ProduceIQ: Cauliflower takes off as the heat hangs on

The local HomeGoods may be drenched in pumpkin décor and college football may be back in full swing, but heat and humidity are still what’s on the minds of suppliers and buyers this week.

El Niño is strengthening and could bring significant weather impacts later this fall, but for now, the West Coast is dealing with plenty of heat of its own. A persistent marine heatwave is keeping coastal waters unusually warm, while hot and dry conditions are exacerbating drought concerns across California and Mexico.

Weather patterns are expected to remain hot and humid well into September before things really start to cool down. For growers already dealing with weather-weary crops, relief can’t come soon enough.

ProduceIQ Index:  $1.20/pound, up +6 percent over prior week

Week #36, ending September 4th

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Meanwhile, cauliflower prices are taking off: average prices are up a shocking 102 percent over the previous week. Hot and humid weather in California is contributing to a lethal outbreak of Diamondback Moth, reducing cauliflower yields and sending prices sharply higher. Average prices are now at a 10-year high by a significant margin and show little sign of slowing down. Expect a volatile few weeks ahead.

Cauliflower prices take off

Perhaps cauliflower and asparagus should form a club. Like cauliflower, asparagus prices are at a 10-year high. Fueled by extremely limited supply, prices are not expected to ease until the earliest late September and, in a worst-case scenario, October. While asparagus quality out of Peru is reportedly strong, product out of Baja, Mexico, is more readily available—2026 is shaping up to be a record year for asparagus.

Grass is reaching new heights

Another heat-weary crop is scrambling for our attention this week. Green onion prices are well above average for Week #36, but remain within historical parameters. Heavy rain and triple-digit temperatures in Mexico are reducing yields and decreasing the quality and shelf life of harvested product. Supply will likely remain volatile for the next three weeks.

Green onions feel the heat

An unexpected commodity is this week’s bargain bin. Cucumber prices are down 25 percent over the previous week and are very near a ten-year low for Week #36. Surprisingly stable supply from growers on both the West and East Coasts is keeping prices in check. Prices typically rise in mid-September as Mexican production wavers, but this year is shaping up to be an exception. Apparently, cucumbers didn’t get the memo that September markets are supposed to get more expensive.

The bargain bin has a new resident

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ProduceIQ Index – The ProduceIQ Index is the fresh produce industry’s only shipping point price index. It represents the industry-wide price per pound at the location of packing for domestic produce and at the port of U.S. entry for imported produce. 

ProduceIQ uses 40 top commodities to represent the industry. The Index weights each commodity dynamically, by season, as a function of the weekly 5-year rolling average Sales. Sales are calculated using USDA Agricultural Marketing Service data on movement and prices. The Index serves as a fair benchmark for industry price performance.