SALINAS, CA - With a mild market and an abundance of quality product, cauliflower currently has promotional volumes as we approach the autumn season on the West coast.
“As we know, cauliflower is one of the most volatile commodities with quick growth changes and pricing, sometimes literally overnight,” Tami Gutierrez, Vice President of Sales at Ippolito International, tells me, meaning that a flat market can quickly change into a fluctuating one.
As for local crop in California, volume has been plentiful this year which Tami explains has held demand for West Coast product at a low throughout the summer. Overall there were occasional spikes in market price before turning quickly back to below normal pricing.
“We are hopeful the local growing regions will finish earlier than later this year, especially after their unseasonably high temperatures over the past few months,” Tami adds. “Budgeted acres are on target for our upcoming plantings and yields look solid right now.”
And come October, we should see a boost in cauliflower demand as Canada looks to supplement their programs for the Thanksgiving pull. “Our season has passed the midpoint but we are budgeted through the week of November 14th before we make our move to Yuma, AZ, for the winter.”
We will continue to follow this and other dynamic categories in the fresh produce industry throughout 2016 and beyond, so keep checking in with AndNowUKnow.
