Strawberry volumes coming out of California were affected by recent heavy rains throughout the state. With supplies not meeting current demand, pricing has been strong.“In general, volumes from California have been down due to rains,” said Derek Sass of Beachside Produce in Santa Maria. “Demand picked up and the pipelines are empty, so prices jumped up.” While prices had been in the $7.00 to $9.00 range, constricted supplies caused prices to go up to the $8.00 to $10.00 range, noted Sass.
Supplies should pick up in the coming weeks, but it's not a given that prices will necessarily come down as a result. If new crop berries are light, then demand could still keep the market strong. Additionally, more promotions from retailers could further stoke demand and keep prices up.
“A lot of it is retail confidence, quality and shelf life,” said Sass. “Once retailers are comfortable with quality, and quality will improve in the next few weeks, there will be more ads and more demand for strawberries.”
For more information:
Derek Sass
Beachside Produce
+1 800 961 6659