Supplies of Brussels sprouts are normal though the lack of foodservice demand is still affecting the market.
Tony Wisdom of Skagit Valley Farms and Valley Pride Sales in Burlington, WA notes that supplies are largely coming from Washington and California. Import supplies will begin in the spring.
“And demand is also normal. But there’s very, very little foodservice business because all of the restaurants are closed down. There are also no conventions, cruises and all of the things in the foodservice sector that normally take a decent amount of sprouts,” says Wisdom. “So all of the sprouts are being funnelled to the fresh market.”
Vegetable still popular
Wisdom believes demand at retail though is normal, if not slightly up. “People are still eating at home and more people are learning to cook the things they like when they go out and Brussels sprouts are one of those products,” he says. “The popularity of the vegetable is still on an incline so that’s good.”
However, not surprisingly, there is price pressure on the commodity. Wisdom says the price is lower by between 25-35 percent compared to last year at this time. “It’s been pretty much like this since the middle of summer,” he says.
He also adds that pricing pressure is being felt for similar reasons across all produce—not just sprouts. “There’s just no foodservice so that’s hurting things,” he says. That said, he says he’s grateful for customers and partners purchasing the company’s products. “There are a lot of options out there and we are super proud of our quality and customer service. It helps us during these rocky market times,” adds Wisdom.
For more information:
Tony Wisdom
Skagit Valley Farms and Valley Pride Sales
Tel: +1 (360) 428 2717
tony@skagitvalleyfarm.com