Spokane Produce

April 24, 2024

Market News

With the transition complete, most of the row crop production will
move to the coastal valleys (Oxnard, Santa Maria, Salinas) of California
through the Fall. Spring weather patterns continue to challenge
growers with the cool moist conditions. A series of cool low-pressure
systems are forecast to continue the rollercoaster of temperatures
typical of spring. These systems will bring a deep marine layer along
with drizzle and gusty winds to the coastal valleys into early May. The
cool, moist conditions provide ample opportunity for mold, mildew and
disease pressure to thrive and enter the fields. Sclerotinia, bottom rot
and mildew are impacting the iceberg production with some pockets of
anthracnose also reported. Anthracnose is a soilborne pathogen
favored by cool, wet periods and can survive for long periods in the
soil. The pathogen spreads when rain or sprinkler droplets splash
spores from infected plants onto surrounding fields carried by the
winds. Cool temperatures are required for high spore production and
the disease is primarily a problem in the early spring. Shippers are
seeing this disease across the valley in current and upcoming acreage
impacting production, especially in the romaine stands. Rough
estimates indicate up to 20% of the romaine acreage in the Salinas
Valley may be impacted by the fungus.
The cool temperatures will continue to hinder growth rates of the
various crops. This along with the current disease pressure impacting
yields will keep lettuce supplies on the lighter side for the near term at
a minimum. Early production continues to show smaller head sizes with
less solidity/density contributing to lighter carton weights. Growers
reaching for supplies are entering these stands early to meet current
demand, leaving less available acreage as harvests look to gain
momentum. This may lead to some supply shortages in romaine and
cauliflower moving forward.
These temperature variations can also lead to physiological changes in
lettuce plants and disrupt the developmental process impacting
quality and shelf life. Processed items will likely continue to see an
increase in bruising, discoloration and breakdown showing up in the
bag affecting quality and shelf life. Long-range forecasts continue to
bring in cool systems through April with the possibility of a couple
more wet systems in early May.

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