MARKET REPORT - JAN. 16TH, 2016

Not much has changed on the supply trailOf course at the head of the news is that not much has changed on the supply trail, with continuing high prices in many categories – and of course the bloody loonie dropped another 1.5% this week.  You will note some subtle price changes on “things” that usually are stable – those are a little freight adjustment we had to make this week after getting all our freight rates lined up for the next few months.  We’ve also had to adjust salad and a few other items because currency just keeps eating away at already slim margins. BC Apples are thinning out quickly, and all but one packer is finished for the year, and the transition to Washington will continue, with unfortunately higher prices, but nothing we can do.  Next avocado / grapefruit load is just leaving and we are nearly out of FT grapefruit – sorry, sales kind of jumped up on those the last week or two.  Blueberry supply is excellent for next week, but expect prices to start inching up with Chile past its peak.Of course, it’s all about mangos here – with great pricing, stunning quality and huge volumes, so please join in the fun.  And to all who I promised lots of 5 and 6 ct, I’m sorry, got you all excited and I read the manifest wrong – maybe next time?You’ll see a special on Starpak Navels – We’ve been selling Homegrown brand fruit for 9 years – always one of the top brands, and a grower owned packer/shipper, so we’ve always liked that.  Their Starpak are one notch down from their Fancy line – but we generally find that Homegrown’s second label is usually the same quality as many other packer’s first brand – and these will be big and juicy.We keep on selling out of Agrofresco product, which seems to have become our first line on the veg front – we keep on increasing orders, but there’s only so much product in the field – besides broccoli and celery which Gustavo grows for some major US brands, the rest of the line-up is just for us and we could have easily doubled plantings this year.  That’s life – we will plan better for next year!Carrots continue to be a challenge, but there is still lots of BC product available – it’s just bunchers and lower priced California table and juice that are on the lean side – but on the positive side, those Capay bunchers are just the best, aren’t they?Rumblings that BC potato supply is thinning out quickly, so we will be moving east, stopping first in Manitoba and Alberta, and then aiming for PEI by March, as usual.Have a great week.