Heat wave to hit parts of the West
Heat wave to hit parts of the West
The National Weather Service is predicting a "mega heat wave" to hit northern California, the central coast, southern California and the southwest deserts starting Thursday, June 22 and last well into next week.
The uniqueness of this heat wave is the combination of its intensity and longevity. Many temperature records will be threatened and broken. Forecasted temperatures into mid next week include Salinas at 90 degrees locally to 105 in south county; Bakersfield at 103-106; Blythe at 110-113 and Coachella upwards of 118.
Normally such a heat wave would be trouble enough for the produce industry. Adding insult to injury, Salinas and Santa Maria shippers are also anticipating a production down cycle caused by the excessively wet March and early April. Regardless of the heat wave, lettuce and leaf shippers are expecting a 20-30 percent drop in production.
As well, this is occurring just prior to the significant July 4 holiday pull. The collision of these independent events has the potential to greatly disrupt supply and quality for shippers, wholesale distributors and end users.
Prices as of Wednesday, June 21 were already rising with an extremely strong undertone. Prices are expected to rise quickly and dramatically. The crops most affected will be Iceberg lettuce, leaf lettuce and strawberries. Melons, grapes and stone fruit will also suffer. This will most assuredly be a market climate where a high tide rises all markets. Row-crop buyers and receivers need to anticipate tip burn, lighter weights, smaller head sizes and diminished shelf life.
More information will follow as details develop.
(Bill Armstrong is a self-employed produce broker who operates Armstrong Marketing in Salinas, CA. His Fresh Directions column appears in the Marketrack section of this website every Wednesday afternoon/Thursday morning. He may be reached at [email protected].
The uniqueness of this heat wave is the combination of its intensity and longevity. Many temperature records will be threatened and broken. Forecasted temperatures into mid next week include Salinas at 90 degrees locally to 105 in south county; Bakersfield at 103-106; Blythe at 110-113 and Coachella upwards of 118.
Normally such a heat wave would be trouble enough for the produce industry. Adding insult to injury, Salinas and Santa Maria shippers are also anticipating a production down cycle caused by the excessively wet March and early April. Regardless of the heat wave, lettuce and leaf shippers are expecting a 20-30 percent drop in production.
As well, this is occurring just prior to the significant July 4 holiday pull. The collision of these independent events has the potential to greatly disrupt supply and quality for shippers, wholesale distributors and end users.
Prices as of Wednesday, June 21 were already rising with an extremely strong undertone. Prices are expected to rise quickly and dramatically. The crops most affected will be Iceberg lettuce, leaf lettuce and strawberries. Melons, grapes and stone fruit will also suffer. This will most assuredly be a market climate where a high tide rises all markets. Row-crop buyers and receivers need to anticipate tip burn, lighter weights, smaller head sizes and diminished shelf life.
More information will follow as details develop.
(Bill Armstrong is a self-employed produce broker who operates Armstrong Marketing in Salinas, CA. His Fresh Directions column appears in the Marketrack section of this website every Wednesday afternoon/Thursday morning. He may be reached at [email protected].