Freshspective

Offshore product is wrapping up for the season out of Honduras and Guatemala. New-crop domestic product has started out of the Imperial Valley and greater Phoenix regions. Heavy towards larger fruit to start. Out East Athena cantaloupes in Florida are starting the end of this week/weekend. 

Oranges

• California Navels: Crop is heavy on 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. General quality is reported to be good, but there is more choice fruit coming out of pack-outs. As quality is showing some pressure and supply winds down, growers with late-lane navels have started their harvests. These late season navels will help support supply through June at a premium.
• 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. Small fruit, 113/138 counts will remain limited.
• Florida Juice Oranges: Valencia season is finished with active harvests, with some growers offering storage fruit through most of May. 

• California Lemons: Harvesting is finishing up out of District 1 as quality continues to struggle.  Weather has impacted quality, resulting in more Choice-grade fruit and limited shelf life. Increased demand on District 2 lemons is perpetuating an active market as demand outweighs supply. Sizing is peaking on 75/95ct as smaller sizes will remain limited. Markets will remain active as import season approaches.
• Import Lemons: Supply volume out of Chile and Argentina are anticipated to be similar to last season, limited volume with a competitive market. First arrivals to the US out of Argentina are anticipated for late May, with Chilean arrivals to follow in June.

• California Grapefruit: Star Rubies and Red Flames are currently being harvested. No quality concerns are being reported at this time. Good availability on all sizes.

Mandarins

• Import Mandarins (Morocco): Last containers of Nadorcotts are available in the Northeast. Fruit has been reported to be acceptable quality with some soft fruit and skin defects. Availability is winding down, with some importers carrying fruit to mid-May.
• 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. The excess moisture this season led to softer fruit that will impact utilization. Tight supply and active markets are expected through the end of the season concluding late May/early June.
• Import Mandarins (Southern Hemisphere): Supplies from Uruguay and Peru will be the first to hit U.S. markets in mid-May. Chilean imports are anticipated for June, followed by South Africa. Due to limited supply out of California, the import mandarin market is expected to be active until July when supply volume ramps up out of Chile and South Africa.
  
   

The grape market is softening as Mexico rapidly increases production while East Coast importers clear remaining inventories. Light retail demand and increased supplier competition are pushing spot prices lower. Mexico expects a large 19-million box crop that must move within a short 8– to 10-week window. California’s Coachella season is beginning but will have limited market impact due to low volume. Most retailers are expected to transition to Mexican grapes by the third week of May, leading to aggressive promotions through May and June.

Offshore honeydews are wrapping up for the season out of Guatemala and Honduras. Continued supply out of Northern Mexico crossing into Nogales. Starting to see domestic honeydew production pick up out of the Imperial Valley and greater Phoenix regions.  

Region: Veracruz, Mexico

Weather Update:
A hot and humid climate is expected over the next 10 days, with high temperatures ranging from 90°F a 99°F and lows around 75°F a 79°F. No significant rainfall is anticipated in the coming days; however, a rise in temperatures is expected.

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

Sizing Profile:
Peak sizes are 250/230/200; size distribution: 110-15%, 150-26%, 175-25%, 200-15%, 230-10%, and 250-9%.

Quality:  
Moderate winds and a high dew point are expected; therefore, this represents a quality risk over the coming week, as fruit may experience mechanical damage due to wind gusts and physiological injury (oil spots) associated with elevated dew point conditions.

Looking Ahead:
By mid-May, a delay in the development of medium-sized fruit can be observed in orchards due to the lack of rainfall in the area, resulting in a setback in production.  By late May and early June, we anticipate moderate production volumes. This crop flowered in December and January; however, delayed fruit growth can be observed due to the lack of soil moisture, resulting in postponed production across the orchards.

SUPPLY JUST MEETING DEMAND FOR PAPAYA IN THE USA MARKET.
Supply conditions are slightly better than last week with yields and quality just enough to service demand.  Market is slightly higher with  lower volume arriving this week into the USA. Internal Mexican market remains strong, 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 tight but still with good quality and good harvest conditions. Prices are slightly higher in the U.S. market but should remain stable through May. 
Inventories are showing less availability to offer. 
Majority of sizes are between 6-12s with little 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:  Just enough supply to service demand.
Fruit Condition: Some speckling and some scarring, with mostly clean skin. 

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 throughout the season. The Bosc pears out of the Northwest will be available for another 3 weeks or so. They will be replaced by imports which are beginning to arrive in good quantities into East Coast ports now. The Anjou and red pears are projected to be year-round this year and will be promotable through July. The Bartletts have finished 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 we expect them to remain promotable for the next several months. Overall, the pear category will be very promotable the next couple of months. 

The strawberry market remains firm this week, with limited availability supported by strong demand. Recent heat followed by several days of rainfall have created lingering challenges in plant health, particularly for crops slated for May production. These consecutive weather events are impacting the current harvest, affecting fruit size, maturity, and overall quality. As a result, daily yield volumes are down approximately 30–40%, with larger pack sizes and premium-grade fruit in the shortest supply across both conventional and organic.
California – Growers across all districts continue to navigate quality and sizing challenges while also applying necessary field maintenance during fresh pack harvests. To support plant recovery, many operations are implementing planned harvest pauses. Demand continues to exceed available supply. While daily prorates are showing some improvement, they should still be expected across all loading regions for the foreseeable future. 

We have great supplies out of Florida on seedless watermelons.  We are starting Northern Florida at the end of the week.  Georgia will start in 2 to 3 weeks.  Out West, Northen Mexico is starting to wind down.  Arizona and Southern California will start in the next couple of weeks. May and June will be a great time to continue to promote watermelons.