Maine is winding down its broccoli and cauliflower supply. "We're looking at a pretty even transition in growing regions," says Tara Smith of Smith's Farm.
Cauliflower: "We do have a short supplemental season on cauliflower in New York as well that goes from the end of September until the first week of November," says Smith. "New York gives us some risk mitigation for Maine because Maine can get cold and frosty. Broccoli is hardier with the weather, but cauliflower not as much–it impacts shelf life that's why we move down to New York faster on cauliflower than broccoli."
After that, the company will transition to supply from Georgia, though a small gap in supply could be ahead. "That's our cadence on the East Coast–we go from Maine to Georgia, Florida, Georgia and then back again and New York fits in there as well. North Carolina is also in there around some of the gaps."
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In all, supply is expected to be generally tighter in the next few weeks. "I hope this will level out with the West getting some stability back in their supply on cauliflower. There's not a ton of Eastern production in cauliflower in the Southeast," says Smith, adding that in the winter, it uses a West Coast program to back up its East Coast supply.
Broccoli: Georgia has already started harvesting and while contract customers haven't been feeling it, supply has been tight on the West Coast for broccoli this fall. "However we've been in supply and have been able to help out with some business outside of our normal commitments. At the end of September and October, we've had good supply," Smith says, adding that she thinks in the coming weeks that broccoli prices will stabilize.
However broccoli supply is beginning to change now that the Southeast is coming in as well as Mexico–in the winter, Smith's Farm also has a broccoli operation in Mexico that backs up its Florida program.
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What about the demand for broccoli and cauliflower? "I think everybody has felt like over the last year, demand has been hard," says Smith. "It's not out in front of us. While generally it's about normal, where I do have business that's more market-driven, I don't think we're ringing any bells. We're running some ads but nothing is breaking any records."
This comes at a time when growers generally across the country are managing continued cost increases in growing and shipping while consumers continue to tighten their grocery spend. "This isn't a "right now thing"--it's been like this for the last 12 months," says Smith.
For more information:
Tara Smith
Smith's Farm
Tel: +1 (207) 764-4540
www.smithsfarm.com
