The outlook for Florida tomatoes looks good as the weather has been kind to the Sunshine State, even if costs and foreign competition have been rough on growers. At a time when consumers are rethinking sourcing, Florida tomatoes have gotten a lift from retailers and consumers who support locally and domestically grown produce.
Mike Servello, chief executive, Bargain Grocery, Utica, NY, says as Florida tomato season begins, he pivots from greenhouse tomatoes to Sunshine State products for their solid quality and availability. He notes that the Florida crop provides him with what he needs, especially in slicing tomatoes.
"In season, it's the bulk of your East Coast tomatoes, and it's good," he says. Based in Lakeland, FL, Publix Super Markets goes out of its way to inform and promote Florida tomatoes. In a recent guide on its website, Publix informed consumers that Florida-grown tomatoes are at their peak through May and that the "vibrant red beauties develop to maturity on the vine before they're harvested and handled with care."
It backs that up with a video presentation emphasizing that the tomatoes Publix receives from its home state growers are vine-ripe so that they "grow bold and juicy."
Read more at Produce Business
