Supplies of okra have been very good due to ideal weather conditions in Florida. Last year saw Hurricane Irma knock out a significant amount of Florida's okra crop. Thankfully this year, a lack of tropical storm activity so far has meant production has continued on unimpeded. Production is expected to continue in Florida until cool weather starts later in November.
"Okra supplies have been good to moderate this season in Florida," said Emilio Mirzakhani of the Homestead Pole Bean Cooperative. "The weather has been favorable. We have had rain every other day, which is not more or less than we need. Production has been strong and there have been no issues so far. Every year sees a different cycle and it's therefore hard to predict and compare years, especially for perishable crops."
Market weak due to competition from other regions
While growers are pleased that the weather has been favorable and production is up, prices for okra have been somewhat depressed. Prices have dropped in the last week as other okra producing regions around North America also enjoy good production. It means that demand for Florida okra is rather weak.
"It has not been a very strong market," Mirzakhani noted. "There has been a lot of competition from imports including Honduras and Mexico. California is also in production right now which means that demand for Florida okra is low. Prices have dropped from $10.85 to $8.85 just this week and it's unclear if they will rebound or not."
"The market is always hard to predict when it comes to okra," he continued. "It all depends on what's happening with the weather as well as the quality of imports."
For more information:
Emilio Mirzakhani
Homestead Pole Bean Cooperative, Inc.
Tel: +1 (305) 258-4431