As we roll into April, supplies out of both Florida and Mexico remain tighter than expected, and the market hasn’t found much relief from where we were last week. Peppers continue to be the biggest pressure point. Florida is still working back from freeze damage, and recent heavy rains, with some areas seeing several inches, have only slowed harvest and reduced yields further. Quality remains inconsistent, and number-one grade product is hard to come by.

Mexico isn’t in a position to fill the gap either. Extreme heat across key growing regions is limiting yields, shortening harvest windows, and creating more quality variability. In some cases, growers are simply running out of usable product faster than planned.

On top of that, earlier harvesting decisions are now catching up to the market. Red Bell peppers were pulled early while still green to support green demand and now true red supply is limited. Quality is showing it too, with more reports of chocolating and uneven color development.

Tomatoes are following a similar trend. Florida volume remains light, and new crop out of central Florida is still a couple weeks away. Mexico continues to carry the load, but production has been inconsistent with variable quality, keeping markets elevated and somewhat volatile.

Looking ahead, labor will be something to watch this week leading into Easter Sunday. Harvest schedules and crossings typically slow, which could tighten supplies even further in the short term.

On top of everything, rising fuel costs tied to escalating tensions in Iran are starting to push truck rates higher, adding another layer of pressure to an already tight supply chain. Bottom line, not much relief yet. Expect tight supply, elevated markets, and a little more volatility as we move through early April.

Joey Piedimonte, sourcing manager at PRO*ACT LLC, leverages over a decade of produce industry experience to lead teams, manage key vendor relationships and simplify complex challenges. He is dedicated to growth, strong partnerships and supporting the agricultural community.