Spokane Produce

November 19, 2025

Market News

After weeks of talking transition, we’ve officially made it to Yuma. And while the
weather seems to have followed us south, there’s finally a sense of relief in the
lettuce patch. Early desert romaine and leaf are coming in stronger and cleaner than
the final Salinas lots. Yields are still light, and weights will take some time normalize,
but this product has legs.
That’s good news, because the Central Coast got absolutely soaked last week. Some
areas picked up over 6 inches of rain, essentially ending Salinas and leaving Santa
Maria and Oxnard berry growers digging out from waterlogged fields. Strawberry
yields will remain low for the next three weeks. Oxnard is holding steady for now, but
it’s not enough to offset the sharp decline elsewhere. Fruit is soft with elevated
bruising and mildew pressure. Supplies out of Central Mexico are picking up slowly
but still running behind historical trends. Baja is still behind on production and
Florida is starting to scratch the surface of their crop. Open market availability
remains limited heading into Thanksgiving.
Oxnard is also the primary celery region this time of year, with transfers headed to
Yuma. While celery tends to thrive with moisture, soaked fields are slowing harvest.
Crews are doing what they can, but product is heavy and hard to move in the
thick mud.
Brussels sprout supplies remain limited as the crop transitions south. Rain, rising
demand, and the coastal-desert gap are keeping markets snug, especially on value-
added packs. Quality has been fair.
Central Mexico supplies have helped stabilize multiple categories. Harvests and
crossings remain seasonally light but are providing some relief in berries and
wet veg.
And what would Thanksgiving be without Idaho potatoes? Quality is excellent and
supplies are strong, but outbound transportation is a growing concern. Carrier
capacity out of the Northwest remains tight, and high freight costs on low FOBs
continue to slow movement.
The desert is up and running. Product is improving. And while we’re still navigating a
few bumps - weather, freight, and tight availability - we’re headed in the right
direction into the holidays.

July 20, 2023

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