Mexico's mango season got off to a late start due to delayed flowering, with harvest in the southern regions of Chiapas and Oaxaca now wrapping up. Volumes in Michoacán and Guerrero are ramping up, but overall supply is expected to come in lower than normal — and that squeeze is projected to drive strong pricing from May through September.

For buyers and category managers, this is a five-month window of margin pressure on a high-demand summer item. Mexico is the dominant mango supplier to the U.S. during this stretch, so there's limited ability to source around it.

Start locking in your planning now. If you're running promotions or volume commitments around mango this summer, revisit those numbers — pricing at current trajectory could make those deals look expensive fast.

Sweet corn prices have dropped sharply after hitting historic highs earlier this spring. A multi-day freeze in Florida back in February wiped out supply and sent prices as high as $60 per crate — a level the market had never seen before. Now, as Florida wraps up and production transitions to Georgia, volumes are recovering and prices are normalizing.

This seasonal handoff is standard, but the context this year is anything but. The February freeze caused a ripple effect across multiple Florida vegetable crops, and buyers who stretched to cover supply during the crunch are now watching costs come down fast. The transition to Georgia also brings different logistics and relationships into play.

Watch for similar patterns with other Florida crops that were hit by the freeze. The supply recovery may not be uniform across all vegetables, and any hiccups in the Georgia ramp-up could keep certain categories choppy.

A late freeze paired with below-average chill hours this winter is expected to significantly cut fruit yields across Texas. According to Texas A&M AgriLife Extension specialist Tim Hartmann, temperate fruit crops including peaches and other stone fruit are among those taking the biggest hit from the double weather whammy.

Chill hours are critical for fruit trees to properly break dormancy and set a normal crop. When those hours come in low and a frost follows during bloom, the combination can devastate yields. Texas is a meaningful domestic producer of peaches and other stone fruit, and reduced output there can affect regional availability and pricing.

This is one to watch as the stone fruit season builds heading into summer. Buyers sourcing domestic product should check in with their Texas growers now to get a clearer picture of what volumes to actually expect.

California's 2026 strawberry season got an early jump thanks to warm weather and the continued adoption of new varieties, with the California Strawberry Commission projecting higher marketable volumes compared to recent years. Research into soil-borne disease resistance is also progressing, which has implications for long-term yield stability in the state.

California is the engine of domestic strawberry supply, so an early, higher-volume season is good news for retailers and buyers planning spring and summer promotions. New varieties are increasingly central to the industry's ability to hit earlier windows and improve shelf life.

For buyers, this is a good moment to lean into strawberry features and lock in promotional volume while the market is flush. Monitor how quickly volume builds — early season supply can still be volatile depending on temperatures.

Mexico's avocado program had a record-breaking year in 2026, with APEAM reporting 127,000 tons shipped during Super Bowl week alone — an all-time high. Strong weekly volumes are continuing, and with that supply surge comes downward pressure on pricing across the U.S. market.

For retailers, this is a good environment to run avocado promotions and drive category volume. For salespeople, the lower price environment means margin conversations with buyers may get trickier. This level of supply is a double-edged sword depending on which side of the deal you're on.

Watch for how long the elevated volume holds. APEAM's projections suggest strong shipments continue near-term, but any weather or logistical disruption in Michoacán — the dominant growing region — can shift the picture quickly.

The House-passed version of the Farm Bill includes expanded provisions for organic agriculture, a win for the organic sector and the result of sustained advocacy from the Organic Trade Association and industry partners. The bill now moves to the Senate, where organic advocates are pushing to keep those provisions intact.

For the produce industry, Farm Bill outcomes directly affect funding for organic transition programs, research, and certification cost-share — all of which influence how quickly growers can shift to organic and how competitive organic pricing stays at retail. The organic produce segment has grown significantly and is now a meaningful category for most retailers.

This one moves slowly, but it matters. Keep an eye on Senate negotiations — what gets added or stripped in that chamber will shape organic investment across the supply chain for the next several years.

Chile's grape export season to the U.S. is essentially wrapped up, with fewer than 100,000 boxes shipped in week 17. That said, East Coast cold storage still holds some Chilean inventory, so store shelves haven't gone dark yet. All eyes are now shifting to Mexico as the next major supplier to fill the void.

Industry sources say Mexico's grape season is going to face significant pressure — a combination of timing, volume expectations, and the need to smoothly absorb demand as Chilean supply fades. Any delays or quality issues in the Mexican program will be felt quickly at retail.

Buyers should be tracking Mexican grape availability closely over the next few weeks. The window between Chilean supply thinning out and Mexican volume hitting its stride is where the market gets tight.