After unusually warm weather led to lettuce shortages and high prices last month, it looks like prices could come down this week. As supplies from Salinas get back to normal, the market could settle near prices that are more normal for this time of year.“The market was high because supplies were low,” said Charlie Bozzo of Silva Farms. “We had some extreme heat, and when there's extreme heat the lettuce grows faster.” That altered the rate at which lettuce was harvested, but what had a bigger impact on supplies was that night temperatures were also high. Bozzo explained that if lettuce isn't exposed to cool nights, then growth will continue through the night and the core can grow through the head of lettuce.
“That weather made some of the lettuce unusable,” said Bozzo. “There were quality issues, including some sun scald.” Because of the resulting supply gap, prices shot up to around $20.00 per carton. On September 2, prices for a carton of iceberg lettuce 24s from Salinas were between $19.45 and $22.55. While prices are still near that $20.00 mark, Bozzo believes the market could come down as early as this week.
“I think prices will come down in the next few days,” said Bozzo. “The crop is coming through the supply gap and everything is getting settled. If I had to guess, I'd say that prices could get down to about $12.00 or $16.00 per carton by this week.”
For more information:
Charlie Bozzo
Silva Farms
+1 831 675 2327