Just like last year, C&D Fruit and Vegetable Co. of Bradenton, FL, has high-quality Florida strawberries in abundance. Unlike last year, the company also has solid markets for that fruit.

Last year’s crop created bargain basement prices for consumers but did little for grower-shippers.

In 2011-12, Mexico “crashed the party” and some Florida growers “just went stupid” and planted “more acreage than they can market,” said C&D’s Tom O’Brien.

The result was the worst start to a strawberry season in memory and led to a disastrous spring — something Mr. O’Brien predicted in January 2012. California growers had an extended season and Mexico had as severe a glut as Florida, leading to rock-bottom prices and “the cheapest December” in years.

Frank Lombardi of C&D Fruit and Vegetable shows off some of the company’s Dover, FL-grown strawberries. (Photos by Chip Carter)Things could not have been more different in 2012. Lower volume and increasing demand brought top prices for strawberries in the early part of the season. With California on the sidelines after a more-typical wrap to its season and Mexico again in a normal production pattern, the strawberry market remained solid through the first week of the New Year.

It is never easy to make a go at growing strawberries in Florida. As Ted Campbell, executive director of the Florida Strawberry Growers Association, is fond of saying, “We’re growing strawberries in a jungle.”

“The last couple of years (2009-10), we didn’t have big volume, but if you’re getting $20-24 it makes up for a lot of shortages,” Mr. O’Brien said.

Florida growers never expect those early-season prices to hold as production ramps up, but by the end of December 2012 prices were at $8-10 for an eight-pint flat. As of Jan. 7, Florida strawberries were fetching $13-15 per flat, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

“The positive thing is, unless some disaster happens — and when you look at the longer-term forecast weather-wise, it’s not indicating anything like that — it should definitely be a [solid] market right now through the end of the season,” Mr. O’Brien said. “I’ve had a couple of produce buyers tell me strawberries are such a strong item they bring people into the stores, so hey, let’s put ‘em out there on ad and keep on going until Easter. The crop is here. If the weather conditions stay normal, I see no reason why retailers don’t go on ad weekly.”

Mr. O’Brien markets berries under his own label and farms for a major California marketer. C&D grows primarily Festival and Radiance berries. The latter are in their first full year of production after a widespread trial by C&D growers last season.

C&D is also planning for its annual Florida vegetable deal and will likely begin harvesting squash the first week of April followed by several varieties of hot pepper and eggplant in May and flat and round beans and cucumbers.