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Weather continues to be cited for the lack of demand as rainy conditions across the U.S. are seen as a damper on demand. With harvest keeping pace from week- to-week, supplies are readily available.
Expect frozen potatoes and French fry pricing to increase mid-April.
No new Avian Influenza impacts reported over the last couple of weeks, we continue to monitor the situation closely.
Jumbo breast demand has softened recently. Tender demand continues to rise quickly. Whole birds and cut ups were mostly steady but supply is tightening. Wings demand and supply were even this week. Dark meat demand remains strong.
As expected butts moved up slightly for next week. We should see butts trend up as demand increases. Ribs are holding relatively flat, retail interest is down, currently. Loins dipped too but should recover relatively quickly. Bellies are also on a downward trend for the last couple weeks and could see another moving lower.
As the week progresses, the market tone is setting into a familiar tone. Excess boxes are mitigating prices and demand is steady at best. Ribs are steady and availability varies from packer to packer. Strips continue to trade steady as packers sometimes lower prices to clean up occasional pockets. Chucks and rounds are steady as buyers continue to buy hand to mouth.
Shell egg markets are starting to drop slightly as Easter approaches. Block and Barrel cheese markets continue to increase despite growing supply. Butter markets are down slightly, with soft supply. Cream and Culture pricing will have nominal increases for the month of April.
Technical selling from speculators, and not much fundamental trading pushed the soybean oil market lower until week’s end when it bounced back somewhat. This also helped push the Canola and palm oil markets lower; however, production is falling behind for palm and palm exports are increasing. This market is expected to bounce.
Volume is good coming into the US, heat has impacted yields in Mexico and could see market move up.
Market active, as supplies are expecting to be very tight the next 2-3 weeks and demand exceeding supply.
Better supplies this week and into next week. Market will start to soften as the weather becomes warmer.
Market active, decent supplies this week but will be VERY limited in volume starting next week for the following 3 weeks.
Cilantro market active, as supply remains tight. Growers are struggling to meet the demand. Parsley market mostly holding flat on fair demand, good quality.
West – Good supplies with light demand have this trending lower. Supplies out of Baja and Central Mexico steady with no changes expected for 10 days. East – Market trending upward with strong demand, cucumbers in good supply.
Suppliers are not meeting demand with Salinas crops delayed from the rain and Yuma volume winding down for the season.
Overall good supplies with very few supply disruptions. The market remains steady.
Supplies in Northwest continue to decline a few suppliers will still have inventory into mid-May. Market has softened a bit again in the Pacific Northwest. Texas onions have increased a touch this week as demand has moved from Mexican grown onions to Texas grown onions.
East coast green supply is fair. Market looks to trend higher. Red and Yellow extremely short. West Coast-Most shippers showing better supplies all colors. Market steady on Reds lower on others.
Supplies are light. Packers have been limiting production to stretch the storage crop out until new crop starts. Late snow and cold weather are delaying new crop planting which has growers concerned about a likely gap between the two.
Markets continue to improve out of FL & MX due to readily available volume on all varieties (rounds, roma, grape, & cherries). Quality is good on all varieties both east and west.
Demand for fruit in Mexico is strong this week as there will be limited harvest next week with growers taking days off for Holy Week.
Lemons – Active market, medium/ small sizes are tight supplied. 115s and larger are plentiful and pricing is very affordable.
Oranges – Harvest going well, as expected. As the weather warms – fruit imperfections will become more visible. Puff & Crease has been detected and apparent in the fruit as the weather naturally warms.
Limes – Alert Lime supplies have tightened up and market has strengthened. Expect to see elevated pricing for the next 3-4 weeks. This winter crop is the most volatile pricing of the year with Mexico having less volume to export.
Supplies are getting very light with Florida finishing for the season, Central Mexico volume declining and rain in Southern California. Expect to be in a demand exceeds supplies the next two weeks.
Production volume continues to be very tight industry wide. There will be a shift in sizing to larger fruit in the coming weeks. Prices in the market have increased due to demand for Easter and less availability on fruit.
Lighter volume due to weather issues in the various growing regions has both these items in a demand exceeds supplies for likely the next tow weeks.
