Market Update For Berries

California strawberry growers dealt with more than two inches of rain over the weekend, so they will be spending the front part of this week stripping and cleaning fields. The good news is that Santa Maria is primed to pop with promotable volumes over the next 10 days, so once fields are reset, it should be “go time” for spring California berries. With Easter just over a month away, retailers should set ads with confidence. With California supplies tempered to start the week, retailers will look for Florida to step in, but overall quality in Florida is on the decline. Currently, Florida marketers are pushing fruit out between $9.00 and $12.00, with the mostly market at $10.00 FOB. Santa Maria marketers are selling between $14.00 and $16.00 but expect the market to settle in at $14.00 once volumes pick up by the end of the week. Central Mexico is still crossing some volumes into McAllen, with FOBs ranging from $10.00 to $12.00, but generally, quality is only fair. Look for late March and April to be prime time for California strawberry production, with quality, setting the tone for a great spring.