Fresh, late summer produce dominated retail ads this week. Grapes, peaches, nectarines, plums, watermelons, and cantaloupes offered heat-ripened sweetness. Roma tomatoes, zucchini, yellow squash, corn, and bell peppers were promoted for outdoor cooking. As a giant heat dome moves across the country, retailers offered the first welcome hint of autumn. New crop Gala apples and Bartlett pears from California were well featured by a few of the larger retailers.
Total ad numbers this week were 289,097, a 3% increase from last week's total of 297,351. The total for the same week last year was 15% higher than for this year. The total number of ads broken out by commodity groups: fruit 165,637 (57% of all ads), onions and potatoes 14,303 (5%), vegetables 102,253 (35%), herbs 543, ornamentals 840, and hemp 5,521. The number of ads for organic produce was 48,558, 17% 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 peaches (yellow at 15% and white at 12%) and yellow nectarines at 14%. Significant decreases included avocados at 22%, blueberries (1 pint) at 20%, mangos at 15%, black seedless grapes at 13%, organic yellow nectarines at 10%, and blackberries at 10%.
There were no significant changes in price for onions and potatoes this week. Significant increases in price for vegetables this week included only Roma tomatoes at 44%. Significant decreases included green bell peppers at 19% and corn at 13%.
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Source: mymarketnews.ams.usda.gov