The National Potato Council and 13 state potato organizations sent a letter to the USDA on May 18 asking the agency to reinstate a ban on fresh potato imports from Prince Edward Island, Canada. The push comes after a new detection of Potato Wart disease was found in a previously unregulated field on the island.

Potato Wart is a soil-borne fungal disease with no cure that can survive in soil for decades. The USDA had previously banned PEI imports over the same disease concern before lifting restrictions — and U.S. growers argue this new detection proves the risk hasn't been eliminated. PEI is one of Canada's most significant potato-producing regions and a meaningful supplier to the U.S. market.

Watch for USDA's response closely. A reimposed ban would tighten domestic supply, particularly in the Northeast, and could push prices higher heading into summer. This is a live regulatory situation that could move fast.

Texas peach growers are warning of a significantly reduced crop this season following a double hit of weather problems. A warm, dry fall meant trees didn't accumulate the chill hours needed for proper dormancy and fruit development, and a late freeze then compounded the damage on what little set fruit there was.

Texas peaches are an early-season crop that anchors domestic stone fruit supply before California and the Northwest come online in force. A shortfall there puts added pressure on supplies from other regions and could push prices higher during the early summer window when consumer demand for fresh peaches typically picks up.

California's stone fruit season is ramping up, but Texas typically serves different regional markets. Buyers in the South and Midwest who rely on local Texas supply should start assessing alternatives now.

Stop & Shop has lowered prices on thousands of items across all 137 of its stores in New York and New Jersey, the latest phase of a broad price investment strategy the Ahold Delhaize-owned chain has been rolling out. The move follows executives telling investors weeks ago that the chain planned to accelerate its price investment rollout.

Stop & Shop has been under pressure in its core Northeast markets, facing competition from discounters and shifting shopper behavior. Aggressive price cuts are the chain's strategy to win back traffic, and produce is almost always part of that equation — it's one of the most visible categories for driving price perception.

For produce suppliers selling into Stop & Shop, this kind of retail-level price investment can create downstream pressure on margins. It's worth tracking which categories and items are being featured most aggressively.

The U.S. Department of Commerce issued a preliminary affirmative ruling last week finding that Canadian mushroom producers received unfair government subsidies, marking a significant step in a trade dispute that American growers have been pushing for. The ruling was hailed by domestic producers like Giorgi Mushroom Co. as a key move toward leveling the playing field.

This is a preliminary finding, not a final ruling, but it signals that countervailing duties on Canadian mushrooms could be coming. Canada is a major supplier of fresh mushrooms to the U.S. market, so any tariffs would meaningfully affect supply availability and pricing at retail and foodservice.

Keep an eye on the final determination timeline — if duties are confirmed, buyers sourcing Canadian mushrooms will need to reposition their supply chains or absorb cost increases. Domestic mushroom suppliers stand to benefit significantly if import costs rise.

California's blueberry season is moving toward peak supply, with Mexico having provided a solid bridge earlier in the spring. Consistent fruit quality out of Mexico helped maintain continuity for buyers while U.S. domestic production ramped up. Some southeastern U.S. regions saw weather-related volume reductions, which tightened supply briefly but is resolving as California volume builds.

Blueberries are one of the hottest categories in produce, with demand continuing to grow year over year. The transition from Mexico to California is a critical window for buyers — any quality or volume hiccups during the handoff can create gaps on shelf and pricing spikes.

With California approaching peak, expect promotional opportunities to open up. Buyers should be positioning now for summer blueberry features while supply is strong and pricing is competitive.

Truckload spot and contract rates climbed sharply in April, but according to DAT, the gains were almost entirely attributable to higher fuel costs rather than increased freight demand. That's an important distinction — it means the market isn't tightening from a capacity standpoint, but shippers are still feeling the pain at the invoice level.

For produce shippers, fuel surcharges hit hard because fresh product moves on tight timelines and can't be held back to wait for better rates. Higher transportation costs on top of already elevated input and commodity prices are compressing margins across the supply chain.

If fuel costs stabilize or pull back through the summer, some of this rate pressure should ease. But with produce shipping season heating up, any further fuel spikes will be felt immediately across the industry.

U.S. tomato prices jumped nearly 40% in April compared to a year ago, driven by a perfect storm of weather disruptions, import tariffs, and rising transportation costs. The Consumer Price Index showed overall grocery food prices up 2.9% year-over-year in April, but tomatoes are outpacing the broader trend by a wide margin.

The combination of factors is squeezing both sides of the supply chain. Tariffs on Mexican imports are limiting the flow of product that typically fills supply gaps, while weather events in key growing regions have further reduced availability. Transportation cost increases are adding another layer of pressure on margins.

Buyers should expect elevated tomato prices to persist through at least the early summer months. If domestic production ramps up in the Southeast and California on schedule, some relief may come mid-season — but the tariff overhang isn't going away anytime soon.