Eggplant production is underway in California's Central Valley. "The season is starting off well and we're into first pick," says Jay Angulo of Baloian Farms, noting it's seeing product from Bakersfield and Fresno while production from Coachella has already been going for some time. "It's looking nice on the first pick. It's a lot of #1s, and it's mostly 18-count, which we have good availability on. Then not as much 24-count. Those remain tight. There is also not much in #2 volume."
This comes amidst a growing season with fairly ideal conditions. "We have moderate weather here in Fresno this spring. There have been a couple of peaks where we hit the high 90°F-low 100°F for a few days in early May, and we never see that. After that, it's been pretty nice, though we're hitting our first 100°F temperatures in June this week," says Angulo, adding that temperatures are expected to come back down somewhat next week.
Steadiness in eggplant production
As a commodity, eggplant is one of the more relatively steady items that doesn't see much change in terms of acreage and volume. The season has also started on time in the middle of June and production will stay in the region until the end of October or first of November–however colder temperatures sometimes dictate the end of the season to be on the earlier side.
Meanwhile demand is also good and steady for eggplant–particularly for #1 product and it's expected to strengthen as production picks up in the Central Valley. The item also tends to see a steady consumption rate.
How about pricing? "It's similar to last year. Right now it's $18.95 on an 18-count eggplant, and we haven't really had any 24-count to quote," says Angulo. "That's an okay price, but we'd like it to be a touch higher."
For Baloian Farms, eggplant is also part of its overall Central Valley vegetable program, which also includes peppers, squash, flat red onions, and more.
For more information:
Jay Angulo
Baloian Farms
Tel.: +1 (559) 485-9200
[email protected]
www.baloianfarms.com