Green bean growers in Baja California are warning of tight supplies in the early part of November after Hurricane Rosa caused some damage to crops at the start of the month. This comes as another hurricane - Sergio - bears down on the peninsula but this latest hurricane is expected to be weaker than Rosa. Current supplies are okay, but the market can expect a shortfall soon.
"We grow green beans up and down the entirety of the Baja coast," said Armando Gonzalez of Pea King Produce. "The consequences of Hurricane Rosa meant that there was some damage sustained to the green bean crops. Where there was an excess of moisture in the fields, we have seen some mildew and as a result expect to lose somewhere between 40 to 50 percent of our volume. This will affect supplies in the first three weeks of November but by December, we will be back to full strength."
"This was an extreme event"
Growers typically plan for minor disruptions to production and this was the case for Pea King Produce. Gonzalez explained that the company always plants more than it needs, especially when there is an expectation for inclement weather or additional demand. Hurricane Rosa, however, went beyond growers' predictions and as a result, there is a shortage of supply imminent.
"We do plant extra for events such as the Thanksgiving pull, as well as predicted cool and rainy weather which is typical at the start of winter," he said. "But this was an extreme event that we could have adequately predicted and prepared for. The market can expect steady but light volume with a drop in supply in November."
"Currently a 1 1/9 bushel carton is selling for $23.00 - $26.00," Gonzalez continued. "We harvest green beans by hand and this is the hand-harvested price. There are machine harvested beans growing in places like Florida and California, but we find that the extra care from hand-harvesting improves the bean quality."
Organic demand increasing
The category that Pea King Produce is seeing growth in is organic. The company said that each year, they are seeing a growth in the demand for organic green beans and consumers are willing to pay for them. As a result, more acreage is being devoted to organic.
"This is our third year of offering organic," Gonzalez shared. "Demand is increasing for organic beans and we are seeing it becoming a mainstream item. More consumers are willing to pay extra for it so we continue to grow the category."
For more information:
Armando Gonzalez
Pea King Produce
Tel: +1 (805) 349-0919
armando@peakingproduce.com