Avocados and Strawberries: High costs and scarcity of supplies and labor acted to keep ad numbers light this week. Most retailers focused on football-watching supplies and Valentine's Day. Avocados, though significantly higher in price than last year, were very well advertised in time for the upcoming Super Bowl.
Roma tomatoes, cilantro, onions, and limes were popular compliments for making guacamole. Strawberries, back in promotable supply, were featured heavily in front of Valentine's Day. Roses, tulips, and daffodils were on hand to delight sweethearts.
Total ad numbers this week were 278,186, a 1% increase from last week's 275,608. The total for the same week last year was 10% higher than for this year. The total number of ads broken out by commodity groups: fruit 143,498 (52% of all ads), onions and potatoes 23,099 (8%), vegetables 105,934 (38%), herbs 1,326, ornamentals 2,676, and hemp 1,653. The number of ads for organic produce was 44,189, 16% of total ads.
The following are the prices of major advertised items (3,000 plus stores) this week, compared to the same week last year. Significant increases in price for fruit this week included avocados at 59%, white seedless grapes at 52%, mangos at 39%, pineapples at 35%, Navel oranges (per lb.) at 18%, and Gala apples at 13%.
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Source: mymarketnews.ams.usda.gov