Click here to read this week’s farm report.
o Air and soil temperatures were reported to be:
o The average minimum air temperature dropped to 22.9°C (73.2°F)
o The average air temperature reached 26.8°C (80.3°F)
o The average soil temperature also decreased to 26.9°C (80.4°F)
o Solar radiation varied from moderate to very low and several days were overcast.
o Very low risk of causing sunburnt and corky fruit.
o The relative humidity decreased slightly to 88%.
o Large fruit (4,5 and 6 count) rose to 52% and 5 count also rose to 24.5% of our harvest.
o The harvest pattern for the week decreased. Fruit from 21 WAF decreased to 23.2% of our total volume and fruit from 20 WAF increased to 76.8%
o Crownless fruit volume declined to 7.5% of the total packed.
o The average sugar content of our fruit was quite like last week, but the variability of Brix readings was very high on some farms. During sampling, a negligible volume of fruit below 13.5 was recorded, but the volume with Brix degrees above 15.5 remained somewhat high: 34.7% of the sample.
o The volume of fruit with psi less than 2.7 rose slightly to 7.5% of the sample. The minimum was 2.3 psi; the average reached 3.3 psi and the maximum was 4.3 psi.
o All fruit quality characteristics were reported according to our standards.
o Expect supply to be limited for the remainder of the year. Most national retailers will be on promotional volume for the holidays.
o Some vessel delays in the NE due to congested ports caused by melon season from Guatemala.
o The weather pattern for the week was typical for the season, characterized by more rain, cloudy days, and cooler nights. Conditions that could be trigger for the first events of naturally differentiated fruit (NDF).