Rains across California have affected production of strawberries for the state. Supplies are tight, and it's expected that the situation will continue into December.Production in Salinas and Watsonville is almost finished, and supplies from Lompoc and Santa Maria are winding down. Dwindling supplies from those areas have been cut further by rain over the last couple of weeks. With production in Oxnard still ramping up, the market has been tight and prices strong.
Warm weather up to two weeks ago followed by lots of rain forced many growers to strip their crops in Salinas and Watsonville, noted one grower in the Oxnard area. With the new crop slow to bring more strawberries, prices have been close to $30.00 per flat, and it's likely those prices will stick around for the next few weeks.