Peru's ginger season started in May and up until now, product has been coming into the U.S. by air. The ginger wasn't mature enough to spend two or three weeks on the water, but that's now changing. "Finally, we're getting enough maturity to ship by boat," says Roger Zardo with JLZ Produce. "Our first boat will hit the water on Saturday and arrive on the West Coast in about two to three weeks," he commented.
New season shipments from Peru started a bit earlier than expected. Growers were eager to start the new season due to the previous season ending early. Now that the fields are getting more mature, the yields are increasing and the season is ramping up.
Acreage
Last year, Peru's ginger production was down as a result of reduced acreage. While acreage is up this year, it is expected to be another short season. "I believe availability will be very limited by January or February," said Zardo. This is mainly caused by high demand as a result of health benefits. "Juice drinks are a big part of it, but we're also still seeing demand for fresh ginger go up." It took off during Covid and demand for both ginger and turmeric has continued to increase since then.
JLZ will offer ginger from Peru as long as it is available. To bridge the gap that is expected between February and May, the company will switch to supply from Mexico and Costa Rica, just like it did this year. Zardo is very positive about the quality of Peruvian ginger as the growing season saw favorable weather conditions.
Freshly harvested ginger on truck.
Pricing gap
The price of organic ginger is about $75 - $80 per 30 lb. case. While this may seem high to people who have seen pricing dip to historic lows, there is a reason for the large gap in pricing. First, in the past there was an overabundance of ginger in the market, providing a lower price. Second, Peruvian ginger growers are competing against a large informal market in the country. "The difference between the informal and formal market in Peru can largely be separated by how they do or don't support illegally employed workers, their regard for food safety and their detailed or lack of traceability," shared Zardo. "This is how we can see a 30# case of ginger at both a $40 and $80 mark in the same market."
Ginger being harvested.
For more information:
Roger Zardo
JLZ Produce
Tel (+1) 831-320-2028
[email protected]
https://jlzproduce.com/