Supplies of celery on the West Coast are good as the seasons transition from north to south. Salinas is still in production for about three more weeks but the southern regions have already started up, providing an overlap. Growers say the weather has been favorable across the celery growing regions.
"We are currently growing in both Salinas and Rosario, Mexico," said Bill Marshall of Grower's Express. "Celery is also being produced by some growers in Oxnard. Salinas is finishing up and it has to be out of the ground by December. Mexico has just fired up and we will have celery out of this region right through until May."
Extra supplies for Thanksgiving
Suppliers say that celery demand increases dramatically in the weeks leading up to Thanksgiving. To meet this demand, growers plant additional product to make sure there is enough supply in time for the holidays. "Celery supplies are very good because extra was put in the ground in anticipation of Thanksgiving and the holiday season in general," Marshall said.
He added that the next few weeks will be very busy for celery suppliers. "Demand for celery triples for Thanksgiving. It is also strong for Christmas but not quite as high, although we still see double the demand compared with other times of the year."
California growers happy with good season and strong market
With the strong demand, the market is good and it's expected to stay that way for the near future. "The market is very strong and we are seeing prices in the range of $16 - $18," Marshall noted. "There are many ads out now offering celery for between $14 - $16."
Grower's Express continues to offer celery in sleeve packages as well as celery hearts which they say is enjoying steady usage. Marshall concluded by saying that growers are happy with how the California celery season has turned out. "With good production and strong demand, the end of the California season has been very good."
For more information:
Bill Marshall
Grower's Express
Tel: +1 (831) 757-9700
bmarshall@thegiant.com
www.growersexpress.com