An early end to the organic apple season in Washington has contributed to strong demand relative to the amount of fruit available. That, combined with a slow start to the import season, has made for strong prices.
“The organic apple market has been very strong because there just hasn't been enough fruit,” said Ben Johnson, President of Bridges Organic Produce. Bridges imports apples from Argentina beginning in January, and Johnson noted that this year's import season got off to a slow start. With Washington's season finishing up earlier than usual, that's made for strong prices.
“There's not enough fruit to go around,” said Johnson, “so even at high prices, it's difficult to find enough volume.” Organic pears, which Bridges imports from Argentina from January through June, have been more readily accessible, with good movement facilitated by steady volumes of fruit. Organic mangoes, on the other hand, weren't as plentiful.
“The mango season, which ran from January to April, was good, and quality was very good,” said Johnson. “Volume was down because of dry weather in Peru, which kept the market hungry, which, in turn, kept movement good.” Overall, Johnson said demand for imported organics has been steadily growing throughout North America.
“Demand for organics has been getting stronger,” he said. “A lot of retailers that focus on organics are expanding, building new stores and growing quickly, so that tells me the market for organics will continue to increase.”
For more information:
Ben Johnson
Bridges Organics Produce
+1 503 235 7333