The Florida strawberry season will look to get underway around Thanksgiving. “We planted not too long ago, so we’ll get started around then with harvesting fruit,” says Justin Ennis of Ennis Farms Inc. “As far as the growing season, so far, everything’s going well. It’s not been too hot. We have also have almost no rain, so we’re not getting diseases.”
That may change, though. Ennis notes that 2023, being an El Nino year, may bring on more rain than usual for Florida berries, which can also increase disease pressure.
More acreage?
Overall, while Ennis Farms planted slightly less strawberry acreage this season, about five acres have transitioned over to jalapenos and Serrano peppers for this year, he has heard that the state may see more acreage of strawberries this season. “It’s hard to say what demand will be like with that and how that affects things,” he says, noting that the Florida season will go until the middle of March of 2024.
That said, he anticipates pricing to look similar to last year, though he is watching what the potential extra acreage in Florida may do to pricing. “Pricing on strawberries tends to be high for a while, and then we get to February where it’s peak harvest, and then it starts dropping,” he says. “Then, after a few weeks, it comes back and gets better, and pricing is steady again.”
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Justin Ennis
Ennis Farms Inc.