Steady supply and demand on celery

“Pricing is anywhere from $7-$9.50—it’s been very stable,” says Gary Atkison of Greenfield Fresh Produce Co. in Redding, Ca. “The weather has been great. Now it’s starting to cool down a bit so you get less out of the field but it’s consistent. The markets have been very steady but still very low.”

While there was some talk about the markets going up, it’s not proving true notes Atkison. “It’s very light demand right now,” he says. “While I think it’s more of a winter vegetable, a lot of people do love celery in the summer. A lot of processors use it for veggie packs and at this time of year, with school starting, they use a lot of it in their school packs.”

Overall volume meanwhile looks comparable to last year for celery, which is almost grown year-round thanks to the different growing regions. “Right now, it’s the Salinas, Ca. And then it will be Oxnard, Ca. and then some down in Yuma, Ariz. also,” he says.

Looking ahead, as supplies look steady and demand is anticipated to be even as well, it won’t be heavy. “When Thanksgiving comes in November, that’s when the big pulls come,” says Atkison. “That’s when people are lining up contracts and it’s very heavy volume.”