Supplies of grapefruit out of California continue to drop. “Supplies have slightly declined over the past two to three years due to the rising inputs, water, labor and logistical costs,” says Hugo Barajas, grower relations - citrus for Veg-Fresh Farms. “The overall supply in the market remains steady with increased imports from Mexico.”
Barajas notes that grapefruit acreage is slightly down this year in California. “Though more acreage is being converted to organic grapefruit vs conventional but to slightly higher demand from consumers,” he says.
Production regions
In the state, the conventional season runs from February through May out of D1 (Fresno to Kern); February through June from D2 (coastal from Monterey to San Diego); and September through May from D3 (Riverside and Imperial). The organic season also runs out of D3 from August through to May. “Grapefruit production is light from October through mid-November and will pick up with promotional volume from December through February,” adds Barajas.
As for demand, it’s steady and Barajas anticipates it to stay that way. “Grapefruit consumer demand remains relatively flat with a slight decrease. Consumption remains strong for red (pink) grapefruit and there’s some demand for white grapefruit but that's generally less popular,” he says.
Meanwhile, pricing is stronger this year. “With higher inflation, we do anticipate price increases around three to five percent,” says Barajas. “The price increase also reflects the difficulties California is facing with the severe drought.”
For more information:
Daniela Toro-Martinez
Veg-Fresh Farms
Tel: +1 (714) 446-8800
[email protected]
https://vegfresh.com/