The Trade Buzz

CROP UPDATES

STRAWBERRIES

strawberry

Santa Maria

Quality: Conventional and organic fall crop quality is good, with nice shape, color and firmness. Some occurrences of overripe fruit due to heat event. Organic spring crop quality is fair, with occurrences of misshapen, small and soft fruit.

Volume: Production remains stable for the next few weeks.

Pack Counts: Conventional fall crop 18-24. Organic fall crop, 22-24. Organic spring crop, 30-34.

Watsonville/Salinas

Quality: Conventional and organic quality is good with nice sheen, small-to-medium size, strong red color, and good flavor.

Volume: Production continues to decline steadily and quickly. Overall production is forecasted to cease near the beginning of November. 

Pack Counts: Conventional 24-26; Organic 30-34 depending on ranch. 

BLUEBERRIES

blueberry

All Growing Locations

California Giant has entered a significant gap in our blueberry supply between domestic and imported crops. The Pacific Northwest has wrapped up fresh production and we are currently being supported by limited supplies from Peru, Chile, and Mexico.

This is an industry-wide shortage. Our current forecasts are showing our supplies bottoming out in mid-to-late October before we see volume start to increase and finally re-align around the middle of November. Be prepared for very limited supplies for the month of October with continually increasing and active markets.

RASPBERRIES

raspberry

Mexico

Quality: Quality is good with some occurrences of light-colored or crumbled fruit.

Volume: Volume for raspberries is staying steady as we enter October.

Watsonville

Quality: Quality is good. 

Volume: Watsonville Raspberries’ production is picking back up.

BLACKBERRIES

blackberry

Mexico

Quality: Quality is fair. High humidity is causing some soft fruit and pest pressure. 

Volume: Volume for blackberries is picking back as we enter October and have good, steady volume for the rest of the year.

Watsonville

Quality: Quality is fair. Minor occurrences of attached calyx. 

Volume: Overall production volume has taken a steep cut as we enter a low of the season.

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A berry nice note from a California Giant Berry Farms shopper:

“I’ve never written to a producer of any food, but I am compelled to let you know that your strawberries are consistently the best we’ve ever had. We’ve eaten so many that I’m surprised we haven’t grown stems. Thank you for making us believe again that fruit can be grown, packaged, and shipped and remain delicious.”

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