Supplies of celery out of the Mexicali Valley are winding down as the season transitions back to California’s coastal regions.
“The supplies of celery are steady, but we will be finishing our season in Mexicali next week,” says Jay Angulo, celery commodity manager for Baloian Farms based in Fresno, Ca. “This is typically the window when we finish our seasonal supply of celery and the industry as a whole starts to transition to coastal production on most wet vegetable items.”
Meanwhile competing with the Mexicali region are supplies from Oxnard, Salinas and Santa Maria, all areas which should be increasing their volumes in the coming weeks.
Supplies out of Mexicali were good, says Angulo. “The quality and color have been excellent all season,” he says. “Our grower partner has done a great job of giving us a great pack to market to our customers.”
Challenges on demand
As for demand, Angulo notes they are seeing an increase in requests for sleeved celery. “The biggest challenge right now is pacing supplies with demand. Two weeks ago, demand on many wet vegetable items peaked due to a lot of consumer panic buying and with retailers trying to stay stocked. That was followed by a week of little to no demand. Things are finally close to being steady, or somewhat close to normal,” he says. “Hopefully as we get through the COVId-19 pandemic and shoppers return to stores more regularly, movement will increase and provide shippers with a better idea of demand, particularly as supplies peak into the late spring and summer.”
As for pricing, while last year’s pricing saw historic levels reached with celery hitting the $50+ range, currently pricing is settled in more at an $8-$10 range.
For more information:
Jay Angulo
Baloian Farms
Tel: (+1) 559-264-3427
[email protected]
www.baloianfarms.com
