Peak Strawberry Season is Here
Now is the time those strawberry displays should be front and center in the department with inviting pricing and promotion to draw shoppers in and build on additional sales at checkout. Key Spring Holidays are approaching and weather is improving across the country, so demand is there.
Crop Update
We have excellent fruit being shipped now with great flavor, color, and size, along with promotable volume for the upcoming Mother’s Day holiday. Weather is finally cooperating and giving us sunny days and somewhat cool nights to keep plants healthy. We look forward to a long and profitable spring and summer here in California as we seem to be catching up after so many weather disruptions both here and in receiving markets. We have quickly pivoted to steady volume and harvesting every day with our fields on a three day rotation. Now we look forward to our retail partners also quickly pivoting to draw the consumers in to the produce department as shoppers expect to see strawberries promoted for the next several weeks and months.
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Statewide Snapshot
California volume is ramping up in all regions as the industry benefits from optimum weather. Both Oxnard and Santa Maria regions are now similar to cumulative volume for 2022, but well ahead of 2023 where we had record rain. Total statewide volume reached 6.7 million trays last week. This was well ahead of last year, but behind the record year we had in 2022. It appears overall weekly numbers will continue to increase for the next several weeks. At the same time we are hearing that crossings from Mexico and Baja will continue to decline as California increases.