Supply of the squash calabaza is low right now. “I’d say that supplies of calabaza are less than half. It’s about the weather conditions,” says Alan Goldberg of A&B Tropical Produce, acquired by GrubMarket last month. “The conditions have gotten very dry in Costa Rica so the production is way down.”
This situation has been going on for two months now and Goldberg says it could be a while yet before the supply situation gets better.
Cooler temperatures heat up demand
At the same time, demand is strong for the squash. “At this time of year, the tropical roots usually move a lot better because the temperatures are cooler, especially in the north. Calabaza is a very important component for people to use in stews and soups,” he says. “It’s consumed year round but there is more consumer movement right now.”
That is making for very strong pricing currently. “The other roots that come from Costa Rica are higher than normal but calabaza is unusually high,” says Goldberg. “The prices were slowly climbing and then took a quantum leap over the last two to three weeks. I don’t know if there’s room to take it much higher but prices are expected to stay high for a while.”
For more information:
Alan Goldberg
A&B Tropical Produce
+1 (305) 805-1530
[email protected]
www.abtropical.com