Light supplies of cauliflower from California has made for strong prices. With recent cooler weather, production has dipped, and current prices could remain until production picks up again.“Volumes have been on the below-average side,” said Denny Donovan of Fresh Kist Produce. “Planting have been down due to a bunch of factors, with water and labor being the two biggest ones.” With growers not sure they can get a steady supply of workers to pick vegetables, some have held off on planting aggressively. Worries about a prolonged drought in California have also kept plantings in check, and Donovan believes those factors have led to an overall decrease in volume. Cool weather has rolled in, and it's slowed down production. Those long-term and short-term factors have combined to raise prices.
“Cauliflower is a crop that can really be affected by Mother Nature,” said Donovan. “So when it's warm, there's a glut, and then there's a gap in supply when it cools off. Prices were going to be high anyway, but the weather magnified that.” On April 26, prices for a carton of white 9s were between $23.50 and $25.55 out of Salinas, and, out of Santa Maria, prices for that same carton were between $20.00 and $25.00. Further contributing to a strong market has been good consumer demand.
“This family of vegetables has become popular to eat,” said Donovan. “I've seen it a lot in newspapers and magazines, so there's a lot of pent-up demand.”
For more information:
Denny Donovan
Fresh Kist Produce