Romaine lettuce supplies look to be somewhat more even again. “There seems to be an adequate supply of lettuce. We are not seeing any major quality issues or shortage of product, and it seems like the availability of romaine right now is pretty good,” says Wayde Nichols of Buy Fresh Produce Inc. The company is a produce processing plant producing salad kits for Major retailers all West of the Rockies. It uses primarily Romaine and Greenleaf in its finished wholesale and retail finished salad products.
Nichols notes that lettuce production has transitioned to growing regions, and as summer approaches, it is seeing both good quality and a good supply of the Romaine and Greenleaf products.
The rain effect
He notes, of course, that with all the rain the regions received over the winter and spring, particularly, lettuce crops had been affected. “It was a combination of the fields getting flooded out and crops being destroyed. A head of romaine typically grows in four to six weeks, so at the end of the day, it had interruptions, and it was hard to find good quality to work with,” he says.
As for demand, it’s consistent, and looking ahead, it will likely stay that way. In terms of pricing, during abundant times, romaine will run between $10-$12/case, and if it’s tighter, $12-$18/case--right now, pricing is in the middle of this range.
For more information:
Wayde Nichols
Buy Fresh Produce Inc.
Tel.: +1 ((323) 796-0127
[email protected]
https://buyfreshproduceinc.com/product/