Summer squash production has made its way into a much larger area now that summer is underway in the United States. Florida's season is dwindling and is indeed almost exhausted, but that has been more than made up for by the other states in production now.
"Georgia started their summer squash season about two weeks ago," said Joseph Haynes of Trinity Veg. "And now we are also seeing a start in North and South Carolina, New Jersey as well as in southern Arkansas. Supplies out of Florida are now minimal, but with a much broader growing area, supplies are plentiful, especially in the last two weeks."
Rain creating some problems in Georgia
Rain has caused a few headaches for growers however, especially in the south. Not only has production been impacted in Georgia, but growers have also faced some quality issues. As Haynes points out, "squash is more affected by the weather than just about any other vegetable".
"Supplies out of Georgia were going well up until a week ago when significant rainfall impacted the crop," he observed. "Now there is a little less supply, but what is more concerning is that quality is not holding up. Due to last week's rainfall, we are seeing heavier bruising. Overall supply has not been affected however, as the Carolinas and New Jersey have all seen production increases this past week."
Market remains flat
With the heavier overall supply to the market, prices are deflated, which has been the case for several months now. With more production coming online and Georgia drying out this week, the market is expected to remain flat for the foreseeable future. For now, growers will endure lower prices.
"With the abundance of summer squash around, the market is not that good and prices are low," Haynes notes. "A box of squash is currently priced around $8.00 and we have also seen some shippers running sales for between $6.00 - $8.00. We expect to maintain those same levels for at least the next few weeks."
For more information:
Joseph Haynes
Trinity Veg
Tel: +1 (706) 283-0096