Peaches out of New Jersey are hitting peak volume right now. “Supplies of peaches through the month of August are excellent,” says Jim Gatter of Glassboro, NJ-based Sunny Valley International. “Compared to last year, there’s a bit of a larger crop this season—I’d say 15 per cent more than last year. There are better growing conditions this year that promoted a better yield of peaches this year than last.” In addition to a larger crop, Gatter notes that the fruit is pretty and eats well too. “The color is superb with a minimum 80-85 per cent of red blush on the yellow background,” he says.
Late start
The season did start 10 days to two weeks earlier than it historically has, though Gatter anticipates having peaches until the middle of September. That helps given the shift in competition for peaches this year. “The southern states, South Carolina and Georgia, had a really bad freeze back in March and that affected their crops adversely this season. So they are working with maybe 20 per cent of a full crop so there aren’t as many Eastern-grown peaches from the south this year,” says Gatter. “That means a little less competition for an Eastern grown peach. However we still have California to contend with.”
With the lighter competition, pricing also is stronger this season and is steady. “In the next few weeks, if it continues as it has since it started in late June, I think it’s going to be a terrific season,” says Gatter.
For more information:
Jim Gatter
Sunny Valley International
Tel: 1-856-881-0200
info@sunnyint.com
www.sunnyint.com/