start up will be Oregon later this week. East Coast growers are also winding down which has interrupted supplies and firmed the market. The next area to start up is Michigan which has started in a very light way this week. Demand is good with a firming market.

Cantaloupe is extremely short this week - Brawley has cleaned up for the most part for the season. The Maricopa/Phoenix area is all that’s left until the Bakersfield area starts up. At this point it looks like the week of July 11 will be the start date and until then product will be extremely limited. The Westside has started in a very light way but fruit is extremely small 15’s and smaller.

Colored Bell Peppers are tight and quality is only fair. New crop expected to start in 2 weeks - California’s Desert crop is done on green bells. The Bakersfield crop on green bells has started and volumes are increasing. Colored bell supplies are dropping for all shippers as they are coming to the end of the desert season and quality is only fair. Quality is slipping due to the heat. New crop Bakersfield is still 2 weeks away.

July 2, 2011

Produce Market Report

Produce Market Update


Things you should know ~

Grapes will be very limited on reds for the next 2 weeks. - The Arvin/Bakersfield area is running about a week behind due to the cooler temperatures they’ve had with most shippers quoting a start date of June 11 at the earliest. The next 2 weeks volume will be extremely limited with shippers quoting pricing day of loading.

Blueberries are very limited on both coasts due to growing areas changing. - Supplies are winding down out of California which has firmed the market on the West Coast. The next growing area to start up will be Oregon in about week to two away from starting. East Coast growers are also winding down which has interrupted supplies and firmed the market. The next area to start up is Michigan which has started in a very light way this week. Demand is good with a firming market. Quality is being reported as good to fair.

Cantaloupe will be extremely short the next 2 weeks. - Brawley has cleaned up for the most part for the season. The Maricopa/Phoenix area is all that’s left until the Bakersfield area starts up. At this point it looks like the week of July 11 will be the start date and until then product will be extremely limited.

Zucchini and Yellow Squash have started in Michigan and continue to be harvested in New Jersey, North Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia. Quality has ranged from fair to good with the heat having an effect on the product in the Southern areas. Supplies have been scarce for the past few weeks, but should begin to pick up.

Leaf Lettuce - The Romaine market is steady. The market continues to be steady on green and red leaf as well. The warm temperatures have affected the romaine crop much more than the other leaf items. Expect supplies to be good throughout the week on red and green leaf. Michigan Red Leaf and Green Leaf are starting to make their appearance.

June 30, 2011

Happy Fourth of July weekend! Forget the burgers and hotdogs, grill some fish!

ALASKAN FISH:
The salmon run continues to be very strong on sockeyes with large volumes of fish being caught and prices continuing to go down. Silverbright chums are not being caught in the volumes expected and supply is very short. With several large retail chains on ad, there is not enough fish to go around and fill all demand. Prices are remaining firm on the fish that is available. King salmon are available in decent numbers and prices seem to have leveled off. Halibut supply has been somewhat erratic with prices going up with the low catch and high demand.

GREAT LAKES:
Strong winds on the northern Great Lakes made whitefish supply very tight mid-week. Fishing improved as we moved toward the weekend and we should have plenty of fish to cover our needs for this weekend and at least the first part of next week. The fish have been running small, seeing lots of 6-8 oz fillets. Lake Trout supply has been very spotty as it often is this time of year. Lake Erie continues to slow down on walleye production and small size IQF fillets are very scarce particularly on 6-8 oz and smaller. Yellow perch supply has been fairly steady but will slow down a bit during the heat of the summer.

SOUTHERN / GULF SPECIES:
The supply of fresh mahi-mahi has gotten very ugly – very limited production on mainly small fish and prices are extremely high. Very little production is currently coming out of South America, just a handful of domestic fish have been showing up for sale. The supply of fresh swordfish has been good, as has the quality. Nice fish are coming out of Ecuador and domestic swords have been available in decent numbers. The weather in Mexico has been poor, limiting the fresh grouper supply somewhat, particularly on large Black Grouper. Red Grouper have been available in much better numbers. Snapper supply has been hit-or-miss with lots of fish available at the first of the week and limited supply available going into the weekend.

TUNA:
Tuna production continues to be good with production coming from South America and the South Pacific. Quality has been very good with lots of fish in the 40-60 lb range available. I expect supplies to hold steady along with prices next week.

EAST COAST:
Prices of fresh cod fillets came back to earth this week, but supply is still somewhat limited. Groundfish supplies overall have been just OK. Haddock, sole, hake, Pollock, monkfish and skate all have shown up for sale. Wild striped bass are being caught off the coast of Maryland and there are also bluefish and fluke being caught.

FARM RAISED SALMON:
The market on farm raised Atlantic Salmon continues to soften as more fish become available out of Chile and many turn to fresh wild salmon from Alaska. Canadian prices have come off next week and Scottish prices will be dropping the week after. We are finally starting to see some good values on fresh fillets and frozen stocks are finally being replenished.

FARM RAISED CATFISH:
The domestic catfish industry is starting to show signs of recovery as a larger percentage of our orders placed this week were filled. This trend should continue throughout the summer and the fish in the pond continue to grow to market size.

June 23, 2011

Produce Market Report

Commodity Updates
STRAWBERRIES: Demand is good with the 4th of July pull going in full swing the middle of this week. Supplies are moderate which is keeping the market steady but firm. The warm weather in the growing area is has started to downsize the fruit but bringing on full dark red color.

CARROTS: California carrot supplies and size is coming back as shippers start the Bakersfield crop.

ONIONS: California yellows have stabilized and we will see a steady market for the balance of the week. Colossals and Super-colossals remain limited however. The temperatures in the San Joaquin valley are up this week which will help bring more volume and more size.

POTATOES: The Idaho market is continues to move upward due to lighter storage supplies. Many shippers are reporting less in storage than anticipated and they have to ration their product to avoid a gap. Stay ahead on Idaho spuds as they will continue to climb in the short term.

SQUASH: Michigan Yellow Squash and Zucchini will be available next week.

WATERMELON: Seedless watermelons are available with light volume, the market is moving up slightly. Seeded watermelon continues to be limited with good quality. The personal watermelons are in good supply.

GRAPES: Mexican crossings continue on both red and green with red becoming more limited and finishing up by the end of this week. The Arvin/Bakersfield area is running about a week behind due to the cooler temperatures they’ve had with most shippers quoting a start date of June 11 at the earliest. The next 2 weeks volume will be extremely limited with shippers quoting pricing day of loading only.

MELONS: Cantaloupe from Yuma is available but limited with good quality. Volume is changing toward more smaller fruit and less of the larger sizes. Honeydew out of Arizona is available but a little limited as well. Quality is good.

June 16, 2011

Summer grilling season is upon us with plenty of fresh fish to put on the grill!

ALASKAN FISH:
In Alaska, most of the attention right now is on salmon. Halibut has become very scarce and expensive as many fishermen put away their longline gear and bring out the nets to take part in the salmon fishery. Copper River was a big success this year with fish coming early and in good numbers but has slowed to a trickle on sockeyes. Kodiak is now producing good numbers of sockeye salmon as is Coffee Point and Sand Point. Upper Cook inlet is also producing sockeye and king salmon and more areas are expected to open in the upcoming week. July is the biggest month for Alaskan salmon fishing, so expect good supply and pricing for the next 6 weeks. Silverbright chum salmon season is also underway with good landings taking place. We will start bringing in a few “Silverbrights” next week. Cohos should start showing up in mid-July.

GREAT LAKES:
Fresh whitefish supply tightened up a bit this week due to high winds and the dreaded “green slime” that fouls the fishermen’s nets. Dressed whitefish have been running on the small side, producing mainly 6-8 oz fillets. Lake Trout supply improved a bit from last week and depending on weather should be good for the next few weeks. Walleye production on Lake Erie has slowed considerably since the spring opening but we are expecting a steady supply of fish until fall when volumes will improve. Prime sizes of IQF fillets continue to be in very tight supply with no improvement foreseen. Yellow Perch production continues to remain steady, but the numbers of fish caught fall off during the summer months so prices are expected to creep up just a bit until fall fishing starts again. White perch and white bass will be very limited, as they will not be targeted again until fall and will be only available as by-catch. Smelt trawlers are expected to go out at the end of June / first of July, we’ll see how they do.

TUNA:
Tuna production has been strong all week and quality has been very good. Fiji has been producing a good quantity of very nice fish, as has South America. Supply is expected to remain strong into next week but should tighten up by next weekend. By-catch from the tuna fishery has been very limited and is expected to remain that way next week.

SOUTHERN / GULF SPECIES:
The full moon was Wednesday June 15. As a result, Mahi-mahi has been in tight supply and fairly pricey. Supply is expected to improve next week, but prices are expected to remain firm. The general “rule of thumb” is 9 days after a full moon swordfish are most plentiful. If that holds true, we should see a good amount of swords by next weekend. The supply of Lane and Silk snappers is good, but the other varieties have been fairly scarce. The supply of fresh grouper has been unpredictable this season, fish should be abundant but it’s not. Prices have bounced around a bit based on the catch. Blue Marlin and Mako shark have been showing up in decent numbers, but the other by-catch species have been very hard to find – corvinas have been in tight supply, with wahoos and cobia almost non-existent.

EAST COAST:
The supply of East Coast fish tightened up this week. Cod became very limited in supply and expensive as we moved into the weekend. The supply of fresh haddock has been decent and the quality has improved as spawning season comes to an end. Fresh sole and flounder have been in good supply and are currently a good value. Ocean Perch is being caught in good numbers both in Nova Scotia as well as domestic waters. Pollock, Hake, Fluke, monkfish and skate all in decent supply this week.

FARM RAISED SALMON:
The market on fresh Atlantic salmon continues to soften as more fish is coming available from Chile and Canada. The wild Alaskan salmon season also takes some of the demand off of the farm raised product. Production from Europe is also good but is expected to tighten as summer holidays become a factor in production. Canadian prices are starting to come down as competition increases and supplies improve. Chilean prices continue to drop as their production continues to improve.

FARM RAISED CATFISH:
From Heartland Catfish: The catfish industry continues to struggle with short supply. We do expect fish supplies to improve from now until Mid-July when Heartland expects to be at full production at the Alabama Plant and the Mississippi Plant. With that said, the last few weeks have been disappointing, as we have had to scrape by on the limited supply of the current crop. The new crop was delayed by at least 14 days due to the cold spring (record lows in May), as the catfish did not feed normally. June brought record highs (95-100), which also disrupted the feeding cycle. As we start to process the new crop, we expect the fish to be small, gradually building in size, as farmers work to grow the crop before processing. Large whole fish will be in short supply until later in the summer feeding cycle. It is difficult to pinpoint a date when this size fish will be readily available. You can expect a price increase to reflect the current supply. Farmers are demanding and receiving more for their product, which leaves us no choice in order to be competitive. With plants in Mississippi as well as Alabama, Heartland is well placed to access and process fish in the leading two catfish producing states. Remembering that it takes 18 months for grow out, this is a marathon, not a sprint and we expect real relief will not be achieved until the summer of 2012. Thanks again for your patience and support of Heartland Catfish.

June 2, 2011

As the weather improves, so does the fishing. The 2011 Alaskan Salmon season is well underway and so far it has been very successful. East coast fishing is looking good and locally, whitefish are in good supply.

ALASKAN FISH:
The 2011 Alaskan salmon season is well under way with the harvest on the Copper River better than anticipated this year. The season started strong and has remained strong so far this season. Additional fisheries have opened, with Resurrection Bay and a test fishery in upper Cook Inlet producing fish. Sockeyes have made up the majority of the catch so far and Kings are improving after a very slow start to the season. Silver bright Chum salmon season is just getting started with good availability expected but higher prices than lat year. Halibut continues to be in steady supply and prices have remained firm.

GREAT LAKES:
Fresh whitefish continues to be in good supply, but lake trout supply has tightened up a bit due to high winds keep boats in. Lake Erie has slowed down just a bit from the initial spring opening. Walleye supply is starting to tighten up a bit and prices a re expected to strengthen. White Bass and White perch supplies are going to be very tight now until fall, as fishermen will not target those species thru the summer months. Yellow Perch is expected to remain in steady supply throughout the summer. I hear rumors that there may be some trawlers going out to target fresh smelt in July, I’ll keep you updated as I hear more.

TUNA:
The supply of fresh tuna has been good due mainly to decreased demand. Supply is currently strong from Fiji, the Pacific Rim and Hawaii. South America is also producing decent numbers and prices are expected to remain steady next week.

SOUTHERN / GULF SPECIES:
Swordfish have been in good supply and prices have been reasonable. This trend is expected to continue into next week. Groupers are also in good supply and prices are holding steady. Snappers have been in good supply this week on small and medium sized fish. Fresh Mahi supply is still fairly tight with prices staying strong. We are seeing a good variety of fish available with blue marlin, escolar, corvine, cobia, amberjack and wahoo all available in Miami.

EAST COAST:
The east coast finally has a break in the weather and lots of boats are out fishing. The Canadian side of Georges Bank is open, so there is expected to be good quantities of ground fish available next week at good prices. Day boat cod has been beautiful and haddock quality is improving as the spawning season is coming to a close. Flatfish (flounders and sole) are expected to be in good supply next week and will be a good value. Domestic Ocean perch are also showing up in good numbers and prices a very reasonable. Excellent quality and supply currently on fresh Pollock and hake.

FARM RAISED:
Atlantic Salmon supplies have been good and prices are softening a bit. The supply of Chilean fish continues to improve. Our premium Black Pearl Scottish salmon is flying directly into Detroit with current costs very close to Canadian prices. The supply of fresh domestic catfish continues to be very limited but is starting to show some signs of improvement. We are finally seeing a few whole fish but they are running small. Orders continue to be allocated but larger portions of our order are being filled. Harrietta Hills Rainbow Trout is arriving to us live twice per week and is the freshest fish available.

May 20, 2011

The 2011 Wild Alaskan Salmon Season has started, the Great Lakes are producing good amounts of fish. The life of a fresh fish buyer is a bit less stressful in late spring than during the winter.

ALASKAN SALMON:
The much anticpated 2011 Wild Alaskan Season is open. So far, the season is staring off with a bang! Initial harvests on sockeyes were more than double the anticipated amounts. This caused prices to be lower for the first run fish. The downside of the better than anticipated harvest was the airlines being overwhelmed with fish and bottlenecks in getting all that fish shipped out. Fish seem to be moving early with enough fish moving up the river to have the second opener scheduled for today for another 12 hours. As long as the fish keep moving up the river past the sonar counters, commercial fishing openers will be scheduled on a regular basis. Our fish from the first opener is now in our building and is beautiful. Nice firm fish with fire-engine red flesh.

GREAT LAKES:
The Great Lakes continue to produce good amounts of fish, particulary on whitefish and lake trout. The fish have been very nice as water temps are still cool which helps to keep the flesh firm. Lake Erie continues to produce good amounts of Jumbo walleye and yellow perch. White perch and white bass also continue to show up in strong numbers.

TUNA:
Tuna continues to be in tight supply, particularly on large fish. So far we are being covered with some very nice fish. Fiji continues to produce decent amount of small fish and Sri Lanka has been coming thru with some production. South American production continues to be very limited.

SOUTHERN / GULF SPECIES:
Domestic mahi-mahi is in season from the coast of Florida up the eastern seaboard. Fish are very nice, but a bit pricey. We'll take a look at some next week. Swordfish continue to be in good supply and of very nice quality. Groupers continue to be in good supply on both Blacks and Reds. Not much change with snappers, smaller fish readily available with bigger fish in tighter supply. Decent variety showing up - corvina, mako shark, escolar, wahoo and kingclip.

EAST COAST:
Fresh haddock has been virtually non-existent this week. Cod supplies have improved somewhat and flatfish have been in tight supply all week. Poor weather continues to be the story of the region (which Tiger fans have seen during their series with the Red Sox). As weatehr improves out east, so does the fishing, so we need a good stretch of weather in order to see good amounts of fish at reasonable prices.

WEST COAST:
Halibut prices actually came off just a bit this week, with good weather allowing for good fishing in Alaska. The majority of the harvest continues to be smaller fish, but the quality has been very good.

FARM RAISED FISH:
Chile is continuing to produce more consitent amounts of fish and by summer should be rolling along near full capacity. With the start of the wild salmon season, I expect to see farm raised salmon prices drop fairly soon. Tilapia and rainbow trout continue to run with no issues. Farm Raised Cobia is looking vey nice and has a good story to tell, check it out here: http://www.openblueseafarms.com/

April 25, 2011

Produce Market Update

News in the produce world is better this week!
Asparagus and Flat (Italian) Parsley are the items that are on the very high side this week. Items that are going up include Romaine, Red and Green Leaf Lettuce, Celery and Green Cabbage. Cauliflower remains on the strong side. Broccoli and Crowns are down. Beans are down. Corn is stable. Plum (Roma) Tomatoes have come down. Zucchini and Yellow Squash with any quality are stable. Carrots remain strong. Onions are on the lower side. Idaho Potato's continue to be expensive. Round Tomatoes and Cherry Tomatoes are down a little more, while Grape Tomatoes are up. Eggplant is down.

In the fruit world....
Smaller sized Lemons are higher than large ones. Oranges, Grapefruits, and Tangerines are stable. Red Grapes are close to the same. Green Grapes with quality are up a little. These are all storage Grapes from South America and we will see a change when Mexico starts shipping. Raspberries are tight as usual. Blueberries and Strawberries are down. Blackberries remain consistent. Limes are up this week. Avocado's are stable. There are some Chilean Plums and Nectarines still around with quality but that is coming to an end as California is getting ready to start.

April 21, 2011

Fresh fish supplies we good this week even with increased pressure from the last week of Lent. Next week may be a bit more of a challenge as most boats return to port to celebrate the Easter holiday with their families.

GREAT LAKES:
Whitefish supply was good this week but there are still very limited amounts of large and jumbo fish available. Lake Trout was also in good supply, but strong winds mid-week kept fishermen from setting gear. I’m hopeful that calmer winds will allow boats out to produce fish to arrive this weekend. Lake Erie is producing good numbers of Yellow Perch and IQF stocks are finally being replenished. Heavy demand is keeping prices high. Fresh walleye supply continues to be very limited particularly on smaller fish. Of the fish being caught, over 75% of the catch is jumbo fish. As predicted last fall, IQF supplies on Walleye are virtually gone. There are a few small fillets available, 4-6 and 6-8 oz, but nothing larger. The commercial walleye season on Lake Erie officially opens on May 1. I am being told that frozen stock should be put up by the week of May 8. Fresh White perch and white bass supply continues to be in good supply. There is still no fresh smelt available.

SOUTHERN / GULF SPECIES:
Going into this weekend, supply of our Southern Species is overall pretty good. Fresh Mahi is very limited and expensive. Increased demand for this last week of Lent is keeping prices high. Fish from South / Latin American countries will be very hard to come by next week as virtually all fishermen return to port to celebrate Easter. A limited number of fishermen are expected to go back out on Monday, but many take the entire week off.

EAST COAST:
Strong winds and high seas have limited the amounts of fish available out east. Cod supplies have been very limited and expensive. Haddock has been good, but quality on a lot of the fish has been marginal due to spawning. Supplies of flatfish – sole, flounder, dabs and fluke have improved this week. Pollock, Hake, monkfish and skate all available in decent numbers.

WEST COAST:
Decent supplies of Halibut have been landed this week, but prices remained firm. All of the halibut in house this week has been certified as sustainable by the Marine Stewardship Council. The countdown is on for the 2011 Wild Alaskan Salmon Season. I am being told that the first opening of the Copper River salmon season is scheduled for May 16, expected to be a 12-hour opening for fishing. No price commitments yet, but opening prices are expected to be close to last year with H&G sockeye prices running around $12.00/ lb.

TUNA:
Tuna supply was much better this week and prices remained stable. We did receive a couple small fish with lighter flesh color that we graded as “Regular #2” instead of the Sushi Grade 2+. Very nice, fresh fish, just not the bright red colored flesh of sushi-grade tuna,

FARM RAISED SALMON:
Our Canadian supply of farm-raised salmon was hampered this week by a strong storm that caused them to lose 2 harvest days. We were able to make up the difference with some suppliers in Boston. Chile is producing some fish, but supply is sporadic at best. I am hopeful that there may be some price relief after Easter.

FARM RAISED CATFISH:
We have been able to cover our fresh catfish demand by using 2 suppliers. Prices however continue to go up. Now that lent is over, demand is expected to go down a bit. Some relief is expected by the first of June.

April 18, 2011

Easter Produce Market Report

Easter Update
Today's market indicates a lot of movement in pricing and availablility for the upcoming holiday Easter week. Early indicators show Asparagus, Bok Choy, Broccoli, Cauliflower, Fennel, Parsley, Peppers (Green, Red, and Yellow), and Spinach as rapidly changing up markets.....some radical. Berries (Black, Blue, Rasp, and Straw) all scarce and markedly higher. They are finishing up and in the midst of changing growing areas. Oranges and Limes are rising as well. Romas, Cherries, and Grape Tomatoes are all higher and moving up.

Round Tomatoes, Carrots, Celery, and Cucumbers all seem to be easing a bit. Spring items, such as Rhubarb and English Peas, are still a little premature in availability. But, items like Ramps and Morels are falling fast in price.

April 15, 2011

Next week is the final week of Lent with Good Friday on April 22 and Easter on April 24. Increased demand for fish during this upcoming week will keep prices strong. Limited supplies are expected by the end of next week as many fishermen come back to port to celebrate Holy Week. Fuel cost, with diesel over $4.00/ gallon and a very week US dollar is causing prices on all fresh goods to rise.

FARM RAISED CATFISH:
We were able to increase our supply this week on fresh catfish by picking up a limited amount of fresh dressed fish and fillets from another supplier who has a truck once a week in the Chicago area. Most of our fresh demand was covered this week. Frozen continues to be a big struggle as there is no frozen inventory on domestic fish and processors are trying to put up frozen per order. Again, no real relief is expected until the end of May / first of June

GREAT LAKES:
Whitefish supply tightened up a bit this week as increased demand from Jewish Passover celebrations caused more fish to head East than stay local. We are able to cover our fresh needs, but with very little extra fish to spare. Lake Erie continues to produce good numbers of yellow lake perch and we were finally able to restock our IQF supply Thursday night. Fresh walleye supply continues to be very limited with the commercial walleye season officially opening on May 1. Until that time, supply is going to be somewhat limited. Frozen walleye fillets are in very short supply on anything larger than a 6-8 oz fillet. This won't improve until mid-May. White perch and white bass supply has been decent. Still no fresh smelt.

SOUTHERN / GULF SPECIES:
The supply of fresh Mahi-Mahi has gotten extremely tight. The South American season is coming to and end, earlier than expected. The full moon on Monday makes finding fish much more difficult. Prices are going up on the very limited supply. Large fish are particularly hard to find with more 5-10 fish available. Fish from South / Latin American countries will be very hard to come by with the upcoming Holy Week. This is a very important Catholic holiday that virtually closes down business for a week. The first part of next week is expected to be good as all the boats head in, but by the end of next week as well as the week after Easter all fish from this region is expected to be in extremely limit supply.

SOUTHERN / GULF SPECIES:
The supply of fresh Mahi-Mahi has gotten extremely tight. The South American season is coming to and end, earlier than expected. The full moon on Monday makes finding fish much more difficult. Prices are going up on the very limited supply. Large fish are particularly hard to find with more 5-10 fish available. Fish from South / Latin American countries will be very hard to come by with the upcoming Holy Week. This is a very important Catholic holiday that virtually closes down business for a week. The first part of next week is expected to be good as all the boats head in, but by the end of next week as well as the week after Easter all fish from this region is expected to be in extremely limited supply.

TUNA:
Tuna supply has been somewhat spotty this week with no good explanations as to why. Very limited production from the far east - Viet Nam, Philippines, ect. Thru a little scrambling we were able to get some fish flown in and cover our weekend orders. Supplies are expected to get tight by the end of next week with very little fish expected by next weekend from South America.

WEST COAST:
Finally a break in the weather has allowed more halibut boats to get out fishing. Prices soared with the very limited availability of fish this week but are coming back down to earth with the fish due in next week. I am being told that the first opening of the Copper River salmon season is scheduled for May 16, expected to be a 12 hour opening for fishing. No price commitments yet, but opening prices are expected to be close to last year with H&G sockeye prices running around $12.00/ lb.

EAST COAST:
Spawning season for cod and haddock has limited production out east. We have been receiving some very nice cod from Canada while Haddock remains very limited. Flatfish too have been pretty tight and prices are holding firm. Pollock and hake along with a few monkfish and skate have been available in limited quantities this week. Expect prices to remain strong next week with extra demand from Good Friday and Easter holidays.

April 12, 2011

Produce items to watch out for this week!

What's HOT in produce:
The items to watch out for this week include: Eggplant which continues to stay very high. Asparagus is very active and increasing quickly. This is due to Mexico's crop ending and U.S. crop starting. Red and Yellow Peppers are both very high. There is a good supply now, which should help to start lowering prices on these. Plum (Roma) Tomatoes are in short supply and quality and the market close to the $50.00 range. Other than these items, Broccoli and Cauliflower are back down. Round Tomatoes have come down a little more. Lettuces, Green Peppers, Zucchini and Yellow Squash all remain close to the same. Cucumbers are falling back to the normal range quickly. Soon you will see increases in some items due to the approaching holidays and the higher cost of shipping them. Trucks are charging more due to fuel prices.

In the fruit world.....
In the fruit world, Lemons are up a little. The smaller sized are up more and that will be that way throughout summer. California Citrus fruit continues to have excellent quality and reasonable pricing. Soon California hand fruit will start. Chilean hand fruit is coming to an end and has short quality. Honeydews and Cantaloupes are down a little. Banana's are up a little due to increased shipping costs. Strawberries are close to the same. Raspberries are very active and high. Blueberries from both Mexico and Chile are coming to an end and new crop Florida Blueberries are starting. The quality is better but the price will be higher for the short term. Red and Green Grapes are up a little. This is due to the Chilean season coming to an end. Avocado's continue on the high side, but are down a little over last week.

April 8, 2011

Hit or Miss again this week on fresh fish. Good news is that our Great Lakes are producing good numbers of whitefish and lake trout, Bad news is our continued struggles with fresh farm raised catfish and IQF Yellow Perch.

FARM RAISED CATFISH:
The supply problems with the Domestic Farm Raised Catfish continue with no relief expected until the end of May to first of June. There simply is not enough live fish in the ponds to process and fill demand. Order are being allocated with processors spreading out the limited amount of fish the best they can to all of their customers. Frozen supplies have been depleted with most processors trying to product IQF products to order I am attempting to source fresh product from other sources where I can in an attempt to cover our customers demands. Prices continue to climb on a weekly basis. Our Frozen Buyer has been working on finding sources on imported catfish and basa / swai/ pangasius as alternatives to the very short domestic catfish.

GREAT LAKES:
Whitefish continues to be in excellent supply as does lake trout. Lake Erie is producing decent numbers of yellow lake perch, but the predicted shortage of IQF fillets from frozen stock came true and suppliers are working diligently to get fish processed, frozen and boxed in an attempt to fill the empty slots in distributors freezers across the country. I am expecting to see some IQF perch fillets on Tuesday night. The bad news on perch is the announced 3% reduction in quota for 2011 which will result in a repeat next year of IQF stock being in very short supply by next spring. With most boats on the Erie currently targeting perch, fresh walleye supply has been very limited this week. The commercial walleye season officially opens May 1, so until that time, supply is going to be somewhat limited. Good news on walleye is that the quota was actually raised this year. A negative is that the lake is full of Jumbo fish, with the current ratio being caught of 75% jumbo and 25% mediums. This is bad news because our most popular IQF fillets sizes are 8-10 and 10-12 oz. Expect these key sizes to be short and command a premium price. As far as other Lake Erie fish, White Perch production has been good this week, but white bass have been very scarce. There is still no fresh smelt available, just re-freshed product.

FARM RAISED SALMON:
Supply on Farm Raised salmon remained steady this week, but the prediction is that we may be seeing some market fluctuation in the next month or so mainly due to the messed up market in Japan. There is still very little product coming out of Chile keeping pressure on the Canadian farms which are running at full capacity.

SOUTHERN / GULF SPECIES:
A good week on our Southern species this week. The supply of H&G Mahi-Mahi improved this week with prices coming down a bit, although large fish are proving tough to come by at week's end. Grouper supply continues to improve and we are finally seeing some relief with prices. Swordfish supply has been decent, with the best values coming on smaller "pups", 50 -99 lb fish. Snappers continue to be their normal inconsistent supply particularly on large fish. As for "other" southern fish, Corvinas have been in good supply and there have been cobia, pompano, escolar, wahoo and kingclip available this week.

TUNA:
No real change this week on tunas. Supply and quality has been good all week with prices holding steady. I expect about the same for next week.

WEST COAST:
A nasty weather system in Alaska this week limited the availability on fresh halibut and caused prices to jump this week. So far this year, halibut landing are up 13% over last year, but the lowered quotas and shortage of freezer inventories has kept prices high. No one is expecting much relief in Halibut pricing this year due to the significant cuts in this years' quota. Black Cod landing, which coincide with the halibut fishery have been light and prices are now at record levels for both fresh and frozen H&G fish. Alaskan salmon season is getting closer with the anticipated Season expected to open on the Copper River around May 14. There are few Pacific troll-caught king salmon being harvested in very limited quantities.

EAST COAST:
With back to back storms the majority of the fishing fleets from Virginia to Nova Scotia came into shore early this week to offload their catch. Landings of ground fish have been good, but the bulk of the catch has been Pollock and Haddock. Unfortunately the Haddock being caught is in full spawn and the quality is mediocre at best. Sizing has also been an issue with high counts per 100 weight of the fish being landed. The smaller haddock being caught will create smaller fillets and the sizing is further reduced because of low yield from spawned fish. Landings will drop off the next couple of days before the large offshore draggers return to fishing. There could be a few small boats venturing out to fish near shore, but the catch will be predominately Pollock and Cod. Supplies of Ocean Perch from Nova Scotia have been steady this week and are expected to be good next week as well.

April 5, 2011

Produce Market Update

Commodity Updates
APPLES/PEARS
Red delicious in Washington is heavy to higher colored fruit and is still peaking on the smaller sizes. Lower than desirable storage numbers and short-crops in both New York and Michigan have kept the red prices up. Many suppliers continue to ration their reds to ensure a year round supply. Golden’s are still peaking on 100’s and larger and remain heavy to the Washington extra-fancy grade. Galas are producing mostly 100/113’s and have good color but supplies are getting short. Large Gala’s remain very extremely short! The smaller Gala shipper will finish fairly soon so expect a much stronger market in late April. Granny’s are still producing mostly 88’s and larger. Most packers continue to sub sizes and grades on granny orders of the smaller sizes. Fuji’s are still high in color and continue to peak on 88’s and larger. Small Fuji’s remain very tight and will get tighter as the Gala supplies drop. D’Anjou pears are still heavier to the larger sizes and the US#1 grade. Fancy grade D’Anjou’s remain limited esp. in the smaller sizes. Small pears are really tight right now due to light supplies from CA. Offshore Bartlett’s and Packham’s are available on both coasts and are mostly in the US#1 70-100 size range. Prices are still fairly high.

ASPARAGUS
This market is stronger on most sizing. Supplies are lighter out of Mexico and domestic product is light to moderate in availability. Supplies are better on jumbo sizing for those needing this size. Peruvian product is moderate in availability on standard and large sizes.

AVOCADO
Avocado supplies crossing in from Mexico continue at a lighter, but steady rate. Mexico has already packed over 75% of their crop, and continues to lighten their harvest to spread supplies out through the spring. The California growers are packing better volume, but still less than normal due to the light crop this year. This years California crop is less than half of last years. From now through July, the industry will average only 16 to 17 million pounds in production per week. The average weekly demand runs 24 to 26 million pounds per week. The results of this shortage are and will continue to be a very strong market and much higher prices.

BELL PEPPERS
Western Green Bells and Colored Bells: Green bells out of Mexico will continue with limited supplies through mid April. This will include few small Mexican growers starting their spring crop in early April. California’s Desert crop will start around mid April. Colored bells are lighting in production as some growers are finishing for the season and others begin to finish. Quality on colored bells is beginning to drop. We expect supplies to be very light through April. The California desert starts mid May to the end of May. Eastern Bells: Janine Baird The pepper market has loosened up considerably as supplies and quality improve. As Florida begins to transition northward in the coming weeks, the market should stay steady. Excellent weather throughout all the growing regions means continued good quality.

BERRIES
Strawberries: Very good demand the start of this week is causing a firm Market. California is the main and only shipping area for strawberries now that Florida has finished up. Quality is great with fruit counting around 14 to 16 with full color. Harvest numbers in California will increase each week unless Mother Nature comes back into play. The forecast does have a chance of rain starting Friday of this week. Let’s hope this forecast changes and pushes the rain north.
Raspberries: Market is very active with light supplies the start of this week. Supplies will not improve for a few weeks. The lighter supplies where caused by the weather we had a few weeks ago. Quality is being reported as good.
Blackberries: Supplies and quality are slowly starting to improve the start of this week. Market is steady but firm.
Blueberries: Market is very active with limited supplies. Chile supplies will finish very shortly. New crop Florida and California have started but with limited supplies which cannot keep up with demand. I feel this supply shortage will be short lived and we will back into good supplies in the next two week. Main packs are 4.4oz with a few 6oz.

BROCCOLI
This market is firm on bunched product as well as crowns to start the week. Demand is a little stronger. Supplies are light to moderate in Salinas. Current production is coming out of Yuma, Santa Maria, and Salinas. Mexico production continues to be moderate in supplies.

CARROTS
California carrot supplies are very tight. Continued cool and wet weather is slowing growth. We could see this shortage go into June.

CAULIFLOWER
The cauliflower market continues to gain strength with all suppliers. Supplies are expected to be light throughout the week and pricing will be active. Production is occurring lightly in Salinas, and Santa Maria. Twelve counts continue to be the best in availability. There have been some reports of brown spotting upon arrivals. Expect this market to be very active throughout this week.

CELERY
This market is firm. Suppliers are lighter on small sizing, and this has caused a gap in pricing by a few dollars. Current production is coming from Oxnard and Santa Maria. The Oxnard production is getting stronger, while in Santa Maria is only moderate. There has been few to none on quality issues out of both regions. Expect small sizing to be light to moderate throughout the week.

CITRUS
Lemons: Demand is increasing with the supplies of 165’s and smaller is decreasing. Small choice fruit is very tight.
Oranges: We are seeing the size in the orange crop peaking with the 88/ 113’s.The quality continues to be very good with peak sizes running to 88’s and 113’s.
Limes: Lime supplies are good on smaller fruit and peaking on 200’s – 175’s.

CUCUMBERS
Western Cucumber: Supplies coming out of Mexico into Nogales are slowing increasing as new fields begin breaking. Expect increased supplies over the next 5 to 10 days. Baja has begun their spring acreage and will increase weekly.
Eastern Cucumbers: As domestic supplies increase, the market has loosened up a bit. However, with the amount of rain Florida has had in recent days, there may be quality issues on the horizon.

EGGPLANT
Western Eggplant: Supplies from Mexico remain very limited. Production will continue to limp along until the plants the survived the freeze start to come back into production in a couple of week. Volume will be light. The California desert will start mid April.
Eastern Eggplant: Janine Baird Florida will be struggling with eggplant for a couple more weeks. The quality is very poor right now with scarring and soft spots prevalent on most fruit. There is a seasonal gap in eggplant out of Florida and that, coupled with limited supplies in Nogales have made for very high markets and little to no availability.

GRAPES
Crimson are coming in with excellent quality and size. Volume is starting to increase and the market is steady to lower. Green seedless are getting lighter in volume, sizing is running very big on both Thompson and Sugar Ones. Volume will continue to dissipate over the next couple of weeks. Red Globe and Black Seedless are both available with better volume this week.

GREEN ONIONS
This market has not changed. Supplies are good out of Mexico. Pencil sizing will be the most readily available followed by smalls and medium sizing. Supplies look to be good throughout this week with most suppliers.

LEAF LETTUCE
The romaine market is stable. Blister and epidermal peel is still an issue but not nearly the problem as in past weeks. Production numbers are better in Huron, and light in Salinas. Yuma production is just about finished. Green and red leaf is stable. The overall quality is better than in previous weeks on all leaf items.

LETTUCE
This market is steady. Supplies in Yuma are moderate, and Huron is getting much stronger. Demand continues to be light. The quality has picked up considerably compared to past weeks. Deals can be made on volume orders so please be aware and promote. Yuma production has weights ranging from 37 to 42 pounds. Discoloration, and some blister have been seen upon arrivals, however the frequency of these defects are much less, in comparison to past weeks. Huron weights have been averaging 40-42 pounds. Yuma with its warm temperatures will probably finish up by the end of this week.

MELONS
Cantaloupe: Cantaloupe is coming in with better volume. Quality is still excellent and sizes are starting to peak to smaller product again.
Honeydew: Dews are coming in with much better volume. Quality is good and the market is adjusting down.

ONIONS
Yellows in Oregon/Idaho/Washington are steady to lower on all sizes and the demand is light. The larger shippers will continue packing into mid or late April while the smaller ones are currently finishing. Quality on the storage yellows has been holding nicely. Texas/Mexico yellows continue to be heavy to jumbos. Harvest numbers for Mexico are up this week so we could see an even weaker market. The quality from Texas & Mexico has been good. Reds are steady to lower in the northwest and the volume deals are still available. Texas/Mexico reds are steady to lower as well. The quality on reds has been good on in both the storage and new crop onions. Northwest whites are steady to lower but supplies are extremely limited. Mexican Whites are steady to lower with volume deals available on jumbos. Nevada still has a few yellows and reds.

POTATOES
Burbank cartons in Idaho are still producing mostly 90’s and smaller. The market remains mostly steady on all sizes and packs. 70 count & larger are still limited. Norkotahs are still very short since most shippers are only packingthem one to two days a week. Idaho’s quality is still mostly good but some lots have shown hollow-heart and internal black spotting. Washington Norkotahs are still all over the size spectrum. The Washington market is steady to slightly higher on the larger counts. Colorado steady on all sizes. Bakersfield is still shipping colored potatoes but availability is still light on all colors. The California desert is harvesting new-crop reds and whites so the availability will get better in a couple weeks. Mount Vernon, Washington continues packing a few reds but they are cleaning up. Minnesota & Wisconsin both continue to pack a few reds and the market is steady but availability is light. Florida production is increasing as they continue packing all colors. Reds are still the bulk of Florida’s production. Whites and golds are more available but still relatively limited.

SQUASH
Western Squash: Tim Kelley Good supplies of new crop showing up in Nogales. Quality is good.
Eastern Squash: Janine Baird Warm, dry weather has led to decent supply and good quality on squash in Florida. The market should stay steady until transition to central Florida occurs in another 3-4 weeks.

STONE FRUIT
Offshore stone fruit is still coming in with light supplies of peaches and nectarines mostly peaking to 50’s and larger volume fill are not available. Red and black plums are both available with good quality. Cherries and Apricots are cleaned up for the season.

TOMATOES
Eastern: The market continues to be high from the past freeze in Florida coinciding with the freeze in Mexico. While the quality is considerably better than the Mexican fruit, it is not close to the quality we come to expect from the Florida product. Weather, however, has been very cooperative and we should start to see improvement in the quality and supplies as well over the next few weeks. This deal will ramp up come first of April and reach its peak around the middle of April. Look for a steady market on rounds and Romas for another weekor so before it begins to fall off and a steadily declining market on grapes and cherries.
Western: We can expect high markets and poor quality crossing from Mexico for the next 2-3 weeks. Most of the fruit has greatly reduced shelf life due to the fruit coming off stressed or dying plants. Fruit is only holding up for 3-4 days then starts popping. Eastern fruit will now be the focus of the tomato world, as Nogales product has become barely shippable.

WATERMELON
Seedless watermelon is available with limited volume, demand is light as well, and prices are steady. Seeded watermelons are still very tight with no end in sight. Quality continues to be good. The personal watermelons are in very short supply with prices up as well.

VALUE ADDED
Broccoli supplies continue to be light to moderate. Supplies are expected to be this way throughout the week. Cauliflower supplies are also lighter. Romaine supplies are better and the quality is picking up. The lettuce supplies have increased. All value added items will be split between Yuma and Salinas so check with your account manager if a particular location is needed.

April 1, 2011

Warmer weather without any significant storms has allowed more fish to be available this week, however, the forcasted problems with the domestic farm raised catfish supply has come true with orders being severely shorted this week.

FARM RAISED CATFISH:
I have been mentioning in recent updates that US Farm-Raised catfish was in very short supply and that orders were being allocated. Up until this week, we had been taken care of very well for our fresh needs. It all changed this week when our fresh orders were cut by 50% or more. I passed on a letter back in February explaining some of the reasons behind the shortage. The following are some excerpts from that letter dated Feb 1 2011:
The US Farm-Raised Catfish industry is in the middle of a severe shortage of live fish available for process. This problem is an industry-wide problem, and is being borne by all processors. ...fish supply is decreasing every day, and depending on how far we can stretch what fish we have available, there will quite possibly be a period of time where industry processing is going to be drastically reduced. We are doing our very best to make sure that we minimize that time period, but it is important that our customers understand what we are facing. We cannot predict what percentage of orders that we will be able to fill, but what we are doing is attempting to put up a good inventory to help us take care of our loyal customer base during this tough time. Unfortunately, there will be a time when orders will be shorted, and we will do our very best to communicate information to our customers in a timely manner so that they can react accordingly.

FARM RAISED SALMON:
Here is an update from our Canadian Salmon Supplier; his take on the current Global Salmon Market:
I just thought I would share our Salmon World issues with you all so you can discuss/forward to your accounts. The salmon world has seen strong demand over the last few weeks with Lent and the upcoming Easter Volumes are confirmed to be strong bookings. Market prices have started to settle but the following are some of the current issues we all face going forward.
Fuel costs are at an all time high which will impact European, Chilean and even North American Freight Rates. This one hits home the closest as we all are feeling this every time we go to the pumps. This effects not only Salmon, but all grocery items from everywhere!
The weak US dollar is also not good for the grocery world as a high percentage of products come from outside the US markets. This will impact everyone as they buy for the family.
Chilean salmon volumes are on a roller coaster up and down and are still very inconsistent at this time. Chilean product will see shortages coming as Easter get closer with flowers being Chile’s main export over this upcoming holiday, taking precedent on limited air cargo space.
European and Chilean supplies going forward will be impacted or taken away from the US Market as the Asian Market (Japan) fights to fill its supply chains. I have listed below some facts that are very interesting and concerning for us as we move forward.
JAPAN: 15,000MT Coho farming industry was completely destroyed...2 year recovery minimum... 30,000/150,000MT Hokkaido Chum industry capacity lost 20% of total Salmon processing, 50+% of pelagic processing capacity lost, significant losses to fishing fleet... Significant loss of pelagic fish inventory/cold storages (capacity) in NE Japan Most Salmon inventory held in Tokyo/Osaka...appears to be ok... Due to high prices, inventories were already at relatively low levels... Salmon consumed mostly at home 70%...people are not eating out...Salmon is short!! When we have a bad day we seek comfort food...Big Mac...in Japan comfort food is a rice ball with Salmon...

SOUTHERN / GULF SPECIES:
A very nasty fueltank fire at the Miami International airport last weekend caused many flight delays and back-ups of air cargo shipments into Miami last weekend. As a result, our fresh mahi-mahi missed the truck that arrived Sunday night. After getting fish flown in, we were back in business on Tuesday. Mahi supplies are improving and prices have come off a bit heading into next week. Grouper is starting to show up in stronger numbers and prices are starting to come off a bit. Supply remains tight on snappers with limited production. Swordfish prices remain strong and supply has remained light.

TUNA:
Plenty of Tunas have been available this week and quality has been good. Good production from Fiji / South Pacific with strong landings on smaller fish. Landing of large fish 60+ and up have been stable along with the coasts. Viet Nam has ben producing decent quantites of fish, but that supply is expected to be limited next week due to the boats cycle. South American landings are expected to increase next week which could lead to prices coming off a bit. Very little by-catch this week from the tuna boats.

WEST COAST:
West Coast Halibut season started with record high prices, but after a week of resistance from large buyers, prices have started to drop. Prices still remain very high compared to last year, but as landings increase I expect prices will drop a little more. Although prices have dropped from the opening round the quota has been cut by 19% this season and it is doubtful if prices will drop to last years levels. We're still looking at mid-May for the opening of the Copper River salmon run. However, I am being told that some troll-caught king salmon may be available next week. I'll keep an eye on that to see if any are offered at reasonable prices.

EAST COAST:
Landings of ground fish have increased during the past few days, although levels are still low compared to summer landings. Prices have remained very high on all species except Haddock which has dropped to lower levels for scrod, but large haddock has remained high. During this time of year as Haddock begin to spawn the fish are swimming in huge schools and there are a greater percentage of small fish being caught. Unfortunately those fish are very thin and the fillets will be small and soft from those fish. Canadian Fish landings have dropped off as most boats in South West Nova Scotia have used their allocation and must wait until April 1st before they receive new allocations and conditions. Unfortunately Georges Bank and Browns Bank where the majority good size fish is schooling will remain closed. The boats will continue to fish in the Eastern areas fishing on small and slinky fish. Canadian boats are catching good quantities of Pollock, limited amounts of Cod and Hake and some Haddock that is spawned fish which is slinky and soft. The weak American dollar has forced many Canadian suppliers to look for other markets for their fish, fillets and scallops. In the past three years the Canadian Government has encouraged processors to either sell their product in Canada or to export; consequently the lack of supply has been exacerbated by the weak US dollar. One bit of positive news, the Ocean Perch boats a re now "on the fish" and have been producing good amount of fish. It took a lot longer this year for the vessels to find the schools than in past years.

GREAT LAKES:
Whitefish is currently in excellent supply, though the majority of the fish have been running small. The supply of lake trout was much more erratic this week, but we were able to source enough fish to cover ads. Lake Erie is producing decent quantities of fish - walleye, yellow perch, white perch and white bass. A bit of good news is smaller-sized IQF Walleye Fillets (6-8 and 8-10 oz) are starting to trickle in. There is not a large amount of these fish available since the majority of the walleye currently being caught are jumbos. We don't expect to see great supply until Walleye season offically opens May 1. One area of concern is IQF Yellow Perch fillets. Frozen stocks are currently wiped out and we will be out of stock next week. Depending on next week's landings, our supplier is hoping to have some fillets frozen and boxed by next weekend.

April 1, 2011

USA TODAY ARTICLE

WAL-MART CEO BILL SIMON EXPECTS INFLATION
By Jayne O'Donnell USA TODAY

U.S. consumers face "serious" inflation in the months ahead for clothing, food and other products, the head of Wal-Mart's U.S. operations warned Wednesday.

The world's largest retailer is working with suppliers to minimize the effect of cost increases and believes its low-cost business model will position it better than its competitors.

Still, inflation is "going to be serious," Wal-Mart U.S. CEO Bill Simon said during a meeting with USA TODAY's editorial board. "We're seeing cost increases starting to come through at a pretty rapid rate."

Along with steep increases in raw material costs, John Long, a retail strategist at Kurt Salmon, says labor costs in China and fuel costs for transportation are weighing heavily on retailers. He predicts prices will start increasing at all retailers in June.

"Every single retailer has and is paying more for the items they sell, and retailers will be passing some of these costs along," Long says. "Except for fuel costs, U.S. consumers haven't seen much in the way of inflation for almost a decade, so a broad-based increase in prices will be unprecedented in recent memory."

Consumer prices — or the consumer price index — rose 0.5% in February, the most since mid-2009, largely because of surging food and gasoline prices. Core inflation, which excludes volatile food and energy costs, rose a more modest 0.2%, though that still exceeded estimates.

The scenario hits Wal-Mart as it is trying to return to the low across-the-board prices it became famous for. Some prices rose as the company paid for costly store renovations.

"We're in a position to use scale to hold prices lower longer ... even in an inflationary environment," Simon says. "We will have the lowest prices in the market."

Major retailers such as Wal-Mart are the best positioned to mitigate some cost increases, Long says. Wal-Mart, for example, could have "access to any factory in any country around the globe" to mitigate the effect of inflation in the U.S., Long says.

Still, "it's certainly going to have an impact," Long says. "No retailer is going to be able to wish this new cost reality away. They're not going to be able to insulate the consumer 100%."

March 30, 2011

PRODUCE UPDATE

Produce Market Report
THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW:

*Honeydew extremely limited on both coasts and Nogales

*Strawberries are very limited out of California due to Heavy rains last week. Florida strawberry shippers are winding down quickly for the season.

*Eggplant from Mexico is extremely limited in availability and will be so until California begins in April.

For details on more commodity produce items, see the attached Full Market Report.

APPLES/PEARS John Tole
Washington Red delicious are still heavy to higher colored fruit and are peaking on the smaller sizes. Strong demand, lower than desirable storage numbers, short-crops in New York and Michigan are keeping red prices up. Many suppliers are still rationing their reds to ensure a year round supply. Golden delicious continue to peak on 100’s and larger and are heavier to the Washington extra-fancy grade. Galas are producing mostly 100/113’s and have good color. Large Gala’s remain very short! Granny-Smiths are peaking on 88’s and larger while 100’s and smaller are extremely limited. Most packers continue to sub sizes and grades on smaller-count granny orders. Fuji’s are still high in color and continue to peak on 88’s and larger. Small Fuji’s remain very tight. D’Anjou pears are still heavier to the larger sizes and the US#1 grade. Fancy grade D’Anjou’s remain limited esp. in the smaller sizes. Small pears are really tight right now due to strong demand and light supplies. Offshore Bartlett’s are available on both coasts and are mostly in the US#1 70-110 size range. Import prices are still relatively high.

ASPARAGUS Gabe Romero/Mike Pacheco
This market is steady on all sizing. There are good supplies on all sizes except jumbos where these supplies are moderate. Mexican supplies are better and California production is getting stronger out of the Bakersfield region. Peruvian product is moderate in availability on standard and large sizes.

AVOCADO Tim Kelley
Avocado supplies crossing in from Mexico continue at a lighter, but steady rate. Mexico has already packed over 75% of their crop, and continues to lighten their harvest to spread supplies out through the spring. The California growers are packing better volume, but still less than normal due to the light crop this year. This years California crop is less than half of last years. From now through July, the industry will average only 16 to 17 million pounds in production per week. The average weekly demand runs 24 to 26 million pounds per week. The results of this shortage are and will continue to be a very strong market and much higher prices.

BELL PEPPERS Tim Kelley
Western Green Bells and Colored Bells: Green bells out of Mexico will continue with limited supplies through mid April. This will include few small Mexican growers starting their spring crop in early April. California’s Desert crop will start around the mid April. Colored bells are lighting in production as some growers are finishing for the season and the effects of the bloom drop caused by the freeze. We expect supplies to lighten through April. Eastern Bells: Janine Baird The pepper market has loosened up considerably as supplies and quality improve. As Florida begins to transition northward in the coming weeks, the market should stay steady. Excellent weather throughout all the growing regions means continued good quality.

BERRIES Mike Gorczyca
Strawberries: Good demand and light supplies is causing a firm market out of all areas. California is recovering from the rains last week which took a toll on quality and harvest numbers. It will take 7 to 10 days for these fields to recover. Supplies for Easter will be lighter than normal due to this weather. Florida is currently getting rain which has stopped harvest and could put the some of the growers to bed for the season. The forecast is calling for clear skies for the next 7 to 10days in California. White shoulders, bruising, decay and water soaked berries are some quality issues that you will see when you receive your strawberries. Mexico supplies are done for the season. Raspberries: Market is steady with moderate supplies. Quality is being reported as good. Blackberries: Light supplies with good demand, is causing the market to firm slightly. Quality is fair to good. Blueberries: Chile is coming to a close for the season quickly and only a few more boats are on the water. Quality is just fair with a firming market. Florida supplies are just starting with limited supplies and a firm market. Quality is being reported as good. California supplies are about two weeks away. Look for the market to stay active for the next 3 to 4 weeks till these new areas get up to speed. Main packs are 4.4oz with a few 6oz.

BROCCOLI Gabe Romero/Mike Pacheco
This market is stronger on bunched product as well as crowns to start the week. Demand is definitely up. Supplies are lighter in Salinas due to heavy rains throughout the valley. Current production is coming out of Yuma, Santa Maria, and Salinas. Mexico production continues to be moderate in supplies to start the week.

CARROTS Tim Kelley
California carrot supplies are very tight. Continued cool and wet weather is slowing growth. We could see this shortage go into June.

CAULIFLOWER Gabe Romero/Mike Pacheco
The cauliflower market is stronger with all suppliers. Supplies are expected to be light throughout the week and pricing will be active. Production is occurring in Yuma, Salinas, and Santa Maria. Twelve counts continue to be the best in availability. There have been some reports of brown spotting upon arrivals. Expect this market to be very active throughout this week and next.

CELERY Gabe Romero/Mike Pacheco
This market continues to be firm. Suppliers have become a little tighter on all sizing, especially 30s and smaller. Currently, production is coming from Oxnard, Santa Maria and Yuma. The Oxnard production is moderate as is the Yuma production. The quality continues to get stronger in all the growing regions. Expect small sizing to be light to moderate throughout the week.

CITRUS Tim Kelley
Lemons: Demand is increasing and supplies of 165’s and smaller are decreasing. Rains of last week kept harvest to a minimum. Oranges: We are seeing the size in the orange crop peaking with the 88/ 113’s.The quality continues to be very good with a large ratio of fancy to choice among the shippers. Limes: Lime market remains very unstable. Supplies are improving and market is down. Sizing is still running to the small fruit. Expect the 150’s and larger to remain very tight.

CUCUMBERS Western Cucumber: Tim Kelley
There are very light supplies coming out of Mexico into Nogales. Baja has begun their spring acreage and will increase weekly. Mainland Mexico will start replanted crop the first week of April. Eastern Cucumbers: Janine Baird With the majority of Florida’s cukes coming out of Mexico this time of year, the cuke market remains strong. Heavy demand, scarce supply and weather related quality issues will make this a tough commodity for awhile. Prices continue to go up and quality remains marginal, at best. Florida should be back into domestics by the first part of April.

EGGPLANT
Western Eggplant: Tim Kelley Supplies from Mexico are very limited. Production will continue to limp along until the plants the survived the freeze start to come back into production early April. The California desert will start mid April. Eastern Eggplant: Janine Baird
Florida will be struggling with eggplant for a couple more weeks. The quality is very poor right now with scarring and soft spots prevalent on most fruit. There is a seasonal gap in eggplant out of Florida and that, coupled with limited supplies in Nogales have made for very high markets and little to no availability.

GRAPES Amy Grolnick
Flames are slim to none with only marginal quality. Crimson have started in a light way are very limited and demanding a premium price. We will not see good volume until the first week of April. Green seedless has very good availability and sizing running very big on both Thompson and Sugar Ones med/large are more limited. Red Globe and Black Seedless are both available but limited on both coasts.

GREEN ONIONS Gabe Romero/Mike Pacheco
This market is softer. Supplies are good out of Mexico. Pencil sizing will be the most readily available followed by smalls and medium sizing. Supplies look to be good throughout this week with most suppliers.

LEAF LETTUCE Gabe Romero/Mike Pacheco
The romaine market is stable. Many suppliers are looking to move on this commodity and deals are being offered for volume orders. Yields are better and demand is off. Blister and epidermal peel is still an issue but not nearly the problem as in past weeks. Romaine Hearts have better availability and the market has come down dramatically on this commodity. Green and red leaf is stable. Huron has begun production and supplies look to increase next week. Supplies on all leaf items will be available in Yuma as well.

LETTUCE Gabe Romero/Mike Pacheco
This market is steady. Supplies in Yuma are moderate, and Huron is getting much better production numbers. Demand is light. The quality has picked up considerably compared to past weeks. The weights and quality will vary amongst the different shippers. Yuma production has weights ranging from 36 to 42 pounds. Discoloration, and some blister have been seen upon arrivals, however the frequency of these defects are much less, in comparison to past weeks.

MELONS Amy Grolnick
Cantaloupe: Cantaloupe is still limited. Cantaloupe 9’s and 12’s are available in a light way with 15’s and smaller only available for contract business and not enough there to cover. Volume is a little more limited but quality is excellent. Honeydew: Dews are still extremely limited on both coasts with very little fruit coming in and mostly peaking to 5ct. Small fruit is limited at best. Quality is only fair.

ONIONS John Tole
Northwest storage yellows are steady to lower on all sizes. The larger Idaho/Oregon & Washington shippers will continue packing into mid or late April while the smaller ones are finishing now. Quality on the storage yellows has been good. Texas/Mexico yellows are still peaking on jumbos but a few have better numbers of mediums so that market has come off. Texas and Mexico are both harvesting heavier this week so the larger sizes are also lower. The quality from Texas & Mexico has been good. Reds are steady in the northwest and the volume deals are still available in Washington. Texas/Mexico reds are steady. The quality on reds has been good on in both the storage and new crop onions. Northwest whites are steady to lower but supplies are very limited. Mexican Whites are steady but plentiful with volume deals available. Nevada still has all yellows and reds and they are steady on both.

POTATOES John Tole
Smaller spuds are still the bulk of Idaho’s production. The market remains mostly steady on all sizes and packs. 70 count and larger are still the tightest of the carton counts. Norkotah are still very limited since most shippers only pack them one to two days per week, in fact most of our suppliers aren’t quoting them. Idaho’s quality is mostly good although some lots have had hollow-heart and internal black spotting. Washington Norkotahs continue to vary widely in size. The Washington market is steady to slightly higher on all packs and sizes. Colorado is steady on all sizes as well. Bakersfield, California is still shipping colored potatoes and but availability is light on reds and golds, and even lighter on whites. The California desert is harvesting new-crop reds and whites now so expect better availability by the end of the week. Mount Vernon, Washington continues packing a few reds. Minnesota & Wisconsin both continue to pack a few reds and the market is steady but availability is light. Florida production is increasing as they continue packing all colors but they are producing more reds than any other color. Whites and golds are available but limited.

SQUASH Western Squash: Tim Kelley
We are seeing more new crop showing up in Nogales and supplies and quality are good.
Eastern Squash: Janine Baird Warm, dry weather has led to decent supply and good quality on squash in Florida. The market should continue to drop in the coming days.

STONE FRUIT Amy Grolnick
Offshore stone fruit is still coming in with light supplies of peaches and nectarines mostly peaking to 50’s and larger volume fill are not available. Red and black plums are both available with good quality. Cherries and Apricots are cleaned up for the season.

TOMATOES Janine Baird
Eastern: The market continues to be high from the past freeze in Florida coinciding with the freeze in Mexico. While the quality is considerably better than the Mexican fruit, it is not close to the quality we come to expect from the Florida product. Weather, however, has been very cooperative and we should start to see improvement in the quality and supplies as well over the next few weeks. This deal will ramp up come first of April and reach its peak around the middle of April. Look for a steady market on rounds and Romas for another week or so before it begins to fall off and a steadily declining market on grapes and cherries. Western: We can expect high markets and poor quality crossing from Mexico for the next 2-3 weeks. Most of the fruit has greatly reduced shelf life due to the fruit coming off stressed or dying plants. Fruit is only holding up for 3-4 days then starts popping. Eastern fruit will now be the focus of the tomato world, as Nogales product has become barely shippable.

WATERMELON Amy Grolnick
Seedless watermelon is available with limited volume, demand is light as well, and prices are steady. Seeded watermelons are still very tight with no end in sight. Quality continues to be good. The personal watermelons are in very short supply with prices up as well.

VALUE ADDED Gabe Romero/Mike Pacheco
Broccoli supplies are tightening up and fill rates were occurring this past weekend. Supplies are expected to be better this week. Cauliflower supplies are also lighter. Romaine supplies are better and the quality is picking up. The lettuce supplies have increased. All value added items will be split between Yuma and Salinas so check with your account manager if a particular location is needed.

March 29, 2011

National Post (Canada) - Farm Raised Salmon Article March 29, 2011

FISH NOT FOUL
Patrick Moore, National Post · Mar. 29, 2011 | Last Updated: Mar. 29, 2011 4:06 AM ET

The farming of fish goes back at least 3,000 years in China, where carp and other freshwater fish are still the main contributor to worldwide aquaculture production. Trout have been farmed for more than a hundred years around the world, and catfish have been successfully domesticated in the U.S. south. Marine shellfish, such as oysters and mussels, also have been farmed for centuries.

But it wasn't until 35 years ago that scientists and fish farmers cracked the life cycle of marine fin fish. It was the coastal people of Norway who pioneered the art and science of salmon farming in the 1970s in the sheltered fjords along their rugged coast. Decades of overfishing had reduced the Atlantic salmon runs there to mere remnants, as fleets from two dozen European countries ravaged the northern seas.

The Norwegians figured out how to take the fry from freshwater salmon hatcheries and transfer them to "netpens" in the sea, where they were given a formulated feed and were grown out to market size. The entire life cycle was now brought into domestication and a new revolution in seafood production began.

I told my brother-in-law, Peter Taylor, about the idea of salmon farming. My hometown of Winter Harbour, B.C., would be a good location to build a hatchery and netpen operation. A few pioneers had already established small salmon farms farther down the coast. We met them and learned the basics of what we needed to get started. Quatsino Seafarms was born, named after the inlet of which Winter Harbour is a part, and the First Nations people who first settled there.

Excited by the fact that I was participating in a sustainable new industry and producing good food, I approached my fellow Greenpeace members for support. "You know, we are against whaling, sealing, drift-net fishing, bottom dragging, and just about every way people are getting food from the ocean," I said, then added, "How about if we come out in favour of sustainable aquaculture as a solution to the depletion of wild sea life?"

I was surprised with the sharp rebuke. "No way; aquaculture is causing the destruction of coastal mangrove forests in the tropics," one of my fellow Greenpeacers shot back. "OK," I replied, "Let's not endorse that kind of aquaculture. In fact, why don't we define the meaning of sustainable aquaculture for the world so that we become leaders in providing the solution to getting food from the sea?" My entreaties fell on deaf ears. The only other scientist in the organization, Sidney Holt, was a staunch anti-aquaculture advocate who had the ear of Greenpeace chairman David McTaggart.

I thought, If Greenpeace is against farming fish, what on Earth are we in favour of?

The activist campaign against salmon farming has grown steadily, keeping pace with the growth of the industry worldwide. Since its beginnings in Norway in the 1970s, salmon farming has become established in Scotland, Ireland, Chile, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and the United States. Salmon farming has proved controversial everywhere it operates, partly just because it is new and partly because it competes with existing wild fisheries. But the opposition has been most virulent in British Columbia. Today, the province is home to a small industry of full-time activists who are bent on damaging the salmon farming industry and its markets.

The anti-aquaculture activists who belong to Greenpeace, the David Suzuki Foundation and the Coastal Alliance for Aquaculture claim to support the salmon-farming industry, but only if it adopts "closed containment" technology. There is only one small catch: There is no such thing as "closed containment." It would be like telling chicken farmers they can't take the chicken manure out of the chicken coops and spread it on their fields. All agricultural systems have inputs and outputs -farming can't be done in a vacuum. But the idea of a salmon farm that has no outputs seems to appeal to some people, so much so that the opposition political party in British Columbia has adopted "closed containment" as a condition for its support of salmon farming. Watch it wriggle out of that one if it wins an election someday.

Let's look at the laundry list of complaints that activists make about what I maintain is one of the cleanest industries on the planet and one that produces the healthiest food in the world.

SALMON FARMS ARE POLLUTING THE OCEAN

Activists compare salmon farms to "cities of 500,000 people, dumping their raw sewage" into the environment. The primary reason for concern about untreated human waste is disease transfer, not the waste itself. But fish waste consists of carbon, oxygen, hydrogen, potassium, nitrogen, phosphorous, calcium, iron, zinc and the other nutrients essential for life. If a farm is properly located where there are strong tidal currents, the nutrients are dispersed widely and actually increase the area's productivity. It is no secret that prawn and crab fishermen often set their traps close to fish farms due to the abundance of marine life in their vicinity.

FARMED SALMON MAY ESCAPE AND DISPLACE WILD FISH

The concern is that if a farmed fish escapes and mates with a wild fish, the offspring will be genetically inferior and unable to compete in the wild. A variant of this concern is that if a farmed fish escapes, it will overpower the wild fish and displace it. Activists can't have it both ways: Either the farmed salmon are inferior and won't be able to compete, or they're superior and will out-compete. (In fact, the critics are wrong on both counts because in the wild the rule is the fittest will survive.)

SALMON ARE FED LARGE AMOUNTS OF ANTIBIOTICS

During salmon farming's early years, it was common to medicate fish fairly regularly to control a number of diseases to which they were susceptible. Today, antibiotics are used very seldom because vaccines have been developed for most diseases. Whereas pigs and chickens are on antibiotics for over 50% of their lives, salmon are on medicated feed for only 3% of their lives. Many salmon farms are now completely antibiotic free and some even qualify for organic status.

SALMON FARMS ARE SPREADING SEA LICE TO WILD FISH

There is no direct evidence that lice from salmon farms harm wild salmon stocks. The population crash of 2002 was clearly a natural phenomenon caused by overpopulation in the 2000 year-class of salmon. The salmon simply ate themselves out of house and home and collapsed. This pattern occurs in most populations of wild species; it is a typical boom-and-bust cycle.

The activists never mention that the 2000 and 2001 pink salmon populations were the highest recorded since records have been kept. They don't mention that salmon farms had been established for 15 years before the crash occurred. And they certainly don't talk about the fact that in a number of years before salmon farms existed on the coast, the populations were even lower than in the crash year of 2002. You can be doubly sure they will never volunteer the fact that in 2003, 2004, 2009 and 2010, the population rebounded, quickly coming back to a level higher than the 50-year average for the region.

SALMON FARMS SPREAD DISEASE TO WILD FISH

In fact, the reverse is true. All the diseases that farm fish contract come from the wild. Farm fish go into the ocean diseasefree from hatcheries and sometimes contract natural diseases from the waters around them. If the disease outbreak is severe, they can be treated and cured, unlike wild fish, which get diseases and transfer them to both other wild fish and to farm fish.

FISH FARMERS FEED SALMON ARTIFICIAL PINK DYES

This is one of the most preposterous allegations, yet it often is repeated in the activist rant against aquaculture. True, naturally occurring chemicals called carotenoids are added to salmon feed and this gives the salmon a distinctive colour. These same carotenoids also make shrimp and crabs pink, and that is why shrimp farmers add them to their feed as well. These carotenoids benefit human health and are essential nutrients for salmon. They are powerful antioxidants, sold as health food supplements and sunless tanning treatments.

FARMED SALMON CONTAIN HIGH LEVELS OF CANCER-CAUSING PCBS AND DIOXINS.

Yes, farmed salmon contain minute traces -in the parts per billion range (i.e., pennies out of $10,000,000 -of PCBs and dioxins. But so do milk, cheese, butter, beef, chicken and pork. The levels of these chemicals in all these foods are so far below what is considered a risk to health that it isn't worth talking about; but apparently it is worth fear-mongering in order to fabricate campaigns, make media headlines and bring in the big grants and donations.

WE SHOULD BOYCOTT FARMED SALMON AND ONLY EAT WILD SALMON

Whoever thought up this lunatic idea should get the Nobel Prize for anti-logic. How can you save wild salmon by eating more of them? Yet a whole gaggle of goofy groups has succeeded in convincing chefs, restaurant owners and consumers that a boycott of farmed salmon will somehow be good for wild salmon. Activists are blackmailing chefs and restaurateurs by threatening to picket and harass them if they don't take farmed salmon off their menus. But the truth is, every time you eat a farmed salmon you are saving a wild salmon.

It's clear to me that aquaculture, including salmon aquaculture, constitutes the future of healthy protein and oil, nutrients that we need to feed a growing population. It is also the only feasible way to increase seafood production while at the same time managing the wild fisheries on a sustainable basis. More seafood is good for us; the health benefits of the Mediterranean diet and the longevity of Japanese people attest to this.

Designed properly, the combination of fin-fish and shellfish farming could dramatically increase seafood production while simultaneously removing any excess nutrients from the ocean -and help feed a hungry world.

- Excerpted from Confessions of a Greenpeace Dropout: The Making of a Sensible Environmentalist, courtesy of Beatty Street Publishing, 2011.

March 25, 2011

Just when we thought Spring was finally here, we are greeted with an ice storm. Over-all the FRESH FISH supply is showing signs of improvement.

GREAT LAKES:
Fresh whitefish was in good supply all week as was lake trout. As long as the weather cooperates we should see a more consistent supply of both of these fish from the Great Lakes. Lake Erie is slowly starting to produce fish. Yellow Lake perch and walleye have been in decent supply and we are seeing some fresh white lake perch. Fresh white bass and smelt continue to remain elusive, but it is hoped that a few white bass will show up this weekend. Fresh smelt are expected to be available in a couple weeks. Frozen fillets on Yellow Perch and walleye are at critically low levels with with several sizes of walleye out of stock. Now that Lake Erie is open, processors will work diligently to replenish frozen stocks. It will most likely be 2 or 3 weeks before stocks are somewhat replenished on select sizes.

EAST COAST:
Landings of ground fish have started to increase as more boats begin fishing offshore with the improving weather. Some of the larger offshore boats are finding large schools of spawning Haddock, but unfortunately the fish is of mediocre quality. Unfortunately winter does not want to leave gracefully and another storm with high winds and snow mixed with freezing rain will move into the region Thursday through Friday. Prices have started to drop with increased landings, but with Gale force winds expected over the next couple of days prices will probably increase again Supply of East Coast Halibut from large and small boats has started to increase, but prices remain very high. Although landings have increased supply is still limited. Expect volumes to increase as the weather improves and more boats begin to fish

SOUTHERN / GULF SPECIES:
Supplies of our Southern Species has remained fairly limited. Dressed Mahi-mahi has been in short supply due mainly to the full-moon cycle. Smaller sized fish are more readily available, but prices are very strong. Although the Gulf grouper season has opened. landing have remained light and prices high. Octopus season is also open and many fishermen opt to fish for octopus instead of grouper. Small sized snappers continue to be available in good numbers, but larger fish continue to be very short. Swordfish supply remained tight from South America, but the domestic supply improved this week. Prices remain strong due to limited availability. Variety from this region improved, with some blue marlin and pompano available this week as well as a few escolar, kingclip, and parrotfish showing up on vendor product lists.

TUNA:
The supply of fresh tuna tightened up a bit this week, particularly on #1 fish. Quality has been very nice, just a little difficult to source.

WEST COAST:
West Coast Halibut started a week ago and the first landings were very light with very high shore prices. This season will last until October, but the quota has been reduced again, forcing many boats to consider dropping out of the fisheries. Expect volumes to remain low during the next few weeks and prices will also remain high.

FARM RAISED:
We brought in one new farm raised product this week, Tasmanian Ocean Trout from Australia. A very cool product form "down under". Farm Raised salmon had a relatively stable week, with no new price changes. We are starting to see some fresh Chilean product on the market and I will continue to watch that market to keep us competitive. The domestic farm raised catfish industry continues to struggle. There is very little frozen inventory available and orders on select sizes of IQF are being shorted and allocated. Best case is that we will see some improvement in supply by mid-May.

Harrietta Hills Rainbow Trout:
Visit the farm in Northern Michigan on-line at http://www.harriettatrout.com/. Harrietta Hills Trout Farm is a family owned and operated fish farm nestled in Michigan's magnificent Manistee National Forest, near Harrietta, Michigan. Our clear, cold water and natural surroundings combine to bring you the very best trout possible. We take pride in the quality of our fish. We have partnered with Superior Foods to process our trout in their world-class, state of the art processing facility. This partnership brings you the freshest trout, processed and shipped in record time. Expect the Best!

March 24, 2011

**HEART DISEASE NEWS & HEADLINES**

Mercury in Fish Poses No Heart Risk
WEDNESDAY, March 23, 2011 (Health.com) — Mercury exposure from eating fish doesn’t appear to raise the risk of heart disease and stroke, as some research has suggested, according to a new study in the New England Journal of Medicine.

The study—by far the largest of its kind to date—should help settle long-standing uncertainty about whether mercury from fish, which in high doses is believed to cause developmental delays in fetuses and infants, might also impact the heart health of adults.

“This research provides really robust evidence that mercury exposure from fish consumption at levels commonly seen in [the] U.S. and similar countries is not linked to an increased risk of cardiovascular disease,” says Dariush Mozaffarian, MD, the lead author of the study and an associate professor of cardiovascular medicine at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, in Boston. “For the average consumer who’s worried about mercury in fish, our study suggests that cardiovascular toxicity should not be a concern.”

Not only is eating fish safe, but it’s also good for your heart, thanks to its low levels of saturated fat and abundant omega-3 fatty acids. In the study, in fact, the participants with the highest mercury exposure appeared to be at slightly less risk of heart attack and stroke than those with the lowest exposure, a trend that is probably due to the benefits of fish consumption rather than the mercury itself, the researchers say.

Fish ingest mercury, an industrial by-product, when it collects in rivers and oceans. Mercury levels tend to be more concentrated toward the top of the underwater food chain, as smaller fish (such as sardines and shrimp) are eaten by larger fish (such as swordfish and tuna).

Fish-oil supplements, which many people take to promote heart health, have not been found to contain mercury, says Stephen Kopecky, MD, a cardiologist and professor of medicine at the Mayo Clinic, in Rochester, Minn.

For years, health officials have warned pregnant women, nursing mothers, and young children to limit their fish consumption due to concerns about the apparent link between mercury exposure and subtle delays in the brain development of infants and children.

Neurological problems stemming from mercury-laden fish do not appear to be a concern for adults, but doctors have been less certain about the effects of mercury on heart health. Some experts have suggested, for instance, that mercury could affect heart health by interfering with heart function, promoting blood clots, or neutralizing antioxidants.

To test this theory, Dr. Mozaffarian and his colleagues measured mercury levels in the stored toenail clippings of 3,427 people with a history of heart disease, heart attack, or stroke, and compared them with an equal number of demographically similar people without heart problems. (Toenail clippings are a common way of measuring mercury exposure.)

The participants, who were part of two long-running government studies known as the Nurses’ Health Study and the Health Professionals Follow-Up Study, also answered detailed questions about their dietary habits.

The average mercury concentrations were about the same in both groups, 0.23 versus 0.25 micrograms per gram. (By comparison, 0.4 micrograms per gram is considered the upper limit of safety for pregnant women and infants.)

The researchers found no relationship between mercury exposure and the risk of heart attack and stroke, even in people with mercury concentrations of up to 1 microgram per gram. “Any way we looked at it, we found no evidence for higher risk,” says Dr. Mozaffarian, who is also an associate professor of epidemiology at the Harvard School of Public Health.

In short, there is no reason to change the current dietary recommendations regarding fish and mercury, Dr. Kopecky adds.

The American Heart Association generally recommends that people eat fish at least twice a week, limiting their consumption of large, predatory fish that might have higher mercury levels.

The Food and Drug Administration, meanwhile, urges pregnant women and young children to eat no more than two servings of fish per week. These groups should stick with salmon, catfish, canned light tuna, and other low-mercury species, and should avoid high-mercury species altogether, the agency says.

March 24, 2011

SCALLOP MARKET UPDATE

SCALLOP MARKET UPDATE 3/23/11
USA: Landings from DELMARVA and the Mid Atlantic increased last week, but as boats have cycled in landings have dropped off again. The horrible tragedy in Japan has caused some processors and buyers to rethink their strategy about supply and availability for this year. Many buyers are offering more money for product from the open areas in anticipation of lower volumes being imported from Japan or the possibility that product will not materialize at all this summer. Most of the large offshore boats are catching scallops in the Mid Atlantic and DELMARVA areas with good results, but the scallops are in the pre spawn stage and tend to be milky and soft. The better scallops being landed are from the Channel and Georges Bank open areas, but the cost is much higher compared to Mid Atlantic and Delmarva area scallops. This year the American fleet had their days at sea reduced from 38 to 32 days for 2011. The Nantucket lightship and Elephant trunk areas are now closed. With fewer scallop landings expected this season there will be pressure to keep prices high.

CANADA: As the weather improves the Canadian scallop boats have started to fish again. The small inshore boats are catching very small product in the Digby Nova Scotia area. The large offshore boats are bringing in smaller volumes than was expected, but the product is very good. The weak American dollar could prevent prices from dropping and with strong demand for scallops in Europe many Canadian processors will export product to Europe instead of the USA.

JAPAN: After the Tsunami disaster in Japan all efforts has been focused on saving lives and bringing food, water and power back to those areas that were devastated. Now that some progress has been made the assessment of damages is much higher than was feared and the continuing crisis over the Nuclear reactor problems the country is still in turmoil. The Area hit hardest by the Tsunami was a thriving fishing and agricultural area and those areas may never be productive again if there is any significant radioactive residue. As of this time the estimates of damages to the scallop industry are just being analyzed but it is expected that the cost will be in the billions.

MEXICO: The season for the large Mano de Leon or “Loins Paw” scallops has started with very light landings being reported at very high prices. The bay scallop season will begin shortly with supply and initial prices expected to be very high.

PERU: Supply from the farms in Peru remains very strong with volumes of all sizes available. Prices are holding steady and will probably not drop during this season. With increased demand from Europe much of the production is being exported to France and Belgium.

PHILIPPINES: Scallops continue to be offered in limited quantities from traders and brokers, but prices are very high and supply limited.

CHINA: Chinese scallops are available in decent quantities, but prices have risen along with all other scallops being offered.

March 23, 2011

Produce Market Report

Commodity Updates
APPLES/PEARS John Tole
Washington Reds are still peaking on smaller fruit and premium color. Strong demand & lower than normal storage numbers are keeping red prices up. Many suppliers are still rationing their fruit out to ensure a year round supply. Golden delicious are still peaking on 88/100’s and larger and they are heavier to the Washington extra-fancy grade. Galas are peaking on 100/113’s and have good color. Large Gala’s remain very short! Granny-Smiths are also peaking on 88’s and larger while 100’s and smaller are extremely limited. Most shippers are subbing sizes and grades on smaller-count granny orders. Fuji’s are still high in color and continue to peak on 88’s and larger. Small Fuji’s remain very tight. D’Anjou pears are still heavier to the larger sizes and the US#1 grade. Fancy grade D’Anjou’s remain limited esp. in the smaller sizes. Small pears are really tight right now due to strong demand and light supplies. Offshore Bartlett’s are available on both coasts and are mostly in the US#1 70-110 size range. Import prices are still relatively high.

ASPARAGUS Gabe Romero/Mike Pacheco
This market is softer on all sizing. The best availability is coming on extra large and jumbos. Mexican supplies are better and California production is getting stronger out of the Bakersfield region. Peruvian product is moderate in availability on standard and large sizes. The jumbo and extra large sizing is on the light side as well.

AVOCADO Tim Kelley
Avocado supplies crossing in from Mexico continue at a lighter rate and supplies are very tight. Mexico has already packed over 70% of their crop, and has lightened their harvest to spread supplies out through the spring. The field price for the Mexican fruit keeps rising. The California crop has started packing only light numbers of their new crop. This years California crop is less than half of last years. From now through July, the industry will average only 16 to 17 million pounds in production per week. The average weekly demand runs 24 to 26 million pounds per week. The results of this shortage are and will continue to be a very strong market and much higher prices.

BELL PEPPERS Tim Kelley Western
Green Bells and Colored Bells: Green bells out of Mexico have increased production even though they are into the tail end of their crop. There will be a few small Mexican growers starting their spring crop in early April. California’s Desert crop will start around the mid April. Colored bells are starting to lighten in production as some growers are finishing for the season and the effects of the bloom drop caused by the freeze. We expect supplies to lighten through April. Eastern Bells: Janine Baird The pepper market has loosened up considerably as supplies and quality improve. As Florida begins to transition northward in the coming weeks, the market should stay steady. Excellent weather throughout all the growing regions means continued good quality.

BERRIES Mike Gorczyca
Strawberries: Rain, Rain go away. California received anywhere from 3 to 6 inches of rain over the weekend. Most shippers are stripping their fields of the damaged fruit. A few are packing some light numbers for the fresh market. Quality will go downhill as this week moves on. Market is active with limited supplies. The forecast is calling for more rain on and off for the next 10 days. White shoulders, bruising, light decay and water soaked berries are some quality issues that you will see when you receive your strawberries. Mexico supplies are almost done for the season and quality of the fruit that is crossing is just fair at best. It is time to get out of this area. Florida supplies have peaked and will be slowly winding down for the season. Quality is fair out of this area. Market is firmer. Raspberries: Market is steady with moderate supplies. Quality is being reported as good. Blackberries: Steady supplies with good demand are causing the market to firm slightly. Quality is fair to good. Blueberries: Good demand with lighter supplies is causing this market to firm up slightly. Supplies out of Chile are winding down. The next area to come into production is Florida which is producing some light supplies currently. Oxnard also is producing some light volume with a firm market. Quality is being reported as good. Packs are switching back to 4.4oz and 6oz. Pints are very limited.

BROCCOLI Gabe Romero/Mike Pacheco
This market is steady on bunched product as well as crowns. This week has started out a little slow in demand. Supplies are stronger in Salinas and better deals can be made if trucks can pick up direct. Current production is coming out of Yuma, Santa Maria, and Salinas. Mexico production continues to be moderate in supplies to start the week.

CARROTS Tim Kelley
California carrot supplies are very tight. Continued cool weather is slowing growth, and shippers are into their Imperial Valley carrots 3 to 4 weeks early the yields are poor. We could see this shortage go into June.

CAULIFLOWER Gabe Romero/Mike Pacheco
The cauliflower market is steady. Supplies are expected to be lighter towards the end of the week, pending demand. Production is occurring in Yuma, Salinas, and Santa Maria. Twelve counts continue to be the best in availability. There have been some reports of brown spotting upon arrivals.

CELERY Gabe Romero/Mike Pacheco
This market is firm. Suppliers have become a little tighter on all sizing, especially 30s and smaller. Currently, production is coming from Oxnard, Santa Maria and Yuma. The Oxnard production is moderate as is the Yuma production. The quality continues to get stronger in all the growing regions. Supplies look to be light to moderate later in the week.

CITRUS Tim Kelley
Lemons: Fruit sizing is shifting to 115’s and larger. The 165’s and smaller are less abundant with the market showing some firming. Heavy rains in the harvest districts are causing some uncertainty in the supplies for the end of the week. Demand remains steady. Oranges: We are seeing the size in the orange crop starting to size up as well. The percentage of small sizes being packed is starting to drop. Just as in the lemon market supply can be impacted by the heavy rains. Pack out is currently limited to fruit in the shed. Limes: Lime market remains very unstable. Supplies are improving and market is down. Sizing is still running to the small fruit. Expect the 150’s and larger to remain very tight.

CUCUMBERS Western Cucumber: Tim Kelley
There are very light supplies coming out of Mexico into Nogales. Baja has begun their spring acreage and will increase weekly. Mainland Mexico will start replanted crop the first week of April. Eastern Cucumbers: Janine Baird With the majority of Florida’s cukes coming out of Mexico this time of year, the cuke market remains strong. Heavy demand, scarce supply and weather related quality issues will make this a tough commodity for awhile. Prices continue to go up and quality remains marginal, at best. Florida should be back into domestics by the first part of April.

EGGPLANT Western Eggplant: Tim Kelley
Supplies from Mexico are very limited. Production will continue to limp along until the plants the survived the freeze start to come back into production early April. The California desert will start mid April. Eastern Eggplant: Janine Baird Florida will be struggling with eggplant for a couple more weeks. The quality is very poor right now with scarring and soft spots prevalent on most fruit. There is a seasonal gap in eggplant out of Florida and that, coupled with limited supplies in Nogales have made for very high markets and little to no availability.

GRAPES Amy Grolnick
Flames are slim to none with only marginal quality. Crimson have started in a light way are very limited and demanding a premium price. We will not see good volume until the first week of April. Green seedless has very good availability and sizing running very big on both Thompson and Sugar Ones med/large are more limited. Red Globe and Black Seedless are both available but limited on both coasts.

GREEN ONIONS Gabe Romero/Mike Pacheco
This market is softer. Supplies are much stronger out of Mexico. Pencil sizing will be the most readily available followed by smalls and medium sizing. There have been some claims of brown bunching upon arrival. Supplies look to be good throughout this week with most suppliers.

LEAF LETTUCE Gabe Romero/Mike Pacheco
The romaine market is softer. Many suppliers are looking to move on this commodity and deals are being offered for volume orders. Yields are better and demand is off. Blister and epidermal peel is still an issue but not nearly the problem as in past weeks. Romaine Hearts have better availability and the market has come down dramatically on this commodity. Green and red leaf has come off as well. Huron has begun production and supplies look to increase next week.

LETTUCE Gabe Romero/Mike Pacheco
This market is softer. Supplies are stronger out of Yuma, and Huron has begun production. Demand is light. The quality has picked up considerably compared to past weeks. The weights and quality will vary amongst the different shippers. Yuma production has weights ranging from 36 to 42 pounds. Discoloration, and some blister have been seen upon arrivals, however the frequency is much less, in comparison to past weeks.

MELONS Amy Grolnick
Cantaloupe: Cantaloupe is still limited. Cantaloupe 9’s and 12’s are available in a light way with 15’s and smaller only available for contract business and not enough there to cover. Volume is a little more limited but quality is excellent. Honeydew: Dews are still extremely limited on both coasts with very little fruit coming in and mostly peaking to 5ct. Small fruit is limited at best. Quality is only fair.

ONIONS John Tole
Storage yellows in the northwest continue mostly steady. Jumbos and larger are readily available but mediums are limited. Quality on the storage yellows has been good. Mexican yellows are still peaking on jumbos and colossal but are limited on mediums and their market is also steady. The quality from Mexico has also been good. Texas continues to pack a few yellows. Reds are steady in the northwest and the volume deals are still available in all areas. Mexican reds are steady. The red quality has been good on the storage reds and new crop as well. Northwest whites are steady but supplies are very limited. Mexican Whites are steady but plentiful with volume deals available on jumbos. Nevada still has all colors available and they are steady on all sizes & colors.

POTATOES John Tole
Idaho is steady on counts & number-twos and slightly lower on poly and mesh. 70’s and larger are the most limited counts. Norkotah carton prices are up again and remain very limited since most shippers only pack those one to two days per week. Idaho’s quality is mostly good although some lots have had hollow-heart and internal black spotting. Washington Norkotahs continue to vary in size. The Washington market is steady on all packs and sizes. Most Idaho & Washington shippers are packing on a limited basis to stretch their storage supplies. Colorado is also steady on all sizes and they have had more of the larger counts. Colored potatoes continue from Bakersfield and the availability is light on reds, limited on golds, and even more limited on whites. The California desert is starting now to harvest and pack now on reds and whites. Mount Vernon, Washington continues packing excellent quality reds. Washington reds will be available for the next couple weeks and their market is steady. Minnesota & Wisconsin both continue to pack reds and the market is steady but availability is light as they are nearly done. Florida continues packing limited supplies of all colors and is producing more reds than any other color, but production will increase next week.

SQUASH Western Squash: Tim Kelley
We are seeing more new crop starting to show up in Nogales and expect supplies to increase as move through the month. Eastern Squash: Janine Baird Warm, dry weather has led to decent supply and good quality on squash in Florida. The market should continue to drop in the coming days.

STONE FRUIT Amy Grolnick
Offshore stone fruit is still coming in with light supplies of peaches and nectarines mostly peaking to 50’s and larger volume fill are not available. Red and black plums are both available with good quality. Cherries and Apricots are cleaned up for the season.

TOMATOES Janine Baird
Eastern: The market continues to be high from the past freeze in Florida coinciding with the freeze in Mexico. While the quality is considerably better than the Mexican fruit, it is not close to the quality we come to expect from the Florida product. Weather, however, has been very cooperative and we should start to see improvement in the quality and supplies as well over the next few weeks. This deal will ramp up come first of April and reach its peak around the middle of April. Look for a steady market on rounds for the next couple of weeks and then it should begin to drop off. Western: We can expect high markets and poor quality crossing from Mexico for the next 2-3 weeks. Most of the fruit has greatly reduced shelf life due to the fruit coming off stressed or dying plants. Fruit is only holding up for 3-4 days then starts popping. Eastern fruit will now be the focus of the tomato world, as Nogales product has become barely shippable.

WATERMELON Amy Grolnick
Seedless watermelon is available with limited volume, demand is light as well, and prices are steady. Seeded watermelons are still very tight with no end in sight. Quality continues to be good. The personal watermelons are in very short supply with prices up as well.

VALUE ADDED Gabe Romero/Mike Pacheco
Broccoli supplies are better this week. Cauliflower supplies will be ample to fill orders. Romaine supplies are better and the quality is picking up. The lettuce supplies have increased and twelve week averages are a thing of the past on all value-added items. Escalated pricing is finished.

March 23, 2011

NEW ZEALAND LAMB OUTLOOK - March 2011


New Zealand Lamb Outlook March 2011

The 2011 New Zealand lamb season officially started on 1st October 2010. There was a tough start to the season as the lower South Island experienced a snow and ice storm in which up to 1 million lambs perished. In the lower North Island there was also significant weather that affected the number of lambs being born.

New Zealand’s total sheep flock for 2011 is estimated to be 19.5 million which is significantly down from 26 million 2 years ago. The reduction has been attributed to farmers converting their farms to higher return dairy production and dairy support and also the storms in the South Island and lower North Island in late 2010. This has had a substantial effect on supply in 2011.

More lambs will become available for production in March and April but the traditional peak in production in March will be much flatter this year due to lamb availability. This increase in production will not necessarily correspond to increased supply in the USA as other markets such as the U.K, Russia and the EU are showing very strong demand for New Zealand lamb as inventories are at minimal levels. As worldwide demand stays strong there will be continued pressure on the lamb prices in the USA.

We have seen the NZD drop over the last few weeks mainly due to the earthquake in Christchurch but any relief in prices due to the exchange rate has been absorbed in the higher cost to procure lambs for processing. The NZD has moved back up to above $0.74 and is forecasted to remain near this level over the next 3-6 months.

On the positive side the lambs currently being produced are of very good quality and we anticipate that this will remain throughout the year. Carcasses are currently averaging 17.5 kg and will continue to increase as the season progresses so lighter racks will remain tight. Please keep in close contact with your Superior Foods representative for up to date market information and to discuss your New Zealand lamb requirements.

March 21, 2011

BEEF AND PORK MARKET UPDATE

SUMMARY
Live Cattle prices traded last week at an astounding $118 CWT. This was up $5-6 from the previous week and sent the Boxed Beef market into much higher prices across the board. This weekly production came in at 537,000 head, which 9,000 lower from the previous week. This number is expected to drop further this week as packer margins continue to run in the negative due to high live cattle prices. Cattle weights are also slipping lower so not only is the head count down but overall pounds are down as well. The future markets have been much lower this week due to uncertainty in Japan with the events unfolding there. Right now this is not affecting pricing here but we will need to monitor the developing situtaion closely.

ROUNDS
Insides - Continuing to rise in all grades.
Flats - Steady to stronger.
Eyes - Steady to stronger.
Peeled Knuckles - Steady to stronger.

LOINS
Strips - Market stronger on all grades of strips, especially Choice and No Roll and prices continuing to rise.
Shortloins - Prices are also stronger on all Shortloins, especially Choice and No Roll.
Top Butts - Steady to Stronger, especially Select ad No Roll.
Ball Tips - Market is very strong and supplies are very hardto come by at most packers especially on Choice product.
Tri Tips - Steady/strong
Tenderloins - Market is strong on Tenderloins.

RIBS
Ribeyes - Market is stronger on all Ribeyes, particularly Choice and No Roll. Weights are coming in on the light side as well so expect the heavy Ribeyes to stay strong and the lights to hold steady. I expect prices on Lights to become close to or equal to Heaviesin the next few weeks.
BI Ribeyes and 109 Ribs - Market is stronger on all grades, especially Choice and No Roll.

CHUCKS
Chuck Rolls - Market is very strong in the short term on Chuck Rolls.
Clods - Steady to stronger.
Chuck Tenders - Steady.
Teres Major - Market is strong and supplies are very tight for the next several weeks.

THIN MEATS AND GRINDS
Flanks - Market is stronger here.
Flap Meat - Market is much stronger and prices will continue to be strong thru March and into April.
Briskets - Market is steady to slightly stronger.
Skirt Meat - The market continues strong on Outside skirts and Inside Skirts are not getting very strong due to people switching from Outside to Inside Skirts.
Special Trim, Blade Meat and Pectoral Meat - Market is steady to stronger here as well.
Grinds - Market is moving higher on grinds and expect prices to remain firm as long as production is cut back at the packer level.

PORK
Loins - Market is moving higher in the short term.
Butts - After some price strength last week, the butt market has leveled off and would be called steady on Bone In and steady to stronger on Boneless due to short supplies.
Ribs - Market is stronger on Lights and steady to slightly stronger on Mediums. Expect prices to continue to inch higher between now and May.
Picnics - Weaker due to drop in export demand.

March 17, 2011

The fresh fish supply is finally showing some signs of improvement. Warmer temperatures and calmer winds make a big difference when it come to fresh seafood availability. The disaster in Japan is also affecting some markets.

GREAT LAKES
The supply of Great Lakes Whitefish is finally showing some signs of improvement. As the ice continues to dissipate, more boats are getting out in search of fish. We received a good shot of fish on Wednesday night and are expected to get another good amount of dressed whitefish in on Sunday night. Hopefully this is a good trend of things to come. Lake Trout has finally been in good supply all week, but I'm not confirmed yet on fish for this weekend. Lake Erie opened to commercial fishing vessels on Tuesday March 15, although the 2011 season officially begins on May 1. So far, the boats have not been able to locate the schools of fish, with just a few yellow perch showing up in their nets. Fishermen will continue to set their gear at various locations on Lake Erie in search of the fish. I am hopeful that we will see a few walleye Sunday night, but the more likely scenario will be product in on Tuesday night. Supplies of IQF walleye and yellow perch are at very low levels and frozen stocks will not be replenished until the season gets well underway on the lake. Imported Zander and Euro perch fillets are good subs until the Canadian product is restocked.

EAST COAST
This past week the weather has improved dramatically as a warming trend has moved into the Northeast. Landings have been very light and prices have been very high during the months of February and March. With improving weather conditions we expect to see much of the offshore and inshore fleet return to the fishing grounds. The trick will be for the boats to locate large schools of fish. Increased Lenten demand is expected to keep prices firm. Currently the haddock that is being caught has shown signs of spawning which results in soft thin fillets. Ocean Perch continues to be a struggle, fishermen have still been unable to locate large school and the majority of the fish they've caught have been very small, bait-sized fish. No one can give an explanation as to why these fish have been so elusive this year.

SOUTHER / GULF SPECIES
Southern fish has been a struggle this week. Virtually all boats came in last week for Carnival / Mardis Gras celebrations in South America. Fishermen are getting back out, but there is a lag to get boats out, the fish caught, processed and brought to market. The current full moon phase has made Mahi-Mahi less available as the fish go deeper making them more difficult to catch. As a result of fewer fish being available, prices are going up next week. The supply of fresh swordfish has been very limited this week however, swordfish production typically increases a bit during a full moon, so supply is expected to improve next week. The month-long Gulf fishing ban on grouper ended this week with boats allowed to go back out this weekend. Once again, it will take some time for fish to get back to market and as always the "first fish" command high prices. We expect to see good availability by the end of next week. Snappers continue to be very sporadic in their availability with no consistency in supply. Very limited variety this week with a few marlin, escolar, wahoo and pompano showing up.

FRESH TUNA
The supply of fresh tuna has been good all week, but prices have remained firm. The dramatically lessened demand from Japan due to the earthquake / tsunami / nuclear emergency has allowed more fish to be available to other markets. Quality has been great all week on both the #1 and 2+ grades.

WEST COAST
The Alaskan Halibut season opened last weekend and as predicted, the fish have been very expensive. Unfortunately, with this year's drastically cut quotas prices are expected to stay firm. We should see some price relief as the season gets underway, but they will not get down to last years' level. Our first product is due in tonight and I will watch demand and bring more in next week. We are about 2 months away from the Alaskan Salmon season, with the Copper River fishery typically opening around May 15. Until that time, our re-freshed sockeye program is a great alternative!

FARM RAISED
It appears that the farm raised salmon suppliers have found the price limit on what consumers are willing to pay for thier product. After several week of consistent price increases, we are finally seeing prices come back down. After getting calls from several suppliers looking to make deals on "fresh" salmon, multiple times with lower prices being offered by the day. There will be some old fish on the market this weekend and into next week. With the disaster in Japan, a lot of the fish that would normally be sold there is sitting idle looking for new homes. Chile and Western Canada are both starting to ramp-up production, so the speculation is that we should see prices continue to drop over the next 3 to 4 weeks. The domestic farm raised catfish industry is in a world of hurt. There simply is not enough fish to meet demand. Orders are being allocated, prices continue to go up on a weekly basis and frozen stocks are at all time low levels. No relief in sight until this summer. The fresh farm-raised Tilapia supply has appeared to recover this week after last weeks scramble to cover increased demand to kick-off Lent. No issues this week with sizing or supply.

March 16, 2011

Bloomberg Businessweek Article 3/16/11

HIGHER PRICES FOR FOOD ARE ABOUT TO GET WORSE
(Bloomberg Businessweek Article 3/16/11)

Americans are noticing higher prices at the grocery store, and it's about to get worse.

Food prices at the wholesale level rose last month by the most in 36 years. COld weather accounted for most of it, forcing stores and restuarantsto pay more for green peppers, lettuce and other vegetables, but meat and dairy prices surged, too.

The big questions are how long food prices will keep rising and how high they'll go.

The impact is already visible. Wendy's paying higher prices for tomatoes, now puts them on hamburgers only by request. Starbucks and Dunkin' Donuts have raised prices because they pay more for coffee beans. Supermarkets warn customers that produce may be of lower quality, or limited.

"It has thrown the whole industry into a tizzy," says Dan Bates, director of merchandising for the produce division of grocery chain Supervalu Inc. Food prices rose 3.9 percent last month, the most since November 1974. Most of the increase was because harsh winter freezes in Florida, Texas and other Southern states, which damaged crops.

At the same time, global prices for corn, wheat, soybeans, coffee and other commodities have risen sharply in the past year. That's raised the price of animal feed, which has pushed up the cost of eggs, ground beef and milk.

Paul Ashworth, an economist at Capital Economics, says his firm has warned since last summer that spikes in commodity prices would eventually work their way down to wholesalers and consumers, "and here it is. There is plenty more to come over the next few months."

Crop prices began to increase last summer, after droughts slammed harvests in Russia and several other countries. Sharp growth in new world economic powers like India and China has also increased demand.

Overall, the producer price index, which tracks price changes before they reach the consumer, rose 1.6 percent in February, the Labor Department said Wednesday. That's double the rise from the previous month and the biggest increase since June 2009. The index is adjusted to account for seasonal variations.

More expensive food means people have less money for casual spending that helps the economy grow and create jobs. And it adds to growing concerns about inflation down the road, still a worry two years after the Great Recession.

Another is the weak housing market, which most economists say is years away from a full recovery. The government said Wednesday that home construction has plunged in February to the lowest since April 2009 and the second-lowest in more than a half-century.

The stock market dropped sharply on the disappointing U.S. economic reports and growing concerns about Japan's nuclear crisis. The Dow Jones industrial average fell by more than 240 points, or 2 percent.

Hints of steeper food prices will likely show up in the government's report on consumer prices, due out Thursday. The consumer price index is forecast to rise 0.4 percent, the same as the previous two months, but the wholesale report caused several economists to warn it could be higher.

Many economists expect food prices to keep rising through the end of the year. Consumer food prices will be about 5 percent higher this fall than the previous time last year, according to RBC Capital Markets. That's up from the current annual pace of about 2 percent.

Food prices ar already the highest since the U.N. began keeping track in 1990.

Corn prices have almost doubled since last summer, although they did dip this week after Japan's devastating earthquake and tsunami.

The harsh winter took a toll on restaurants, grocery stores and consumers. Normally if there is a shortage of one product in Florida, such as green peppers, companies can turn to Mexico or Texas. But all the major vegetable producing regions were harmed. That has led to everything from smaller heads of lettuce to higher prices for bananas and scarred fruit.

"This year was basically a perfect storm," says Supervalu's Bates, who hopes things will improve now that the spring growing season is almost here.

Ashley Sewell, who works three part-time jobs in Fort Worth, Texas says she sees the difference when she goes out to eat or shop for groceries. She's an avid cook who used to wander the grocery-store aisles looking for inspiration. Now she takes a list.

"I used to cook for my friends and neighbors. I can't do that anymore," she says.

Americans are also being hit by the highest gas prices in more than two years. The national average price Wednesday was $3.55 a gallon, up 42 cents from a month earlier, according to the AAA's Daily Fuel Gauge.

Still, the U.S. is mostly insulated from more devastating impact of higher food prices around the globe. Last month, the WOrld Bank estimated that higher prices for corn, wheat and oil have pushed 44 million people into extreme poverty since last June.

Americans spend a much smaller portion of their budgets on food -- about 14 percent -- compared with 40 percent to 50 percent in developing countries. Labor makes up a bigger portion of food prices in the U.S., while in developing countries people are more likely to buy items like wheat to make their own bread, making them more susceptible to swings in commodity prices.

March 14, 2011

Beef And Pork Market Update

Summary
Live Cattle prices moved up again last week. Packers paid $112-113 CWT for Live Cattle on Friday, which is up on average another $1.00 CWT from week prior levels. This came as a surprise to the market as many people were actually predicting the price to lower $1.00 CWT on Live Cattle. Live Cattle slaughter came in at 643,000 head, which is down 9,000 head from the week prior. Cattle continue to grade over 65% Choice which is very high and also explains why supplies of Select and ungraded product is tight. Carcass weights were down another 2 pounds last week versus the week prior, so expect supplies to continue good on light products and expect heavy cuts to start to tighten due to the lighter carcass weights.

ROUNDS
Insides - Continuing to rise in all grades.
Flats - Steady
Eyes - Steady
Peeled Knuckles - Steady

LOINS
Strips - Market stronger on all grades of strips, especially No Roll and prices continuing to rise.
Shortloins - Prices are also stronger on all Shortloins, especially No Roll.
Top Butts - Steady to stronger, especially Select and No Roll.
Ball Tips - Market is very strong and supplies are tight at most packers.
Tri TIps - Steady/strong
Tenderloins - Market is very strong on Tenderloins.

RIBS
Ribeyes - Market looks to be firming on Choice and Select Ribeyes, all sizes. Prices on all ungraded Ribeyes is still very strong and supplies are tight.
BI Ribeyes and 109 Ribs - Market is stronger on all grades, especially No Roll.

CHUCKS
Chuck Rolls - Market is very strong in the short term on Chuck Rolls.
Clods - Steady to stronger
Chuck Tenders - Steady
Teres Major - Market is starting to move seasonally higher.

THIN MEATS AND GRINDS
Flanks - Steady
Flap Meat - Market is much stronger and prices will continue to be strong thru March.
Briskets - Market is steady to lower.
Skirt Meat - Steady to stronger on Inside Skirts, very strong on Outside Skirts both skin-on as well as peeled.
Special Trim, Blade Meat and Pectoral Meat - Market is steady.
Grinds - Market seems to have steadied itself and pricing may move higher later this week.

PORK
Loins - Market is moving lower.
Butts - Due to the slow down on export, butts have been moving down in price.
Ribs - Market is steady to lower.
Trim - Steady
Picnics - Weaker due to drop in export demand.

March 11, 2011

We continue to struggle with the same issues - not enough fish to go around and rising prices. Not the ideal way to kick-off Lent.

GREAT LAKES:
Whitefish continues to be a struggle, there is just very little fish available right now. Too much ice on the water. We were able to source a couple small shot of dressed fish this week, but not near enough to cover all of the demand. If the weather stays warm and the ice moves out, we'll see more fish, until that time its going to be a struggle. We did however get our first decent shot of lake trout in a long time. The ice moved out of the bay in northern Lake Michigan and a couple boat were able to get out. We will have a good supply of fish to start next week. Fresh Walleye in Winnipeg is now over and there are just a few Yellow perch trickling in. Lake Erie is set to open on March 15, so weather permitting, we should see some Lake Erie Walleye and Yellow Lake Perch next Thursday night. Quota have not been announced yet for commercial fishing on Lake Erie, but it is expected that perch quotas will be cut and walleye quotas are expected to remain at the 2010 low level. With the fishing of walleye and yellow perch, we should see a few white bass and white perch landed with those targeted species. Until that time, re-freshed fillets are available.

EAST COAST:
Weather continues to be an issue out East with high winds making fishing very difficult. The few boats getting out are having a tough time finding the schools of fish. The thought is the long stretch of bad weather has churned things up so much, that the fish have scattered looking for food sources. Ocean Perch continues to be a big struggle. Boats are out, but are having a very tough time locating the fish. Haddock has be extremely scarce and is currently spawning. Cod has been in better supply, but not cheap. Flatfish - sole and flounder has been decent, but prices bumped up this week with increased Lenten demand. There has been some pollock and hake showing up as well as limited amount of monkfish and skate. Striped bass from Virginia showed up this week at decent prices, so I brought some fish in to cut for this weekend and the first part of next week. We'll see if they stay available.

SOUTHERN / GULF SPECIES:
Mahi-Mahi continues to be the best value of the southern species. Supply has been good, but prices remained firm this week. The celebration of Carnival in South America really limits the supply of fish coming from that region. Very few snappers this week and the only Grouper available has been from the Pacific. The Gulf of Mexico is scheduled to reopen next week, so hopefully by next week Sunday, we will have better supplies of Grouper and Snapper available to us. Swordfish supply continues to be limited and pricey. Tuna supply has been good, but prices remain firm.

WEST COAST:
The 2011 Alaskan Halibut season is scheduled to open this weekend. If the weather is good and the small day boats can get out, I am hopeful to see fish by the middle of next week. Be prepared though, the first fish of the season tend to be the most expensive. No one is quoting prices, that will depend on the results of the catch. I will forward that information on as soon as I hear. There are about 9 more weeks until the Alaskan salmon season opens. Until that time, our re-freshed sockeye program is a great alternative!

FARM RAISED:
UGLY, UGLY UGLY. Fish is short, prices are high and continue to rise with no relief in sight until May or June. Catfish prices continue to rise, with another price increase coming next week. Atlantic salmon prices continue to push up from all Countries. Organic salmon is extremely limited in supply and expensive. Our prices on Canadian Ruby Rainbow Trout is taking a big jump next week and Tilapia prices are going up due to increased demand putting a big strain on production capacities of the farms in South America. I do have a few Atlantic salmon fillets coming in from Chile on Sunday night, just slightly cheaper than Canadian.

This Week's wrap-up
To wrap up this week's Market Report a quote from one of our suppliers: "Overall comment: Worldwide food prices are going up. Global Labor costs are increasing. Competition is increasing. US Dollar is weak. Oil is going way up."

March 4, 2011

It's March and baseball is in Spring Training so the weather has to improve soon. Please say a prayer, cross your fingers, do whatever it takes to get warm days and calm winds, the life of a fresh fish buyer would be so much better.

GREAT LAKES:
Another rough week for our Great Lake fish. Still very limited production due to ice on the lakes. We need the ice to melt and the wind to be calm for more fish to become available. Whitefish continues to be very limited and lake trout basically non-existent. Winnipeg is starting to wrap-up their winter fishing season, closing on March 15. Supply has been lighter on perch and walleye this week and is not expected to improve until Lake Erie opens.

EAST COAST:
Landings of most species have been very light with extremely high prices and with another storm approaching expect supply to remain very tight. With more bad weather approaching many boats will remain tied up and limit supply for the beginning of next week. Landings from Canadian boats will also be limited, as the Department of fisheries has closed fishing on Georges Bank and Browns Bank until June. The Canadian boats that are fishing have been catching very small sized fish in the Eastern areas to the East of Browns Bank. Traditionally this area has produced very small fish and much of it cannot be shipped to the USA, because of size limitations. The US government has also closed the large area of Georges Bank where most of the US fleet was catching Haddock. Expect a decline in landings of Haddock over the next few weeks or until the fish move into open areas. Other species of ground fish will remain moderately tight during the next couple of months or until the weather dramatically improves. Ocean Perch fishing has been a disaster. Boats are unable to go out in the recent conditions with gale force winds whipping up 30-40 foot seas and freezing spray. Once the weather calms, it takes time for the fishermen to get out and locate the large schools of fish in the big open ocean. There is huge demand for retailers to start Lent and no fish to meet that demand. A very tough and frustrating situation.

SOUTHERN / GULF SPECIES:
Mahi supplies have improved toward the end of the week and prices came back down just a bit after last weeks rise. The Grouper supply has been very tight with Pacific Red Grouper about the only species available to buy. The Gulf will be closed to commercial grouper fishing for another 2 weeks. Snappers continue their sporadic availability, particularly on large fish. Variety has been somewhat limited, but we did bring in a few Golden Tilefish, Wahoo and Escolar for some different options this week.

FRESH TUNA:
The fresh tuna supply remained tight this week with very little domestic fish available. The majority of the tunas available are coming from Sri Lanka, Surinam and Fiji.

WEST COAST:
The 2011 halibut season is scheduled to open on March 15, but this year's quota was cut 19% from last year. This means, there will be less fish available and prices will remain high. Depending on the weather, we are hoping to see fish by March 21. The very eagerly anticipated fresh wild salmon season for 2011 is still quite a ways off, with the Copper River typically opening around May 15. In the meantime, we have a great program on re-freshed sockeye salmon where we defrost whole H&G fish and cut them to order. The resulting fillet is just a slight step-down from fresh.

FARM RAISED:
Fortunately the markets are stable on fresh farm raised tilapia and rainbow trout because the Atlantic salmon and catfish markets are a mess. Not enough fish to go around to meet demand has resulted in contining price increases and product shortages. Relief is not expected on either catfish or salmon until summer, when prices should finally level off (no one is predicting prices to go down). We do have a good supply of frozen Atlantic Salmon fillets that were purchased before the salmon market really went nuts

February 25, 2011

Fresh Fish Market Update

GREAT LAKES
Not much changed this week on the Great Lakes. Whitefish supply continues to be a struggle still due to high winds and ice. Supply is extremely limited and what little fish is available is expensive. There has been no lake trout available all week with no foreseen improvement until the weather drastically improves and the ice on the lakes melt. Winnipeg continues to provide a fairly steady supply of fresh walleye and yellow perch, but it is pricey. This week the majority of the walleye graded out small, giving us fillets running 12 oz or less, very few Jumbo fish.

EAST COAST:
Landings have been very erratic during the past couple of months, because of weather conditions and with another storm approaching, supply will remain very light. Most of the larger boats in the Domestic and Canadian fleets are having difficulty finding large schools of fish at this time of year. The abundant supply of Haddock that was available earlier has either moved into the closed areas or has dispersed early to begin spawning. Another storm expected this weekend that will keep many boats tied up and limit supply for the beginning of next week. In addition to the expected drop off in landings the Canadian Department of fisheries has closed fishing on Georges Bank and Browns Bank until June. The US government has also closed the large area of Georges Bank where most of the US fleet was catching Haddock. Expect a decline in landings of Haddock over the next few weeks or until the fish move into open areas. Other species of ground fish will remain moderately tight during the next couple of months or until the weather dramatically improves.

SOUTHERN / GULF SPECIES:
As expected, Grouper has gotten scarce and prices have soared. This is due to the closure of fishery in the Gulf of Mexico. We will take a look at brining in some Pacific grouper next week. The fresh Mahi supply also tightened up this week as expected due to the full moon and prices went up with fewer fish available. Prices should come back down by the end of next week. Swordfish supply has improved both from domestic waters and from South America. Quality has been excellent! Still struggling with snappers, there just does not seem to be a lot of fish around. I am seeing a bit more variety being offer with wahoo, cobia, marlin and a few pompano showing up for sale.

FRESH TUNA:
Tuna supply tightened back up with fewer fish brought to auction this week. Demand has also diminished, so we've haven't had any issues filling orders.

WEST COAST:
The 2011 halibut season is scheduled to open on March 15, but this year's quota was cut 19% from last year. This means, there will be less fish available and prices will remain high. The very eagerly anticipated fresh wild salmon season for 2011 is still quite a ways off, with the Copper River typically opening around May 15. In the meantime, we have a great program on re-freshed sockeye salmon where we defrost whole H&G fish and cut them to order. The resulting fillet is just a slight step-down from fresh.

FARM RAISED:
From our Canadian Salmon Supplier: The Salmon market is changing once again and the supply of fish has become tight so I am just informing you of the conditions driving the current market and what is happening. Our production numbers (actual pieces of fish) isn’t changing but the size of fish has. These smaller fish convert to about 400,000 lbs of weight we are not having (just based on smaller fish). This is what is causing the supply to seem tighter than normal. Norway is tighter on fish and keeping more fish in Europe, as the US Dollar is so weak. More and more Scottish fish is now heading to Asia as they are paying more for the fish than in North America. Chile continues to be very hit or miss with some suppliers moving in and out of the market coupled with continued freight issues of getting product in on time. I am hearing that production in Chile most likely won’t be consistent until possibly August or September (at the earliest). The West Cost is dealing with smaller fish and hasn’t started to harvest yet and it seems they will be more than a month (at the earliest) to increase harvests.

February 21, 2011

From Whitefish to Tuna to Salmon, the seafood/fish market continues to struggle and remain tight.

Great Lakes
Whitefish supply was a struggle this week mainly due to high winds and ice. We were able to get some dressed whitefish from Lake Superior on Wednesday night. These fish tend to run on the small side producing mainly 6-8 oz fillets. No one is fishing on Lake Huron or Michigan this week. There is hope that if the weather cooperates and the winds calm down, boats will get out and set their gear. The biggest problem is ice. Fishermen's gear can get destroyed by ice flows which can tear apart their set gear, so if there is wind and floating ice, most fishermen will stay in port. Lake Erie remains closed to commercial fishing until at least March 15. This year is different than in past years in that the law has changed and there is no "pre-quota" that can be fished before March 15. Winnipeg continues to provide a fairly steady supply of fresh walleye and yellow perch, but it is pricey. So far, we have remained in good supply on both fresh and IQF walleye and perch, but the supplies of IQF fish is getting low and we may run out of select sizes before Erie opens back up. As far as variety goes, lake trout is very limited and I buy what I can get my hands on. There are good supplies of Re-Freshed white bass, white perch and smelt available. I did receive a call from a Wisconsin fishermen who will be fishing fresh smelt this weekend and should have product next week. Prices are high though, pushing $4.00/ lb.

East Coast
Strong Gale Force Winds have hammered the East Coast all week. Few boats have dared to venture out and those who have are returning with a very limited catch and quite often lost or damaged equipment. The limited fish at auction has resulted in very high prices. The outlook for this weekend is not very good, with continued high winds forecasted thru Sunday. Until the winds die down, fish will remain tight and prices will stay high. The supply of fresh ocean perch has been an absolute disaster lately. There simply have been no fish available. One supplier has said that in his 25 years in the ocean perch business, this winter's weather has been the worst he can remember. Another supplier commented that he has had over 20,000 lbs of orders that have gone unfilled in the past 3 weeks. Hopefully things out east will improve soon!

Southern / Gulf Species
The biggest news in the Gulf Fishery is the annual commercial fishing closure on Grouper. The season closed on February 15 for Grouper in Mexico's waters. This closure goes until March 15, when boats can head back out, so realistically we won't see much fish again until March 21. There will be a very limited supply of domestic grouper available, but the laws of supply and demand will cause the price to soar. Mahi-mahi continues to be in decent supply, but according to our Miami fish houses, this years catch has been well below last year. Supply of fresh Mahi is expected to tighten up going into this weekend with a full moon, which causes the fish to go deeper and more difficult to catch. Prices are going up $0.15 - $0.20/ lb on H&G fish. Prices are expected to come back down the week after next. Swordfish supply has been very sporadic and prices on H&G fish have fluctuated by $2.00/ lb this week. The supply of pre-cut Chilean swordfish loins has been much more consistent both in supply and pricing. Snappers continue to be inconsistent in availability with mainly small fish under 1# showing up. There has been a fair amount of variety showing up, but its been small amounts and no great values. Amberjack, Golden Tilefish, corvina, cobia and wahoo have shown up in limited quantities. So far, it been another poor season for Florida Stone Crab claws. Limited amount of medium claws have been available on an inconsistent basis, very limited large and virtually no jumbos have been the story of this season.

Fresh Tuna
After the Valentine's weekend increased demand, supplies have improved on both yellowfin and bigeye tunas. Several areas are pricing good quantities of very nice tuna as we are seeing fish from Costa Rica, Ecuador, Philippines and Fiji. Supply is expected to be good going into next week and prices should dip due to lessened demand.

Farm Raised
Good news in the farm raised category has been Rainbow Trout and Tilapia. So far we've seen good supplies and consistent prices on our Harrietta Hills, Clear Springs and Canadian Ruby Rainbow Trout. Farm Raised Tilapia has also been very consistent and many customer have used this fish in place of less available whitefish. The Atlantic Salmon market continues to be a bit unstable and inconsistent and prices continue to creep up. The following is an update from our Canadian Salmon supplier: The Salmon Market will remain tight for the next few months. Chile is in and out with production and having softness issues as well as air shipment issues. They are (including our own Chilean Operation) hit and miss at best. West Coast production volumes are down and are expected to increase in the next two months but not enough to effect prices as that fish will get swallowed up out west. Scottish fish is on the rise as the Asians are now buying in big demand and they are paying top dollar so Scottish fish is being redirected to Asia. Our Canadian production plan is to continue to process the same number of fish but the fish will be smaller in size. So, as a result the Dressed Head-On market will tighten up as we fill Fillet production first and move any excess to Dressed Head-On. We won't harvest extra fish as we want to have a consistent harvest plan for the year, with no peaks and valleys. Prices all in all will remain firm through Lent and Easter after that time we get into the "Wild Card" and no one really knows what will happen until it hits! The outlook on domestic farm raised catfish is bleak. I sent a letter earlier today from our main supplier, this is from another: I’m really not sure where we our industry is going. We are in an unprecedented position. All information at my/our disposal suggests the shortage has hit quicker and harder than expected. Two major processors have taken fairly drastic steps to manage inventory. One has pulled completely out of the Northeast. The other has discontinued selling fresh product to foodservice distributors. We have consolidated truck routes and have necessarily prorated orders. The live fish price is about where we forecasted. The consensus is supply will not catch up with demand until sometime May or June. We hope we will have sufficient supply followed by some price relief by then.

February 21, 2011

Winter weather will slam the North east again during the middle of the week, forcing most boats into shore.

Ground Fish
With another storm expected mid week, the fishing fleet from the Mid Atlantic to the Canada will be heading into shore. Current landings are moderate, but expected to drop off after the storm passes mid week. In addition to the expected drop off in landings the Canadian Department of fisheries has closed fishing on Georges Bank until June. The US government has also closed the large area of Georges Bank where most of the US fleet was catching Haddock. Expect a decline in landings of Haddock over the next few weeks or until the fish move into open areas. Other species of ground fish will remain moderately tight during the next couple of months or until the weather dramatically improves.

Scallops
The scallop fleet has had limited success catching scallops the past few weeks with the majority of product coming from the Del Mar Va and Channel areas. Supply will remain very tight until the new season opens in March when the boats head back out to the open areas. or until the boats can get back out on the grounds. With another storm approaching expect supply to be limited all week and into next week. The Canadian scallop’s boats are not catching any volume and much of the product is a small mix. Most boats will head into shore to avoid the approaching storm. High winds and huge swells are expected in the areas where most of the boats have been fishing. Supply will remain very tight over the next week or longer.

I want to re-state the following for the 2011 season there will be a reduction in fishing days from 38 days to 32 in the open areas. There will be 4 allotted trips in the closed areas, as follows: 1 each in Delmarva, Hudson Canyon, Area 1 and Area 2. The Elephant Trunk is expected to be closed for a few years in order to let the stocks rebuild. Overall landings are expected to be around 50 million pounds, which would be a 10% total reduction from 2010.

Japanese scallop supply is extremely limited and product that is available will be used as re-freshed dry product or sold frozen. Prices remain very high for all sizes and types of Japanese scallops. Supply will remain limited until the summer of 2011. Mexican scallop supply is extremely tight and very expensive, there currently is no harvesting and the Government has not yet set quotas for 2011. Peruvian scallop season is underway, the first harvest have produced large quantities of large scallops from the beds. Most of the product is being shipped to Europe with the Roe-on. The balance of the smaller sizes is being offered into the US market, but prices are very high and supply is limited. Chinese scallops are available in decent quantities, but prices have risen along with all other scallops being offered.

FAS Haddock
The Norwegian Long Line fleet is continuing to concentrate on Cod, but some boats will continue to fish for Haddock. Demand for Haddock has increased in England as the Scottish fleet and boats fishing out of Grimsby and Hull have had limited landings. The Chinese twice frozen producers are also purchasing large quantities of trawl caught and some Long Line fish pushing prices higher on the whitefish auction in Norway. The American dollar has also weakened again making Long Line Haddock more expensive to import. There are other less expensive fish being offered than genuine Norwegian Long Line Haddock, but beware of cheaper Trawl caught, or Chinese twice frozen fillets.

FAS Cod
Alaskan Long Line Cod landings have remained steady and with many boats still fishing supply should remain strong. There has been some shore side landings of Pot caught fish, which is less expensive than Long Line, but the grading and quality is generally inferior. Be aware of what you are purchasing and ask your vendor to verify that the fish is actually from a frozen at sea Long Line vessel. With Lent approaching demand from Europe should begin to pick up, putting some pressure on demand and pricing.

Halibut
East Coast Halibut boats are beginning to catch more halibut when the weather permits, but prices have remained very strong as frozen inventories are very low. With another storm approaching landings will be light and prices will probably spike upwards. West Coast supply is limited to frozen inventories from 2010 and prices are extremely high. The 2011 season will start March 15th, but quotas for 2011 have been cut by 19%.

Salmon
East Coast Salmon supply has remained steady but prices have edged up over the past few weeks. Prices have increased because of difficult harvesting conditions during the back to back winter storms and with another storm approaching there could be problems emptying pens. Recently supply from Farms in British Columbia have had limited harvesting because of severe weather, which has affected fresh farmed supply on the West Coast. The wild west coast fish season does not start for a couple of months and the only product available is frozen H&G fish or frozen Salmon fillets. Supply is limited and prices are very high for frozen products and will remain strong until the new season starts in 2011.

Shellfish
The last storm created a number of closures because of rain water and snow melt run off into harbors and clam flats. Supply is very limited for steamers and other dug clams. With another storm approaching, supply of clams and mussels could tighten dramatically over the next few days. Many clam diggers and mussel harvesters will not venture out during the storm and with frigid temperatures, digging for clams is dangerous. Shelf life for clams and mussels can be shortened because live clams can freeze or die in the extreme cold temperatures. The Department of fisheries will test product after the storm before allowing clamming and mussel harvesting to continue.

Swordfish
Swordfish supply remains very tight with limited landings from American boats. Imported fish are also in short supply and will remain tight over the next week.

Tuna
Landings of tuna have been limited with most product originating form the Gulf or West Coast. At this time of year imported tuna makes up the bulk of product being sold.