Market Report - Meats, Livestock

DiCarlo Weekly Market Update


July 25 - August 1, 2008

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FRESH FRUITS & VEGETABLES

Snopeas- Better volume continues to trickle in from California and Peru – quality looks good! Give us a call for up to date pricing information.

Artichokes – Good numbers with competitive prices! Artichoke availability is strong for all sized packs except the smallest (small babies & medium babies), which are our loose packs (140 – 180 artichokes per carton) and the value added 16x9 clamshells. Organic artichokes are available every day in 12, 18, 24, 30 and 36 count. We also have long stem artichokes available.

Melons: Cantaloupes: The Westside growing region is going strong and volume is excellent, but large sizes are limited. Overall quality is very good. Look for the market to remain steady at the lower levels with heavy supplies on small fruit and somewhat active on the larger sizes this week. Honeydews: There are a lot of dews available this week, with the volume towards the smaller sizes, just like the cantaloupe supply. Mild weather is back in the Westside growing district and overall quality and sugar levels are very good. Expect little change in market this week.

Cilantro: Plenty, best in Santa Maria , California .

Green Bell Peppers: Big peppers (jj/j/xl) in demand from California . Other sizes not so active. Michigan starts next week which should soften the market. Best quality in Central San Joaquin Valley .

Colored Bell Peppers: Movement is slow, resistance to price. But California just does not have a lot of peppers. A lot being passed over due to disease and heat damage- less acreage.

Watermelons: Both regular and seedless watermelon production will remain steady this week and demand is still very good. Overall quality out west is good. California and Arizona markets will remain steady this week and into next.

Asparagus: Shorter supplies coming in from Mexico due to product being delayed crossing the border. There are some supplies of Asparagus from Peru .

Squash: In the West; production continues to be strong in Baja, Santa Maria , Fresno , and Salinas/Watsonville. Demand is only fair and the market looks to be steady for this week. The squash quality out West is very good right now with warm days and cool nights.

Cucumbers: Baja continues to be the pre-dominant area for western cucumbers, and their volume is dropping and the market is firming up this week. The Pacific North West is going.

Celery: People are just tired of paying for high priced celery so they have slowed their buying and guess what?? Down goes the market ! If you are in the buying mode, Salinas product is much nicer than Santa Maria .

Lemons: With imported fruit arriving in big numbers, the lemon market is becoming unstable. Small size fruit continues to build volumes at most sheds. Size 165’s and smaller deals are being offered each day. Large lemons will continue to bring a high price tag, but even these sizes will see adjusted pricing.

Oranges : Valencia oranges are in good supply, especially 88’s and smaller. There are very few late Navels available. The market should be steady.

Grapes: The San Joaquin valley grape harvest is in full swing. Quality and condition on Flame seedless, Thompson, Blacks, Princess and Superiors is excellent. Specialty grapes like Champagne and Portion packs are also available. Red globe grapes will start harvest next week.

Stone Fruit: Chilean and New Zealand Kiwi will continue until California fruit starts in September. Bartlett pears have started in California , and Gala apples will start next. All peaches, plums and nectarines are available, but with the market depressed many shippers are leaving fruit on the trees.

Lettuce: The Salinas valley continues to be in summertime lettuce mode. Limited planted acreage accounts for limited number of cartons. While the demand for iceberg lettuce continues to be down, with less boxes of available product to sell the market has been good. Next week looks like much of the same, with limiting amounts of product, smaller head size and lighter weights. This lettuce market could have another dollar into its price.

Tomatoes: Good interest on east coast tomatoes where as there is less interest on mature greens from the west. Western and Baja Roma’s have good interest though. If you can handle large sized rounds then there are some good opportunities available from western shippers. Tomatoes are available in Virginia , Arkansas , the Carolinas, Tennessee , California as well as Northern Baja Mexico . Supplies of Grape and Cherry tomatoes are improving slowly with the market softening up a bit.

Potatoes: Limited russet supplies and don’t forget that they are projected to finish earlier than planned. Next new crop will be from Western Nebraska (late July to November). California is being harvested from the Stockton area with very limited supplies for both russets and colored.

Onions: Volume and demand for onions in both the San Joaquin Valley and New Mexico remains good. Storage Vidalia sweet onions are available as well as Walla Walla sweet onions. Market on Vidalia sweet onions is up this week and Walla Walla sweet onion market remains unchanged.

Avocados: Avocados (Hass variety) from Mexico and California will be at optimum maturity and quality levels. There is a lack of size for California fruit as they are experiencing abnormally small fruit size this year. The first arrivals of Chilean fruit will begin arriving by mid-July.

Mangos: We’re past the overwhelming glut we experienced last week but there are still plenty of mangoes around and prices are up slightly. Quality very good right now with nice firm fruit.

Broccoli- most quality is useable but it continues to be a struggle to find anything sharp especially for export. Prices remain near the bottom.

Cauliflower- The market strengthened this week but with such light summertime demand it didn’t get far. No change in quality.

Leaf Vegetables- Good supplies for this time of year and even with some of the quality issues no one grows as dependable and consistent as California does, prices to remain depressed.

Strawberries We are past the peak and demand is strong on decreased numbers.The whole berry patch is available, long stems, raspberries, golden raspberries, blackberries, blueberries and organic.

Provided by Fresh Network

BEEF, POULTRY & PORK

Beef: Now that we have entered into the mid-summer sluggish demand period, most of the beef markets are turning lower . The 5 year average choice beef cutout market decline during the next 2 weeks is 7% which suggests the index will fall to roughly $161- still historically inflated. Most of the price depreciation in the next few weeks could occur in the beef middle meat markets while beef grinds and trimmings may be supported by retail feature activity. June retail beef prices were 3% more than last year and a record high.

Poultry: Despite record leg quarter prices, current US chicken exports are reported to be strong. Inflated chicken leg quarter prices are anticipated to persevere through the summer. June US chicken exports were 60% larger than last year. The chicken breast markets have turned seasonally downward. Additional modest chicken breast market declines could occur over the next few weeks before the breast markets move higher. Broiler egg sets last week were 3.5% less than a year ago. Chicken output cutbacks could add upward pressure to the markets later this summer.

Pork: 2008 through June US pork exports were 59.6% bigger than the previous year. June US pork exports remained strong with trade 96% larger than a year ago. Solid exports may continue to support pork prices in the coming months. Rising exports to Mexico are influencing the ham market higher. Cyclical charts indicate that the ham market could climb an additional 15% during the next 4 weeks before prices begin to stabilize.