Demand has recently strengthened for sweet corn. "Demand had been really bad because it'd been cold across the country and nobody was really thinking about sweet corn," says Bert Barnes, director of sales for SM Jones & Co. "However, just in the last 48 hours we've seen a bit of an increase in demand. It is looking fairly normal right now but moving into March, it should increase."
As for the supply, it's plentiful. "There are a lot of plants in the ground and the weather has been favorable as of late. As long as it doesn't get too cold, we're in good shape," he says. "The whole industry will look really good on supply."
The supply, coming from Florida, looks similar to this time last year. The corn supply from Florida should be available through the end of May and that will overlap with the start of the sweet corn season from Georgia.
Pricing to strengthen too?
As for pricing, compared to last year at this time, it has been significantly lower. SM Jones is hoping pricing will strengthen with increasing demand for sweet corn.
The sweet corn supply is something the company will be discussing at the upcoming Southern Exposure show on March 6-8 in Orlando, Florida in booth #614. "The show is a good way to connect with customers that you talk to daily, but you may only see once a year," says Barnes. "It's always good to put a face with the name and be able to talk a little bit about business coming up."
For more information:
Bert Barnes
SM Jones & Co
Tel: +1 (561) 996-6662
https://www.smjonesco.com/