As supplies of vegetables from the desert regions in California wind down, prices for those vegetables have increased.“Warm weather early on in the year accelerated the growth and brought on cauliflower and broccoli way ahead of schedule in the desert,” said Mark McBride of Coastline Produce. “The same thing happened in Salinas, where crops were up to three weeks ahead of schedule, and when we're ahead of schedule the market for vegetables is depressed because of the extra volume. So a lot of the early product in Salinas went unharvested because of a low market.” But the sped-up season means that desert volumes of vegetables are running out sooner, which has led to a gap in supplies.
Out of the Imperial Valley, supplies of broccoli have been light, and on March 6, prices for a carton of bunched broccoli 14s were between $9.45 and $11.45, and prices for a 20-pound carton of loose crowns were between $11.50 and $15.55. Spinach prices have also been strong, with a carton of bunched flat 14s going for between $9.75 an $14.50.
“We had a pretty good rainstorm that affected the spinach leaves, which are tender and close to the ground, so the spinach market perked up quite a bit,” said McBride. “We anticipate good demand on lettuce and other vegetables. When you have rapid growth and a lot of volume you're going to have light spots down the road.”
For more information:
Mark McBride
Coastline Produce
+1 831 755 1430