Tomato supply from Mexico is increasing as production comes in from Sinaloa. The region began its harvest within the last week to 10 days. "So we're coming into more Mexican product availability," says Roger Riehm of Blue Creek Produce, adding that this is on top of the tail end of the Michoacan crop of tomatoes.
This follows recent strength in the availability of Florida tomatoes and supply from the region will continue to remain strong–historically, this is a time of year when the state has a good supply and a loyal following from January through to May. However, October's Hurricane Milton delayed the start of the crop until mid-December and also sometimes impacted the quality of the tomatoes.
Change in supply
Back in Mexico, new crop product is centered around bigger-size tomatoes such as jumbos and extra-large sizes. "Both are coming out of Texas and Nogales (Arizona). With more availability out of this area, it will lower pricing which makes up the freight differential for what comes out of Texas and Nogales and that impacts the final price," says Riehm.
That said, both Mexico and Florida are contending with cooler temperatures which is affecting both production and color.
Meanwhile, the demand for tomatoes overall has been on the softer side. Winter storms along the Eastern part of the country in the past two weeks have likely slowed demand, as they have done with other commodities as well.
However, demand is expected to pick up again once the temperatures increase and pricing comes down a bit. "With the supply there and as pricing gets better for retail, hopefully, we'll see more opportunities for promotions in the marketplace," says Riehm.
For more information:
Roger Riehm
Blue Creek Produce
Tel: +1 (630) 513-3075
[email protected]