California's most recent sweet potato harvest yielded a large crop, and with more product available to customers on the West Coast, prices are lower. With more attractive prices, movement has been brisk.“Honestly, I don't know why yields were up this season,” said Larelle Miller of Quail H Farms. “I don't think anyone can come up with a definitive answer.” She estimated that this year's crop, which was harvested between August and November, is about 25 percent bigger than the previous season's haul. With more product available, the market is off a bit.
“Prices are off from last year about 10 to 15 cents per pound,” said Miller. That puts current prices around $21.00 to $23.00 per 40-pound carton of orange-flesh sweet potatoes, and last year's prices were closer to $28.00, she explained.
“The market will probably remain steady in the low to mid-20s,” she said. “We're seeing decent movement. I don't know if it's a reflection of retailers lowering their retail on sweet potatoes due to lower f.o.b.'s or if general consumption is up.”
Good outlook for next season
Planting nursery stock for the upcoming season will begin in a few weeks, and Miller thinks the weather is setting the scene for another good crop in August.
“We have had a lot of rain this winter, which is good,” she noted. “The long-term forecast doesn't show any major swings one way or the other, so we're expecting a good planting season.”
For more information:
Larelle Miller
Quail H Farms
+1 209 394 8001