Strawberry production up from last year

Last year, the Florida strawberry season experienced a decrease in production. Although this year’s production is a little behind schedule, it has improved overall. January brings a seasonal price decline to the berries; however, demand is currently high for Florida grown strawberries. “Throughout the holiday season and into January, demand has always exceeded our supply,” explains Gary Wishnatzki, of Wish Farms.

This increase in demand follows a small decrease in acreage. Florida lost 5-10% of its strawberry acreage in 2014. “Most growers had a few unprofitable seasons,” declares Wishnatzki, “But a major cause for the decline is availability of labor. The current labor force is adequate, but there could be labor shortages as production picks up.”

Wish Farms currently ships within the Eastern states, and exports about 5% of its total volume mainly to Canada. “While we do ship to Puerto Rico and export to some other islands, the Eastern United States and Eastern Canada are our primary markets.”

For more information please contact:
Gary Wishnatzki
Wish Farms
Tel: (813) 752-5111
Fax: (813) 752-9472
info@wishfarms.com
http://www.wishfarms.com/