The carrot market in the United States is currently stronger than it has been in recent months. This is especially so on the Jumbo sizes, which are in very short supply. Suppliers say the weather has been a factor in the lack of larger sized carrots.
"Supplies of larger carrots have been on the light side, with not much sizing coming out of the fields," said Sharon Coffelt, of Amerifresh. "The product is not as big and bulky this year due to the heat and the rain experienced in California over the season. The majority are coming from California and Mexico at this time of year. The market is improving, but prices are still higher."
Coffelt said that demand has been steady and the prices are higher due to the lack of product. "Despite the stronger than usual market at the moment, there are relatively few spikes of demand throughout the year," she said. "It sometimes picks up around St. Patrick's Day, but otherwise we continue to see a steady demand."
Spot prices for medium to large carrots are ranging between $15.00 and $16.00, while jumbo sizes are currently attracting between $20.50 and $24.50.
Organic grower sees good demand for rainbow varieties
While conventional carrot demand has been steady, organic growers say the colored varieties continue to see good demand. They point to the visual aspect of the product that is attracting customers.
"We have two regions of organic production in California," said Brian Peixoto, of Lakeside Organic Gardens. "During the Spring and Summer, we grow carrots in Watsonville, but at this time of year, our production turns to Holtsville, in the Imperial Valley. Growing conditions have been very good in this region and demand has been steady. We produce 24 count bunched orange and rainbow, and continue to see very good demand on the rainbow carrots. They taste the same as any other carrots, however customer like the visual appeal."
For more information:
Sharon Coffelt
Amerifresh
Tel: +1 (559) 266-2000
Brian Peixeto
Lakeside Organic Gardens
Tel: +1 (831) 761-8797