Market Update For Berries

Spot market pricing has ranged between $24.00 and $28.00 FOB for an 8/1# clam shell for almost 4 straight weeks. This week should make it 5. Production in California continues to fall well below daily demand and Mexico and Florida are still weeks away from impacting the market with any meaningful volumes. It’s been very cold in Santa Maria, but the extended forecast looks great with daily highs finally reaching 70 degrees by this coming weekend. Nighttime lows are now in the 40s, so we could start to see some increased availability. Retail pricing has averaged $4.99 per lb., so that has slowed down movement just a bit, but not enough to change the current market conditions. If we start to see better crossings from Mexico, more offerings from Florida and better pack outs in Santa Maria over the next 10 days, the spot market will certainly adjust lower. Don’t expect promotable volumes of fresh strawberries in December, but Florida and Mexico should be able to support retail ads in January.

Importers saw some well needed movement, with many Thanksgiving promotions highlighting fresh blueberries. What typically follows can be a bit of a hangover, but importers were looking to keep prices aggressive in December and blueberries remain the only commodity in the berry category currently worth promoting. We are starting to see some supplies of Mexican fruit in the market and that, along with Chilean arrivals in December, should keep the pipeline full and spot market pricing where it is. Quality from Peru has been very good, with new varieties showcasing bigger berries. Currently, the market for fresh Peruvian pints ranges from $18.00 to as high as $22.00, with the mostly market at $20.00 FOB. There seems to be an oversupply of organics, and with higher retails, movement has slowed, and spot market pricing has dropped to mirror that of conventional fruit.