Global Warming Affecting Southern Hemisphere Apple Production

Lots of news! 

Here’s you apple update:  production is way down in the global south.  New Zealand is short 500 containers compared to last year – that’s 500,000 cases alone!. Some argentina suppliers are being prorated down to 10% of initial orders.  Apples in Chile, Argentina, and New Zealand peaked at 110 / 120 count instead of 90 / 100 count.  This is global warming.  Gala harvests in Argentina are mostly going to juice – besides poor production, hot spells ripened the fruit before it was sized up – and pressure is 20% higher, so a lot of fruit is cracking.  We will do our best, with direct imports from all countries, but be ready to sell a lot of bagged fruit this summer, as growers will be packing 120 / 135 even 150 in bags instead of traypacks.  With the washington packs ending a month earlier than normal, except on reds - and the normal high volumes of cameo are being chewed through quickly.  We do have lots of fruit in stock – mostly gala, pink lady and fuji, which is a good thing! 

Hey, it’s Fair Trade Fortnight for the first two weeks of May, and World Fair Trade day on may 12^th.  These are global events.  We’re celebrating – our fair trade sales are up 200% this year!  Global Fair Trade fruit and veg sales are up over 25%, and we expect to see an increase of at least 20 more veg items for next season!  We will have Fair Trade ginger in house in two months, as the new crop peruvian harvest starts.  We’re pumped!  Andrew and Bryce are currently in Mexico helping harvest chard and beets at our ejido leyes de reforma project in sonora.  We’re sending out an ad planner for Fair Trade Fortnight with lots of listings – you don’t need to pre-book, just plan on a big display – enjoy the momentum! We’ve had some great feedback from the first 3 people back from their sojourns to mexico, and we have 5 more people lined up to go as well – including 2 of our staff, and 2 interns from Fair Trade Vancouver! 

We will run a little thin on large sizes of avocado until thursday, but lots of 24 / 26 ct.  We have two full loads of avocado, grapefruit and mango – all Fair Trade, arriving later in the week. First California blueberries on their way – yes, they are pricey!

Mango prices are dropping with Michoacan now in full production – the fruit is excellent – far better than the dismal volumes, high pricing and problems with Peruvian fruit this year. 

Green beans are winding down in Sinaloa, but good supply from Sonora, which should transition nicely to California over the next few weeks. 

Beautiful range of bunch beets from Ejido Leyes de Reforma – lots of stock and great pricing! 

Beautiful wild Toscano kale in from Washington already!  We think this is the nicest one – sub it for redbor and find out what happens! Full range of colours from Gory B on kale as well. 

Spring peas are popping up in Watsonville – just as Mexico starts to slowly wind down. 

We’re going to slow right down on Mexican red peppers as Origino comes on full swing over the next couple of weeks – and they are things of beauty!  Excellent potato supply with many B.C. listings – and top quality.  We should be able to stay out of the normally pricey early California product for many, many weeks on most varieties. 

Finally some relief on spinach supply but cauliflower is still virtually non-existent from growers we work with!  Oh yeah!  BC vine tomatoes now in stock – those Mexican ones will wind down quickly as local production ramps up.