Supplies of celery out of Salinas and Watsonville have been light, so prices have been relatively good. If California's water shortage continues, then, going forward, growers could dedicate fewer acres to celery.“Supplies are pretty tight,” said Scott Deardorff of Deardorff Family Farms. “Oxnard is out of celery and won't be back for a couple of months. Right now, I think the celery is coming mostly out of Salinas.” Deardorff Family Farms also has acreage in Ventura, but a moratorium on planting went into effect in July to prevent the spread of a soil virus that's been affecting crops. For the organic celery that Deardorff Family Farms has in Salinas, the market has been good.
“When we started in June, prices for organic celery were a little down, though prices went up recently,” said Deardorff. “It's just supply and demand, like with anything on the market.” Demand for conventional celery has also been good, and prices have reflected that. On August 11, prices for a carton of celery from Salinas were between $15.45 and $18.45.
Drought could shrink acreage
The effects of California's water shortage could further constrict supplies of celery in the future. Because celery requires frequent irrigation, growers are considering pulling back on acreage if the drought continues.
“I think you'll see more fallow ground if there's not enough water to grow crops,” said Deardorff. “We're keeping our fingers crossed for rain, but, right now, we're scheduled to plant less celery.”
For more information:
Scott Deardorff
Deardorff Family Farms
+1 805 487 7801