Strawberry supplies can’t meet demand due to weather issues

Markon Cooperative BB #:123315 released this strawberry update October 29, 2026:

California growing regions remain heavily impacted by recent rain. Growers are sourcing from California and Central Mexico, but supply is not meeting current demand. Additional rain is forecast for Saturday, October 31, further tightening availability for the next three weeks.

California

• Continued rain-related disruptions are expected to limit availability over the next three weeks, creating a demand-exceeds-supply market
• Growers will be culling water-damaged fruit, reducing yields, creating estimated losses reaching 50-80% of the crop
• Maintaining the cold chain will be critical to preserving shelf life; Markon recommends ordering for quick turns
• Quality concerns include soft skin, decay, white shoulders, and pin rot
• Expect strong demand and elevated pricing to persist

Mexico

• Harvesting has begun on a limited basis
• Expect a week-over-week volume increase to help alleviate California’s weather-related shortages
• Available volume remains insufficient to offset California’s shortages
• Imports will provide some relief but are not expected to significantly improve overall market availability in the near term

Please contact your Markon Account Manager for more information.