US (CA): Modesto strawberry crop looking good
"They're beautiful," Bill Loretelli, who grows the fruit north of Modesto, said Monday. "They're looking really good."
Compared to the rest of California the strawberry volumes are small and the season is short. However, they represent the start of a season that will include cherries, apricots, peaches and other fruits over the coming months.
The valley crop adds slightly to the statewide volume, which will hit its annual peak of nearly 8 million trays per week around May 1, according to the California Strawberry Commission.
"Weekly availability will be heavy and consistent each week through April," the group told retailers on its website. "Volume will be plentiful for Mother's Day."
Virtually all of the state's crop is picked by hand, with a high labor cost, but consumers can get the fruit at reasonable prices thanks to high-yield varieties and other advances.
The San Joaquin Valley has just 128 of the 40,192 acres of strawberries in California this year. Merced County accounts for most of the valley share, including fruit that goes to processors. Stanislaus and San Joaquin counties have several small farms offering fresh strawberries midspring.
Source: modbee.com
