Supplies of green, red and butter lettuce are “as expected,” said Gary Silacci with Ocean Mist. Growing conditions for Ocean Mist this year are similar to past years. “Our Castroville/Salinas growing season is coming to an end. We are currently transitioning to our winter growing regions in Coachella, California and Yuma, Arizona. These regions will be harvested shortly. “We have solid customer relationships that rely on us to deliver top quality product and to communicate regularly about supply conditions,” he said.
According to a market report from FSICI on November 15, defects in California and Arizona are reported from multiple shippers, including insect damage, brown spotting, fringe and tip burn. The report said weights on Romaine average 27-34 pounds. Red, green and butter leaf have decent weights reported.
It also indicated high temperatures and previous rainy conditions have caused defects in certain lettuces. “Each day our team works to keep inventories to a minimum, eliminate tough receivers and keep our customers up to date about any quality issues. We set expectations and manage our customer relationships,” shared Silacci.
Production in southern California is moderate. This region has had lower temperatures in the growing regions compared to Yuma and Huron.
For more information:
Gary Salacci
Ocean Mist Farms
Tel: 831-633-2144