Last week’s visit out to the local stores showed that transitions are on the way in the Pacific Northwest; a lower volume of stone fruits and melons, along with a lack of mangos in many stores indicate that shippers supply and consumer demand for these summer seasonal favorites are on the decline. On the trucking side, California capacity remains steady this week and should continue to for some time; local harvest in Washington is well under way which is affecting capacity for state-state trucks. Here’s some highlights of the month in the produce department:

Tomatoes – the majority of supplies in stores were still from local suppliers; but there were signs of field product from Mexico in some of the national retailers. Experts are noting that California is ramping up supply after a bloom drop spiked the mature green market a few weeks prior. All sizes are now available. Reports also note that the Baja area is now the primary source for Roma varieties, which is creating an increase in crossings at the border. There have been weeks of intermittent extreme weather in the Baja areas which has affected the Grape tomato supply and quality; this should improve as more Mexico product becomes available with Fall plantings.

Pears – most retailers had USA supplies of Bartlett, and a mix of USA and imported supplies of Bosc (imports mainly from Argentina and Chile). Experts note that supplies of California Bartletts are light as many shippers are finishing up, which means we will soon see a shift to imports for this variety as well. While we did not see any D’anjou varieties in the stores, experts note that they are shipping steady. Quality  for all varieties out of all areas has been good.

So, that’s what we saw out at our local retail stores for the start of September. Remember, you can always contact our sales team  to discuss any of these noted changes to buying patterns, expectations and demand for new crops. We can help you with your operations and shifts in truck capacity. And remember to check back next month for our latest retail visit report!