US: Between-season lull for pomegranates

With the California season just ending and the South American season yet to start, suppliers are seeing a dip in the availability of pomegranates. Although steady and temporary, the quiet time does make pomegranates scarce this time of year.

“Right now, I don’t think we can get any more until South America starts, so that affects stock in that you aren’t really able to stock any,” Thom Turner of Tony Vitrano Produce says.

The South American season is expected to start in a few weeks, but Turner does foresee changes in where pomegranates are coming from. Recent changes in import and export regulations on Iran could mean that pomegranates from the Middle Eastern country will be on the market. Although limited in the U.S., Iranian pomegranates have been a major export to Europe, Russia, and other countries in recent years. 

“I’d anticipate that with the bans dropped on Iran, we’d start seeing some product come from there possibly in the next few years. A lot of our business in pomegranates is Persian driven, so I’d imagine we’d see an influx of product from Iran.”

For more information:

Thom Turner