Freshspective

Slightly lower supplies on cantaloupes as growers experience vessel delays, with fair availability, at best. Volumes are expected to increase the end of the month. Very strong quality has been seen all season with no expected changes or disruptions. 

Oranges

• California Navels: Crop is heavy to large fruit, with supplies peaking on 56/72/48 counts. Small sizes, 88/113/138 counts, remain tight and will continue to be limited throughout the season. Rain this season has contributed to more puff and crease on the fruit. General quality is reported to be good, but there is more choice fruit coming out of pack-outs than typically expected for this time of year. 
• California Cara Caras: Sizing is currently peaking on 56/72 counts and is expected to trend larger as the season progresses. Similar to navels, small sizes, 88/113/138 counts, remain tight and will continue to be limited.  
• California Valencias: Some growers have started harvest due to the strong demand for small fruit. Much of this fruit is committed to programs. Overall sizing is expected to be large this season, similar to how the navel season started out. 
• Florida Juice Oranges: Limited availability on small California navels has pushed demand for Florida juice oranges. Valencias are available with peak sizing on 80/100/125 counts. Florida groves experienced freezing temperatures earlier this year which have affected the crops. Growers are anticipating a shorter season with limited availability. 

Lemons

• California Lemons: Harvest is active across Districts 1 and 2. Weather has impacted quality, resulting in more choice-grade fruit than typically expected for this time of year. Sizing is peaking on 95/115 counts as smaller sizes will remain limited.

Grapefruit

• Texas Grapefruit: Texas grapefruit is peaking on large sizes with limited supply of mid and smaller fruit. 
• California Grapefruit: Star Rubies are currently being harvested. No quality concerns are being reported at this time. Good availability of all sizes. 

Mandarins

• Import Moroccan Mandarins: Nadorcotts are available in the Northeast. Fruit has been reported to be acceptable quality with some soft fruit and skin defects. Available supplies should run through mid-April, pending demand.
• California Mandarins: Rain and prolonged fog earlier this year have impacted quality, resulting in softer fruit and growers estimating anywhere between 10-40% fruit drop. Current quality is good but may weaken in the coming weeks. The excess moisture this season led to softer fruit that will impact utilization. The mid- to late-season varieties, Tangos and Murcotts, are projected to see reduced overall volume.
  
   
   

Heavy rains in Chile are expected to tighten supplies of high-quality grapes in April, especially since the U.S. relies heavily on Chilean imports. Although growers harvested early where possible, remaining grapes may suffer quality issues, and overall shipments are already low and likely to decline further by mid-April. With limited supply from Peru and weather issues in Brazil, buyers should expect higher prices and inconsistent quality until Mexico’s season ramps up in mid-May. 

Demand exceeds supply on honeydews with very light offshore volume as Guatemala transitions between growing cycles. Both Honduras and Guatemala have seen lighter yields this season due to whitefly pressure. Southern Mexico continues to harvest honeydews loading in Nogales, but supplies remain tight. 

Region: Veracruz, Mexico

Weather Update:
Warm and humid conditions are expected throughout the week. During the first few days, heavy rains may occur, accompanied by partly cloudy skies. Toward the end of the week and the beginning of the following week, conditions are expected to become more stable, with a lower probability of precipitation. Maximum temperatures are forecast to range between 80 °F and 90 °F, while minimum temperatures will remain between 62 °F and 68 °F. 

Market Intel:
The market is changing rapidly so please contact the lime team for more information regarding pricing. 

Sizing Profile:
Peak sizes 175/150/230; and size distribution: 110-1%, 150-5%, 175-14%, 200-18%, 230-32%, and 250-30%.

Quality:  
Heavy rainfall is expected to pose a potential quality risk during the upcoming week, as the fruit may remain wet and damage could occur during the harvesting process (oil spot).

Looking Ahead:
For the month of April, we anticipate reduced volumes, as this crop bloomed in December during a period of heavy rainfall and low temperatures. However, thanks to the strength of our grower network, we are confident in maintaining a solid supply and securing a steady flow of medium-sized fruit to meet the needs of our key programs.

SUPPLY MEETING DEMAND FOR PAPAYA IN THE USA MARKET.
Supply conditions are good at the farms with enough supply to service demand.  Stable volume arriving this week with growers increasing supply with less quality issues. Internal Mexican market remains solid, keeping the overall availability of fruit exported just right out of Mexico. Supply for at least the next two weeks for papaya production is expected to be good with papaya weather improving yields and harvest conditions. Prices are the same in the U.S. market and should remain stable through April. 
Inventories are showing less availability to offer. 
Majority of sizes are between 6s–12s with good surplus fruit.
Quality is reported as good with shorter shell life, stem issues, and lower color.
Color 25%- 50%/12-14 brix at point of shipping. The ideal temperature for Imperial papaya is 48 degrees to avoid quality issues upon receiving.
Crop outlook:  Forecast has conditions for less supply for the next two weeks.
Market Intel:  Enough supply to service demand.

We are now shipping pears from Oregon and Washington State, where we are loading Bosc, Anjou pears, and red pears. Overall, we have a fantastic pear crop and will have lots of fruit to promote at good prices all season. The Bosc pears will be available out of the Northwest through at least May this year and we also have Bosc arriving from Argentina and Chile already this week. The Anjou and red pears are projected to be year-round this year and will be promotable through July. The Bartletts have finished up out of the Northwest and there are now new-crop imported Bartletts from Argentina that are available on the East Coast. Pricing and quality are both attractive on this variety and I expect them to remain promotable for the next several months. Overall, the pear category will be very promotable the next several months. 

• California – All major growing districts are managing heat-related quality challenges, which are impacting yields and overall pack-out consistency.
• Baja Region – Growers have scaled back production following earlier softer market conditions, with some fruit diverted to the freezer. Moderate production is expected to continue into May, dependent on weather, quality, and market conditions.
• Florida – Most growers have elected to wind down operations and conclude their season.
  
   

Markets remain elevated with limited supply on both coasts.  Cold fronts in Florida in January and February have delayed early crops until slowly starting April 10-15th.  Southern Mexico is all but done for the season as the industry transitions to Northern Mexico April 15-20th.  Overall melon market will remain tight and oversold for the next 2 weeks.