Reduced shipments have relieved some downward pressure on fresh vegetable prices from earlier in 2012, although prices for most vegetables still remain below levels from the previous year, according to the latest USDA Vegetables and Melons Outlook. Despite a much drier Summer season volumes of fresh vegetable remain higher than they did for the corresponding period in 2011.
There were reports of reduced summer plantings in response to low prices, and the July shipment volume of many fresh vegetables eased from highs of the previous month and earlier 2012. Total US planted onion acreage declined almost 4 percent between 2011 and 2012.
Average April to June 2012 prices for broccoli, carrots, cauliflower, celery and field tomatoes are all at least 25 percent below the previous year. Still the second quarter price index for all vegetables was more than 30 percent higher than first quarter 2012 with only asparagus, celery, sweet corn, and snap bean grower prices below averages from earlier in this year.
Overall volume of fresh vegetables was down 17 percent between June and July 2012. Based on prices reported to date for third quarter 2012, projections are for a slow increase in the overall vegetable grower price index driven by relatively sharp price increases for some commodities and more modest decreases in others.
Shipment volume remains high in herbs, Chinese cabbage, chile peppers, and Roma tomatoes (field-grown) where July 2012 totals were up over both the previous month and July 2011. As temperatures began to cool in September, conditions improved for fall vegetables.
The CPI for potatoes, tomatoes, and other vegetables continued to decline in August over July reports. Despite a month-over-month increase in CPI for lettuce, August 2012 saw the retail price index for tomatoes almost 5 percent below the previous year and the index for lettuce down 2.5 percent.
During the first eight months of 2012, consumer prices for fresh vegetables were down for almost all commodities when compared to the same period in 2011 (based on average retail advertised prices).
Price offerings for round field-grown, Roma (plum type), on-the-vine, and grape tomatoes remain 10 to 15 percent below the previous year. Advertised retail prices for lettuce were 7 to 9 percent lower while pepper, cucumber, and celery prices were down approximately 5 percent.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, during the first seven months of 2012, the volume of all fresh-market vegetable imports rose 5 percent over the same period a year earlier.
On the export side, 2012 U.S. fresh vegetable export volume through July increased 3 percent, continuing a modest growth trend from the previous year.
Fresh produce exports were mostly steady when compared with the previous year.
An exception was fresh broccoli where levels rebounded from 2011 lows.
Source: southeastfarmpress.com







Announcements
Job Offers
"Tweeting Growers"
Top 5 -yesterday
- Taking the wisdom from indoor farming and bringing it into greenhouses
- Top tips for growing lettuce in a greenhouse
- Greenhouse grower purchases 75-acre greenhouse in Jalisco, Mexico
- "One thing's sure: there will be less lit cultivation next season"
- New type of strawberry harvester introduced to the market
Top 5 -last month
Receive the daily newsletter in your email for free | Click here
Other news in this sector:
- 2022-08-10 Snacking vegetable market continuing to grow despite global challenges
- 2022-08-10 NZ: Microgreens business bounces back after Covid
- 2022-08-10 Southeastern European countries importing more and more fresh fruits and vegetables
- 2022-08-09 Carbon footprint of importing food could be 7.5x higher than thought
- 2022-08-09 Canada again puts import requirements on US romaine lettuce
- 2022-08-09 Unusual heat doubled tomato prices in Tajikistan
- 2022-08-09 South Korea: Oversupply of smart farming vegetables calls for more supply platforms
- 2022-08-08 US: Updates and annual facility certification for the offshore greenhouse certification program
- 2022-08-08 Hungary: What are the challenges and opportunities today for horti growers?
- 2022-07-22 GLOBAL MARKET OVERVIEW CUCUMBER
- 2022-07-22 South African strawberry exports ramp up
- 2022-07-22 Shortage of certain tomato varieties expected this fall
- 2022-07-22 Average retail price of tomatoes in India down 39% over last month
- 2022-07-22 The Italian tomato production: an overview
- 2022-07-21 "The available supply of organic cucumbers does not cover the European demand"
- 2022-07-21 ‘Tomato industry in Ghana has collapsed’
- 2022-07-21 Multiple growing regions and freight factor into US cucumber pricing
- 2022-07-20 Israel’s fresh produce sector starting to see benefits of historic FTA with UAE
- 2022-07-20 The NHAES 2022 INSPIRED Horticultural Research Report
- 2022-07-20 Used pallet demand is booming in the UK