Tuesday’s visit out to the local stores revealed that the local trend is in full swing. In the west, the warm, humid overnight temperatures are continuing to push crops ahead of their schedules, which affects yields, quality, and shelf life. Summer’s seasonal trends also dampen freight availability; some good news is that diesel is at its lowest national average since October 2009. Here’s some highlights of the month in the produce department:

Cherries – There is an abundance of local cherries in the market, with good quality and pricing. The USDA has now provided their last report on the 2015 cherry crop for Eastern WA. While trading remains very active at the moment, movement is expected to decrease in the coming weeks; light supplies will remain into August, with limited availability.

Avocados – Most stores were favoring Mexican product, with a few supplies of CA and Peruvian product in the mix. Experts note that the CA harvest is declining weekly and the season should end within the next month. CA product remains to be in good demand, with excellent quality and flavor. In MX, the flora loca crop’s harvest shows good volume and quality. If you are out at the store looking for avocados, it’s important to note that this MX product could still be green in color when ripe, so color is not an indication of ripeness, but instead pressure is.

Blueberries – Here in BC, these are widely available in stores in different packing sizes, and show great quality and flavor. Prices are also quite good, with all retailers having product on ad. The record breaking heat here in BC has put an increase in supply, which is driving down prices as the 800+ BC blueberry growers compete in the market. Experts note that the movement of BC blueberries crossing into WA is decreasing slightly, while trading remains active at higher prices. BC growers are now harvesting their later varieties and moving some of the fruit into storage.

So, that’s what’s in store at this midsummer point. Remember, you can always contact our sales team  if you would like to discuss any changes to buying patterns, introduction of new crops, and how we can help you with your operations and shifts in truck capacity.

We wish all of our BC friends a great BC Day! Get out there and enjoy the hot weather at a spot on our 27,000km of coastline!