Organic Market Update #338

Week 38, 2023

Specialty Fall Fruit

Organic Magenta Dragon Fruit is coming into season with Southern California production. Organic Black Mission Figs and Organic Brown Turkey Figs supplies will be steady, with pricing is expected to increase slightly due to slightly lower volume. Organic Kiwiberries will be available next week from Oregon through late October. Organic Pomegranates from California are now available. Pricing will start a little higher but should quickly come off as more fruit is available.

Lettuce

In Quebec and California, Organic Leaf and Romaine Lettuce is still widely available, although California production of Lettuce has begun to decline. It is unlikely that there will be a scarcity of supplies because the Quebec crop will continue to produce at its full capacity, and production will resume in Pennsylvania or New Jersey. Organic Romaine Hearts and Iceberg Lettuce are anticipated to follow similarly.

Mangos

Organic Keitt Mangoes from Mexico will be finished by the end of September. Ecuador fruit will be late, the industry is expecting some gaps through October as the El Nino weather patterns have caused an overall lower bloom in fruit this year. There is a very limited amount of California Keitt fruit available now and the fruit is commanding a premium price.

Brussels

As consumers’ demands evolve with the seasonal change, there will be a greater supply of domestically farmed Organic Brussels Sprouts heading into October.

Apples

New crop Washington State Organic Gala, Fuji, SweeTango, and Honeycrisp Apples are now available. An outstanding season is anticipated across all sizes and packaging options. This week, the new crop of Canadian Organic McIntosh Apples will be available, albeit in limited supply.

Broccoli & Cauliflower

California-grown Organic Broccoli and Cauliflower are readily available. As October draws closer, supply levels are predicted to decline on quality concerns. Expect higher prices and less availability in the final week of September. It is unlikely that there will be any significant improvements with these pricing shifts until the desert season begins this Winter.

Grapes

The Organic Grape crop is taking significantly more time to harvest following Hurricane Hilary rains, causing price increases across the board. Expect Pricing to be higher the rest of the season due to crop losses and less harvest efficiency. Some varieties responded poorly to the rain and humidity while others showed more resilience and will show nice quality down the road.

Hard Squash

Now through November will be peak season for Organic Hard Squash. Supplies will be good from Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, and Michigan. Organic Pie Pumpkins have started out of Pennsylvania. Organic Honeynut Squash is also starting production in California and Pennsylvania. Organic Seasonal Specialty varieties like Organic Carnival, Kabocha, Red Kuri, and Kojinut Squash will be in stock through Fall. Organic Delicata Squash has had some crop issues in Pennsylvania, so the season will be supplied primarily out of Wisconsin, Michigan, and California.

Berries

Organic Blackberry production and pricing are steady. New crops out of Mexico have started with light production, and California continues to harvest excellent quality product. Organic Raspberry production and supply remain steady, while Quality has been very nice. Organic Strawberry pricing will rise slightly as production starts to slow out of California. Salinas and Santa Maria are still harvesting, and transition to Mexico is expected in October. Organic Blueberries will continue to be extremely limited through the end of September, with prorates expected. Demand across the nation continues to exceed supply as imports arrive late with limited supplies. El Nino has affected the Peruvian crops and harvests are delayed. Availability and price will continue to be a challenge through September.