Spokane Produce

January 21, 2026

Market News

With Valentine’s Day approaching, berry demand is starting to build across both retail
and foodservice, and supply is tightening in a few key areas. This is shaping up to be a
year where early planning will make a real difference.
Florida strawberries are currently the main challenge. Overnight temperatures have
dipped into the mid-30s in several growing regions, forcing growers to protect fields
with irrigation. Harvests were canceled earlier this week, and production will be slow
to recover. As a result, demand is expected to exceed supply for the next 7 to 10 days,
keeping markets firm through the end of January.
Out West, Oxnard and Santa Maria are both seeing gradual improvements, with yields
increasing day by day. Quality has been good overall, though some lots are showing
light softness or green shoulders. Sizes are running medium to medium-large, which
fits well with Valentine’s promotions. Even so, California alone cannot fully offset
reduced volumes from Florida.
Crossings into South Texas remain lighter than normal but are slowly increasing.
Quality continues to improve as the season progresses, though sizing is still on the
smaller side. Mexico is helping fill gaps left by Florida and California, but availability
remains tight enough that open market fruit will be limited as we move closer
to the holiday.
Baja is nearing the point where more meaningful volumes will begin crossing, which
should help stabilize supply into early February. Florida is also expected to rebound as
temperatures moderate, setting up a stronger production window after the holiday.
Outside of strawberries, blueberries are settling into a more balanced position as
Chilean fruit replaces Peru, with Central Mexico volumes slowly increasing.
Blackberries remain steady out of Mexico and Baja with moderate demand, while
raspberries are somewhat tighter due to cooler temperatures limiting production.
The message heading into Valentine’s Day is straightforward. Demand is coming on
quickly, and supplies are improving, but nothing is loose. Prebooking early and staying
flexible on origin will be key to maintaining coverage during one of the strongest
berry pulls of the year.

July 20, 2023

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