Freshspective
Tuesday, April 15, 2025 | Issue 167
Keep up with the most recent market trends in our Freshspective updates. Discover what's influencing conventional produce, organic options, temperature-controlled capacity, and floral so you can plan ahead and avoid disruption.
Conventional Vegetables
Bell Peppers
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Broccoli
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Cabbage
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Cabbage continues with strong volume out of Florida for a few more weeks. As we make our way through April, Georgia will be starting. Quality is good in both Florida and Texas. Look for deals coming out of both regions.
Celery
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Cucumbers
[email protected]Volume remains limited in Florida, as the season is quickly coming to an end. Overall acreage allocated to cucumbers is down, and it’s showing in the markets. Mexico will remain in the mix, but volume is lower than previous weeks. Georgia is probably two weeks from starting.
Greens
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Potatoes
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Squash
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Sweet Corn
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Conventional Fruits
Apples
Avocados
Bush Berries
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- Florida: With both southern regions wound down, we continue to miss estimates out of Dade City farm. We expect to end the season over the next two weeks, with no peak in volume or spike in production. While we anticipated a lower season than last, we will probably end up 40-50% off total projections.
- Georgia: We will finally be starting to pick up in Georgia and expect to be going in all facilities by mid-week. We expect the delay to turn into a flatter curve of production and continue to see this crop come in lighter than expected. Current estimates are around 25% down. We do see a quick window of promotable volumes as we enter this weekend, which should carry through for around two weeks before falling again.
- North Carolina: No damage reported from recent cooler temperatures. Experiencing a slight delay; estimated start is May 28–30.
- Mexico: Continues to experience challenges with size and production. We estimate the season will end between May 10–15.
- Organic: Expecting a light start on April 27-30 out of Georgia.
Raspberries
- Mexico: Volume continues to drop out of Mexico as we enter summer and start to see a transitional window into the domestic season.
- Santa Maria: ABB varieties planted for a late May start.
- Watsonville: Majestic variety in the ground for a late June start.
- Mexico: Volumes will begin to decrease over the next few weeks but are expected to increase again by mid-May, leading into the domestic season with promotional opportunities. We are currently planning June promotions for local production and are seeing very good demand in this window.
- Santa Maria: BK-613 variety planted for a late May start.
- Watsonville: BK-613 variety planted for a late June start.
- Florida: All indicators point to an early May start, possibly even earlier, with good volume expected. Last season's farm varieties held steady at 15 Brix—great locally grown option.
- Georgia: Looking at an early June start. Overall, the season is shaping up to be strong.
Cantaloupe
Citrus
Grapefruit: California is in full swing with star rubies. Fruit is clean with peak sizing varying from grower to grower, offering good availability on all sizes.
Grapes
Honeydew
Limes
Weather Update: The weather forecast for next week indicates a couple of rainy days, while the rest will be mostly sunny with some cloudy intervals. Temperatures will range from 69°F to 84°F, and humidity is expected to be around 93%, making it an excellent week for the smooth continuation of regular activities.
Market Intel: The demand for limes has been steady. The market for mid-size limes is between $40-44.
Sizing Profile: Peak sizes 200/230/175. Size distribution: 110-5%, 150-16%, 175-23%, 200-22%, 230-26%, 250-8%.
Quality: Quality issues being reported: oil spots, blanching, scarring, skin breakdown.
Looking Ahead: We will begin May with a higher volume of fruit, with a full range of sizes forecasted. Fruit quality remains excellent, and the available volume will be sufficient to meet the needs of all our programs. Consistent monitoring in the farms continues to ensure optimal growing conditions and sustain the high availability of fruit across the farms.
The fruit for June can already be seen on the trees, and we believe we are heading toward an abundant harvest throughout the month of June. We will continue to monitor fruit development, but everything indicates that it will be a highly successful season.
Mangos
We are on week 16 and this week will be a low-production packing week as many, if not all, packing houses will be closed from the April 17th to 21st for Holy Week. We expect lower volume to be shipped week 16 and even lower volume week 17 as it will take the growers several days to bounce back to the normal rhythm of packing. Expect markets to be stable as we see less supply from Mexico within the next two weeks.
Papaya
Supply NOT Meeting Demand for Papaya in U.S. Market
Pears
Pineapple
Availability: Supply is meeting demand in the USA market.
Growing region: Mexico - Good volume of fruit crossing out of Mexico last week with smooth crossings at the border. Production is stable with similar volume to the prior week, with a good distribution of sizes peaking in 6s and 7s. Mexico's internal market remains strong, pulling more fruit and adding pressure to export volume. Weather at the pineapple growing regions remains fair with good yields and good quality. Transportation out of Mexico is stable with good availability of trucks to service pineapple, with no delays happening last week. Costa Rica - Supply is stable but with some surplus on large fruit. Availability is somewhat better with 6s and 7s more readily available compared to last week. Good quality of fruit is being exported to the USA and EU. The market is slightly lower as pine demand slows down after the Easter pull. Some surplus is expected to happen with stable prices for the next two weeks.
Strawberries
Weather outlook:
- Santa Maria, CA - The week of 4/28 is forecast on Wednesday through Friday to have clouds and sun, Saturday windy, with showers and cool temperatures, and Sunday very windy, partly sunny, and cool. Highs in the 60s and lows in the low 50s, decreasing to the 40s for the weekend. The week of 5/5 is forecast on Monday through Wednesday to be mostly sunny, Thursday increasing cloudiness, and then Friday through the weekend to be mostly sunny. Highs in the 60s and lows in the 40s.
- Oxnard, CA - The week of 4/28 is forecast to be partly sunny. Highs in the 60s and lows for Wednesday through Friday in the low 50s, decreasing to the 40s for the weekend. The week of 5/5 is forecast on Monday and Tuesday to be sunny, then mostly sunny for the balance of the week. Highs in the 60s, decreasing to the 50s on Sunday and lows in the 50s, decreasing to the 40s on Sunday.
- Salinas/Watsonville, CA - The week of 4/28 is forecast for Wednesday through Friday to be cool with sun and clouds, Saturday partly sunny and cool with showers and breezy in the afternoon, and Sunday mostly sunny and cool. Highs in the 60s, and lows Wednesday through Friday in the low 50s, decreasing to the 40s on the weekend. The week of 5/5 is forecast Monday through Friday to be mostly sunny with some clouds, Saturday sunny, and Sunday cloudy. Highs in the 60s and lows in the 40s.
Watermelon
Organic Fruits & Vegetables
Organic Apples
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Organic Citrus
[email protected]We have started to see a change on a few items this week. First, we are starting to see navel oranges tighten as the season starts to wind down. We will be starting Valencia oranges the week of the 21st. Sizing will be mostly 72 count, 88 count, and 113 count to start the season. There are still plenty of lemons available with the peak sizes still coming in on 75 and 95 counts. There is a fair amount of choice starting now. The grapefruit market has been flat with not a ton of demand. We are seeing the market hold steady with some daily deals available on certain sizes.
Organic Dry Vegetables
[email protected]All colors of bell peppers are available right now out of Nogales. Sizing and volume vary each day on arrivals. For the most part, markets are steady and not very strong. The mini sweet pepper market has turned and is now higher in price with limited supply. Roma tomatoes are going strong as well and are another item that could be a good promotion.
Organic Melons
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Organic Onions
[email protected]There is a two-tier price structure right now on onions. There are still good supplies on yellow and sweet onions coming out of Washington, and pricing is still moderate. The red onion market out of Washington has jumped as the supply is very limited on open business as most are saving their volume for contracts.
There are new-crop onions coming out of Texas now and all three are available--yellows, reds, and sweets. The pricing is strong as they are just getting started and waiting for the Northwest to clean up this month. We finished our onions out of Hollister last week but will be back in with red and yellow new-crop onions.
Organic Pears
[email protected]The organic pear crop was severely damaged this season and down around 50%. We are still shipping organic Anjou in very small quantities. Imported organic Bartletts have started to arrive now at the U.S. but expect to see pricing much higher than last season. Overall, organic pears will continue to be tight and expensive until the new crop is harvested in September.
Organic Potatoes
[email protected]Colorado potatoes are still available but finding a quality red potato is not possible. Quality on russets is very nice though. The market on russets continues to be strong and cartons are tight with high prices at this point. The yellow supply dried up over the last week in Colorado. So, until new crop starts in California, the yellow market is going to become active. Washington potatoes are starting to dry up. Most of the russet supply is either gone or committed, so finding russets on the open market is tough. There are still good supplies on both red and yellow potatoes, and the market is steady on them.
Organic Squash
[email protected]Hard squash out of Nogales is available but not as plentiful as it has been the last few weeks. Markets are starting to rise a little on all varieties. Soft squash is all over the place, depending on the day you want to buy. Currently, supply on Italian and yellow squash is tight as is the pricing. Cucumbers are plentiful this week and the market is cheap. There is supply but pre-books are recommended for volume orders.
Organic Sweet Potatoes
[email protected]As smooth as the market and supply have been on sweet potatoes, we are starting to see some changes. It is the time of the year when storage sweet potatoes start to dry up and pricing jumps. The first variety for this to happen is with the Japanese variety. We have seen that market jump over the last week. Overall, the rest of the varieties are in good supply for now and pricing remains steady.
Transportation
REFRIGERATED TRUCKLOAD
The East Coast refrigerated market has remained very soft with capacity readily available, in line with seasonal trends. Typical produce season is ramping up, starting out of southern Florida, moving its way into southern Georgia, and eventually to the Carolinas in the coming months. Small pockets of produce have started to ship out of southern Florida already, but not enough to shift the market yet. Expect volumes to truly pick up around mid-April when produce begins to fully ripen.
Central United States
The Midwest temperature-controlled market continues to be relatively soft with capacity available, especially for standard palletized chilled goods with good load/unload times. The outlook for April and May is for more of the same.
Capacity out of the Midsouth is also readily available, although same-day freight may see some tightness. By May, this dynamic will likely shift further. Make loads as attractive as possible to help secure capacity.
West Coast United States
Costs have declined in the refrigerated market on the West Coast due to an excess supply of capacity, aligning with historical first-quarter trends across California, Arizona, and the Pacific Northwest. At the end of March, demand began to shift from Yuma, Arizona, to Northern California and may continue to do so in early April.
This could potentially cause short-term rate spikes due to changes in where produce is being harvested, though costs are expected to stabilize as carrier supply adjusts. Meanwhile, outbound freight costs from the Pacific Northwest are likely to remain low, although inbound rates may see increases to offset demand dynamics.
GLOBAL UPDATES
OCEAN CARRIER CONSOLIDATION - Fresh produce growers and shippers attempting to move cargo globally via ocean vessels are dealing with scenarios where ocean carriers genuinely dictate some markets. They dictate and determine the marketability and viability of export markets for many fresh produce exporters. Shippers are being forced to commit earlier to ocean lines to reserve space for upcoming seasons, and spot market space on vessels is nearly impossible to secure.
TARIFF IMPACTS - Fresh produce growers and shippers in North America are bracing for the potential implementation of new tariffs on imports. These tariffs could significantly affect the cost structure and market dynamics for many fresh produce exporters. Growers and shippers are being advised to diversify their markets and strengthen local partnerships to mitigate the impact of these tariffs. Additionally, there is an increased focus on leveraging technology and innovative practices to enhance supply chain resilience and reduce dependency on any single market. The uncertainty surrounding these tariffs is prompting industry players to prepare for multiple outcomes, ensuring they can continue to provide a steady supply of fresh produce to consumers despite potential cost increases.
DEMURRAGE/DETENTION CHARGES - Shippers negotiating with ocean carriers or freight forwarders on perishable cargo contracts should request as much free time at destination as possible to reduce the risk of detention/demurrage charges when inspections/fumigations or drayage capacity constraints delay cargo delivery at destination. Unavoidable and unprecedented demurrage and detention charges due to delays in turning cargo at destination continue into 2025.
USTR DECISIONS FEES CHINA SHIPBUILDING - Effective October 14, 2025, vessels built in China will incur additional fees when arriving at U.S. ports. These charges are expected to start at $120 per container, with the final amount depending on the vessel’s net tonnage. U.S.-based carriers, such as Seaboard Marine and Crowley, will be exempt from these fees—even if their vessels were constructed in China.
To mitigate potential cost increases, consider diversifying shipping partners by working with ocean carriers that operate Non Chinese-built vessels or by prioritizing U.S.-based carriers.
For more global freight insights please visit Global Freight Markets Insights | C.H. Robinson.