Stone fruit from all corners of the country was widely promoted, with cherries, peaches, and nectarines among the top 5 most advertised fruits this week. Not far behind were red and white seedless grapes. Locally and regionally grown produce is still plentiful, with items like Minnesota cantaloupe, Michigan celery, Colorado corn, North Carolina green beans, Kansas tomatoes, and Missouri peppers pulling shoppers into stores. School supplies continue to dominate the seasonal sections of most flyers as more districts begin instruction.
Total ad numbers this week were 279,351, a 3% decrease from last week's total of 293,581. The total for the same week last year was 5% higher than for this year. The total number of ads broken out by commodity groups: fruit 170,695 (61% of all ads), onions and potatoes 8,950 (3%), vegetables 94,857 (34%), herbs 1,499, ornamentals 1,246, and hemp 2,104. The number of ads for organic produce was 40,287, 14% of total ads.
The following are the prices of major advertised items (3,000 plus ads) this week, compared to the same week last year. Significant increases in price for fruit this week included strawberries (1 lb.) at 22%, peaches (yellow at 15%, white at 13%), white nectarines at 12%, seedless watermelons (each) at 11%, and apple juice (64 oz.) at 10%. Significant decreases included pluots at 30%, red cherries at 25%, cantaloupes at 21%, blueberries (1 pint) at 21%, and mangos at 12%. There were no significant changes in price for onions and potatoes this week. There were no significant changes in price for vegetables this week.
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Source: mymarketnews.ams.usda.gov