Supplies of lettuces have been fairly steady and plentiful out of the desert-growing regions. However, following a cold front this week and next week in the region–including Coachella Valley, the Imperial Valley, and Northern Mexico–that's likely to change.
Angulo says it is already seeing in its program that lettuce will be a bit lighter next week because of the colder weather.
"It's been forecast to have temperatures in the mid to low 30s range across the board and overnight in these regions," says Jay Angulo of Baloian Farms "Production-wise this is going to slow things down maybe not here this week because what's ready will be ready to pick, but for the next planting. We're already seeing in our program that things will be a bit lighter next week because, with the colder weather, things take a bit longer to grow."
Eyes on quality
On top of that, growers will be on watch for quality defects on items such as iceberg and romaine particularly. "If you get too much cold weather, four to six hours is the range we look at, you could start to see some blister and epidermal peel over time after that weather takes effect," says Angulo.
Colder temperatures across the country could be affecting lettuce demand.
Meanwhile demand for lettuce has been on the softer side. While January demand is often lower post-holiday, the colder weather in the Eastern part of the country is also likely to be a factor in that slow demand.
So what does this mean looking ahead for lettuces? "We're hoping the market will pick up a bit, especially given the less supply that we'll start to see," says Angulo. "I don't know if it will take off. Sometimes it does after these types of cold fronts but really, the demand will dictate this."
For more information:
Jay Angulo
Baloian Farms
Tel.: +1 (559) 485-9200
[email protected]
www.baloianfarms.com