MARKET SCOPE Broccoli Firm Calif./Ariz. pricing should continue, with lighter supply from Imperial V

2/17/1995 12:00:00 AM

By Boyd Shearon

MARKET SCOPE Broccoli Firm Calif./Ariz. pricing should continue, with lightersupply from Imperial Valley adding more strength to market ... Increasedsupply likely from Salinas Valley, but availability will remain limited ...Recent rain, quality problems have left supply tight in Santa Maria ... Priceswill continue to range depending on area, but improved quality should helpnarrow gap. sCarrots Steady Calif. quotes likely to continue ... Shippers willcontinue making transition from Kern District to new fields in Imperial Valley... Sizes running heavy to cellos ... Some shippers anticipate firm undertoneon jumbos ... Quality reported good ... Fla. prices expected steady ...Increasing supply, fairly light demand will pressure cello market, leavingweak prices ... Fairly slow Texas movement will leave prices steady.sCauliflower Lighter Calif./Ariz. supply, improved quality will continue toleave strong undertone on quotes in Imperial, Coachella valleys ...Availability should remain light from Santa Maria ... Interest expected fairlygood, adding further support to strong market ... Quotes will continue to varywidely according to area, however. sIceberg Lettuce Increased demand, lighterCalif/Ariz. supply should leave prices stronger ... Shippers say reducedavailability expected into March ... Higher prices expected ... Qualityreported generally good ... Shipments from Arizona for week ending Feb. 11decreased 10 percent from previous week ... No change in light Fla. supplyexpected. sOnions Idaho/E. Oregon supply dwindling ... Most shippers sayhigher Yellow jumbo prices expected to appear ... Wash. deal expected to winddown by March ... Demand expected moderate ... Initial Yellow quotes fromMexico heard from an occasional shipper ... Tampico deal expected to begin byMarch 1. sPotatoes Supply shortage from Idaho expected ... Prices shouldincrease to $14 on 70-80s, with other sizes also heading up ... Wash. cartonprices should remain firm Idaho prices increase, some sheds not running ...Demand noted at moderate to good level ... Colo. demand ranging widely bysource, but most report most active movement on cartons, which shouldexperience firm pricing ... Higher quotes could materialize for good demand oncartons in Klamath Basin. sTomatoes Unsteadiness expected in W. Mex. market... Ample supplies foreseen, with crossings through Nogales, Ariz., peakingseasonally ... Supply will continue to overburden light interest ... Severalshippers say top quotes likely will come under pressure in late-February ...Cherry, Roma tomato supply sufficient for expected fairly light demand.sWatermelons Increased volume likely from W. Mexico, crossings through Texas... Price expected to come under pressure ... Volume of Sangrias runningheaviest to small sizes ... Shippers lowering quotes on 3s, 4s in order tocompete with 5s ... Fairly light demand will continue to leave Offshoremovement sluggish ... Most product arriving from Honduras, Panama, with CostaRica supply running light compared to last year.