California's supply of organic garlic is winding down as the season comes to a close. "We're just working through the last of the California storage crop and that's sustaining as long as the quality is there, which it has been," says Jarod Hunting of Earl's Organic Produce. "Supply-wise from California it's pretty comparable to last year and we're extending it a little bit longer on larger sizes."
Argentinian organic garlic is also on the market and has a good crop this season. Mexico will start its production in May.
As for demand, it's strong on both domestic and Argentinian product. "Overall for the last few years we've seen some modest increases in demand here at Earl's," says Hunting, saying consistent pricing and good quality have gone a long way in keeping demand strong on staple items such as garlic as well as onions and potatoes. "They just want to know the quality is there and that it's consistent."
Right: Jarod Hunting
Year-over-year pricing
Meanwhile, pricing is looking stronger than last year's pricing on organic garlic. "Every year since the pandemic we've seen incremental price increases and that costs – labor, water, packaging materials have all gone up. The fixed costs for growers have been increasing," Hunting says. "There haven't been any major leaps in pricing though."
Looking ahead, as the import organic garlic season gets underway, pricing is expected to soften given imported garlic is less expensive than domestically grown garlic.
For more information:
Susan Simitz
Earl's Organic Produce
Tel: +1 (415) 824-7419
susans@earlsorganic.com
https://www.earlsorganic.com/