WATSONVILLE, CA - Records are breaking, according to California Giant Berry Farms. The company is counting the trays as they are coming in, and the numbers are strong.
“This is the earliest we have ever begun harvesting at this level in Watsonville and Salinas,” said Anthony Gallino, Vice President of Sales. “According to the strawberry industry pink sheet, total California strawberry production for 2015 has already set an early volume record, with totals for the week ending March 21 at over 6.5 million trays, which last year at the same time was at 4.5 million.”
According to Vice President of Marketing Cindy Jewell, the company’s main obstacle has continued to be adverse weather in the receiving markets, though it has been mild in California. Despite this, the company is continuing to enjoy an early crop and the volume that accompanies it.
“Typically the northern growing districts are just getting underway at the end of March, but this year the company is seeing the weekly volume double of what it was just a year ago at this same time,” Cindy tells me, saying that the company growing districts in production and supplying trade partners with promotable volume for the coming holiday.
The state is counting weekly trays of strawberries in the millions instead of the thousands they were at last year in the same regions, she said.
Cindy also commented that the company is currently running its Spring Break Sweepstakes, which will continue through April 19.
“After just the first week we had over 12,000 entries into the sweepstakes for a chance to win a variety of prizes, and over 5,000 consumers downloaded our free electronic recipe booklet,” Cindy tells me. “Each of those entries and downloads results in a new contact for our database as well.”
According to the company, these consumer promotions are providing California Giant with success in the midst of good berry availability.
