Market Update For Berries

Strawberry retail promotions have been few and far between after the 4^th of July, which has impacted over pricing and movement. Volumes in Santa Maria are going down every day and Watsonville is also past its peak. The lack in movement is why the markets have not reacted. Once retail starts to promote again, we could see the markets change, but for now pricing and availability is unchanged. Marketers have fruit to sell, and the spot market will range from $10.00 to $14.00, with the mostly market at $12.00 FOB. Once Santa Maria completely gets out of the way, growers in the north will have a chance to get the market back to $14.00. Daily pack outs in Watsonville are dropping below 800k and we should see these numbers continue to drop through the balance of the month. Look for Santa Maria to start shipping fall Portola variety by the third week in August.