This week's ads focused on graduations and warm weather get-togethers. Roses, cakes, and gift ideas were featured in special graduation sections. Summer fruit saw an increase in popularity this week, with watermelon, cherries, mangos, cantaloupes, and peaches featured in most flyers. Grill-friendly items such as sweet onions, zucchini, yellow squash, colored bell peppers, and corn sparked ideas for graduation celebrations and weekend barbeques. Some stores showcased outdoor living items like coolers, furniture, and pool toys.
Total ad numbers this week were 282,216, a 5% increase from last week's 269,106. The total for the same week last year was 7% higher than for this year. The total number of ads broken out by commodity groups: fruit 137,627 (49% of all ads), onions and potatoes 20,655 (7%), vegetables 120,136 (43%), herbs 1,046, ornamentals 1,483, and hemp 1,269. The number of ads for organic produce was 39,350, 14% 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 red cherries at 32%, apple juice at 26%, seedless watermelons at 22%, Bartlett pears at 20%, pineapples at 15%, and raspberries at 10%. There were no significant decreases. Significant increases in price for onions and potatoes this week included only sweet yellow onions at 13%. There were no significant decreases.
Significant increases in price for vegetables this week included corn at 33%, zucchini at 23%, on-the-vine tomatoes at 20%, yellow squash at 19%, and packaged salad (5-9 oz) at 19%. Significant decreases included long seedless cucumbers at 13%.
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Source: mymarketnews.ams.usda.gov