Sweet potato growers in California have been met with the right mix of weather conditions to mark the start of the planting season. Moderate temperatures now and into the forecast period have built confidence in the upcoming season. During the spring, and particularly March, heavy rain helped charge the soil with plenty of moisture, which was welcomed by growers.
"Transplanting from the hotbeds to the fields has commenced," said Frank Mesa of Garcia Farms Produce in Livingston. "This marks the beginning of the planting process, and means we are 120 days out from harvest. The weather has cooperated with a few cooler days and moisture being of great help. We're seeing an extended period of relatively mild conditions which is conducive for a good growing season."
Mesa noted that the rain and runoff from snowmelt enabled the region to shrug off the effects of drought-like conditions and set up for summer with adequate water. "Any rain is welcomed, especially at this stage in the season," he said. "The rain we had in March, combined with a fair amount of snowfall at higher elevations helped to recharge aquifers and fill up water storage. Although the snow was not significant this year, and in fact was down on the long term average, it is more than we have received in the past. At any rate, any amount of snow is better than nothing."
Market flat
Currently, there are a lot of sweet potatoes in storage, which is leading to a weak market. All regions in the US are in this position and therefore suppliers are having a hard time moving product. Mesa believes an increase in acreage is to blame for the abundance. "The inventories on hand are more than usual and this is pretty common throughout the country," he observed. "Good growing conditions during the last two seasons have encouraged more growers to increase acreage. Now we have an abundance and the market has weakened compared with years past. Demand is slow but we have witnessed a moderate increase in demand for Red Diane, as opposed to the orange Covington variety. There is less volume for the red however, so when they get low, receivers tend to switch back to the Covington."
Mesa predicts that the market will improve as crops are turned over to other commodities. "Some growers extended themselves too much by apportioning a large amount of acreage over to sweet potatoes," he explained. "Like anything, this carries its risks and now they have put themselves in a difficult position. We expect that different crops will be rotated in, and this would spark a correction in the market once that occurs."
Positioning for solid foundation moving forward
In a difficult market, consolidation is vital in maintaining a sustainable business. This is where Garcia Farms Produce are finding themselves. As with a lot of sweet potato growers, the company is focused on navigating through this difficult period with a view to expanding their business moving forward.
"Our priority is to ensure our business remains on a solid foundation so we can move forward with our plans of introducing new packaging options for consumers," Mesa said. "For example, we are currently working on introducing pouch bags. We feel the market has reached a turning point and along with the favorable conditions that have met us during planting, we are hopeful that we are entering a good year. For now, the pathway to this is by continuing to focus on quality, and making sure we're putting the best pack forward for our customers."
For more information:
Frank Mesa
Garcia Farms Produce
Tel: +1 (209) 394-8356