Desert lettuce starts with high quality

With the transition from Salinas and Huron, CA, to desert regions complete, growers report excellent lettuce quality, but prices will likely remain high until after Thanksgiving.

Markon Cooperative BB #:123315 says lettuce weights are low, but “fields look healthy with no virus/disease pressure or die-off, which were major problems closing out the Salinas season.”

[iframe width=”600″ height=”400″ src=”https://www.youtube.com/embed/fXbk2kwpAQ8″ frameborder=”0″ allow=”accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture” allowfullscreen]

Markon director of quality assurance John Galvez reports from the fields in Yuma, AZ, that the season is off to a great start.

USDA reports F.O.B.s from Western Arizona are $30-35 for cartons of 24s, and Markon is telling buyers to expect the marketing to remain elevated until the Thanksgiving holiday demand ends.

Higher volume and lower demand should drop prices by the end of November.

[iframe width=”600″ height=”400″ src=”https://www.youtube.com/embed/LYO0YbDwZWA” frameborder=”0″ allow=”accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture” allowfullscreen]

Markon’s Ready-Set-Serve lettuce processor makes the seasonal production move from Salinas, California to Yuma, Arizona.