Given a heat spike that hit much of the West Coast last week, some row crop vegetables are expected to demonstrate quality and shelf-life issues.
Some lettuce and tender leaf crops had signs of dehydration, increased insect pressure, internal burn, yellowing leaves and weakened texture following the excessive heat, according to Markon Cooperative, a foodservice company in the U.S. and Canada. These crops also demonstrated a shorter shelf-life potential, therefore Markon recommended ordering products for “quick turns.”
Inspectors with Markon are rejecting crops from fields with elevated issues, and harvesting crews are working on remove damaged leaves and minimize the defects, the group said in a press release.
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Last week, western states experienced 10 days of record high temperatures, with the southern end of Salinas Valley reaching 110°. The extreme heat shifted to the East Coast early this week, putting about 100 million people under heat alerts in several states, according to the Washington Post.
High temperatures have impacted a number of crops across the country, which has limited some availability of Markon crops. Dry weather and rare high temperatures have led to smaller sized cabbage heads in New Jersey and a gap between growing seasons and eastern North Carolina and western North Carolina, creating a shortage of cabbage along the East Coast.
Some California-grown broccoli are experiencing minor aesthetic defects like yellowing, but are expected to increase given the recent heatwave, according to Markon’s summary for last week. Yields from other crops like California-grown pears and berries are also delayed or lowered from the heat.
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