Six weeks into the harvest season, the iceberg lettuce crop is looking like the one to beat for Pitchford Produce – a South Australian vegetable and lettuce grower. “We’ve definitely got slightly more than what we had in last year, the market price in the last four weeks has been better. Boxes of 12 heads are going for between $10 and $30,” says Graeme Pitchford, the farm’s owner. “It was unseasonably cold through January, but the lettuce still did pretty well.”
The iceberg crop is fetching a better price than Mr Pitchford’s other main product, baby cos lettuce. “Baby cos has been a little oversupplied in the last six months. There’s been competition and the price has dropped,” he adds. The baby cos coming out of Pitchford Produce is shipped nationwide in Australia, but there are a number of other growers who can supply the major retailers as well, meaning the price isn’t always great.
The eco-conscious farmer also plants different one off lettuce crops, or variety, and is willing to experiment with what might grow well in his South Australian location. “If you choose a variety of lettuce for hot weather and then get cold weather, it’s not going to be so good,” he says.
For more information:
Graeme Pitchford
Picthford Produce
Picthford Produce
Phone: +61885360140
E-mail: Graeme@pitchfordproduce.com.au
Website: www.pitchfordproduce.com.au