Supply of cauliflower from California has been limited in recent weeks and it’s expected to stay that way in the near future. “It seems to be weather-related in terms of the heat experienced several weeks back coupled with the recent colder mornings,” says Tom Selfridge of Paramount Export Co. “Availability has definitely been limited given the weather factors and should only get tighter as we approach the upcoming holidays.”
Cauliflower is coming largely from the Salinas region at the moment, though the transition to the Yuma, Arizona season is ahead in the next month. The transition is expected to be as per usual and cauliflower growing will continue between the southern regions typically through March or April.
2023 compared to 2022
Overall, it’s a different scene from last year following the challenges the Salinas growing region had with INSV infections in 2022, though that mostly affected lettuce supply. That said, shippers tried to move to Yuma as soon as possible to get away from the issues in Salinas, making Yuma’s initial vegetable supplies tighter than normal.
As for demand for cauliflower, it is steady and strong and that’s likely to build with U.S. Thanksgiving merely weeks away. “So with the limited availability, the prices have gone up and they seem to be holding there for the foreseeable future. At least for the next two to three weeks--we don’t see those prices going down,” says Selfridge.
Photo: Dreamstime
For more information:
Tom Selfridge
Paramount Export Co.
Tel: +1 (510) 839-0150
https://www.paramountexport.net/