Pricing on Brussels sprouts could stay strong for the next several weeks. “I don’t see it getting higher. I think it will stay steady or soften up a little as more acreage comes online. However, I don’t think it’s going to get oversupplied here any time soon and cause significant downward pressure on pricing,” says James de Lorimier of Church Brothers Farms.
While de Lorimier says it’s seeing some very good yields on Brussels sprouts, regionally for the industry, it’s below normal for this time of year. “Most of that is due to the unusually wet winter we had this year. It not only impacted planting schedules but also quality and earlier yields,” he says. Currently, the vegetable is coming out of the Castroville-Salinas, California area.
As for demand, it’s good but not as strong as it was a few weeks back. “It’s tapered off a little bit, and there’s more coming on, but it’s still quite good. Prices for this time of year are the highest I’ve ever seen for August and September,” says de Lorimier.
While de Lorimier says it’s seeing some very good yields on Brussels sprouts, regionally for the industry, it’s below normal for this time of year.
Seasonal demand
From a demand standpoint, Brussels sprouts have seasonal peaks around holidays such as the Canadian and U.S. Thanksgivings. “That’s when you’d see an increase of easily 50 percent over your normal numbers,” he adds. Demand isn’t as high for Christmas and New Year’s, though January sees a surge in interest again when consumers often turn to healthier eating. “It subsides in February, and then there are not a lot of big eating holidays in the spring, so typically, demand dips back down,” he says.
That said, Church Brothers Farms is working to develop the use of sprouts in different packs and dimensions beyond traditional bulk packs. “We’re looking more to the value-added category to increase overall consumption,” he says. “There’s also definitely been an increase in the food service sector. We’re seeing interest specifically in the halves category as opposed to the whole.”
For more information:
Loree Dowse
Church Brothers Farms
Tel.: +1 (831) 796-2434
https://www.churchbrothers.com/