This week retailers offered a mix of fall favorites and summer standbys. Pumpkins were extremely well advertised, as were hard squashes, pears, and apples. Pomegranates, cranberries, and persimmons graced ads with their fall colors. Meanwhile, strawberries were heavily featured and multiple retailers featured organic Keitt mangos from California. Jalapenos and asparagus were also popular. Some retailers featured special sections celebrating Italian Heritage Month, using that space to showcase Italian and bell peppers, eggplant, portobella mushrooms, and tomatoes.
Total ad numbers this week were 299,046, a 2% increase from last week's total of 291,792. The total for the same week last year was 10% lower than for this year. The total number of ads broken out by commodity groups: fruit 141,565 (47% of all ads), onions and potatoes 27,042 (9%), vegetables 126,360 (42%), herbs 1,530, ornamentals 767, and hemp 3,312.
The number of ads for organic produce was 49,404, 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 seedless grapes (red at 30%, white at 15%) and blackberries (5.6-6 oz. package) at 17%. Significant decreases in price for fruit included strawberries (1 lb.) at 20%, Honeycrisp apples (per lb.) at 19%, and Bartlett pears (per lb.) at 12%. Significant changes in price for potatoes and onions this week included only a 29% increase for yellow onions (3 lb. bag). Significant increases in price for vegetables this week included jalapeno peppers at 28%, asparagus at 17%, and pumpkins (each) at 13%. Significant decreases included pie type pumpkins (each) at 35%.
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Source: mymarketnews.ams.usda.gov