The lettuce market remains one of the most active areas in produce, with Iceberg, Romaine, and Romaine Hearts continuing to face an unusually long stretch of elevated pricing and limited availability. What makes this market stand out is not just the severity of the shortage, but how long it has lasted with little meaningful relief so far.

Harvestable yields across the Salinas Valley remain well below normal as growers deal with a combination of soil-borne disease, INSV pressure and weather-related stress. These issues are reducing field productivity and leaving fewer cartons available to harvest. Iceberg has tightened considerably over the past several weeks, while Romaine and Romaine Hearts remain extremely limited.

Demand continues to exceed available supply, keeping markets historically high and making spot opportunities difficult to secure. At this point, there are no immediate signs of a major supply improvement, and elevated markets are expected to continue through the coming weeks.

Blueberry availability is also declining quickly. Central Mexico is finishing, New Jersey has not fully recovered from recent freeze events, Michigan will not begin meaningful production until early July and late Georgia production is light with some quality concerns. The Pacific Northwest has started in a very light way, but stronger volume is not expected until the last week of June. California is working to cover increased demand from other regions, but supplies are not enough to fully fill the gap. Open market availability will remain limited, with contracts taking priority until more volume comes online.

Melon supplies are also active, especially on larger fruit. Demand is exceeding supply, and lower yields out of Yuma are expected for the balance of that season. Flexibility on sizing may be needed at loading, and contracts will remain the priority. The market is expected to stay elevated until the transition to the Westside/Central California region improves availability. Lead time will be key to securing fruit.

Overall, the main items to watch this week are lettuce, blueberries and melons. Lighter school demand should help in some areas, but it will not be enough to offset the current production challenges. Lead time, flexibility on sizing, and close communication will remain the biggest help in getting orders covered as we move through the back half of June.

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.