Markon is warning buyers that green leaf, iceberg, and romaine supplies will remain extremely limited through the end of the Salinas season in early to mid-November. Abnormally high temperatures have cut yields and pushed prices up sharply. Markon First Crop product is available but the company is substituting Markon Best Available as needed due to low weights.
Salinas is the heart of fall lettuce supply for North America, and a heat-compressed season there sends ripple effects across every retail and foodservice buyer on the continent. This comes after the Cyclospora outbreak earlier this season already pushed shoppers toward greenhouse alternatives — a shift that, per recent reporting, appears sticky.
Watch for continued upward price pressure on all head lettuces through at least mid-November. Buyers sourcing from secondary growing areas like Huron, New Mexico, and South Carolina may have more flexibility, but volume out of those regions won't fully offset Salinas tightness.