Prepping for the post-Thanksgiving lull
The holidays aren’t necessarily the most wonderful time of the year for produce growers and shippers. Consumers are still digesting their Thanksgiving meals, picking at leftovers and making fewer trips to the supermarket. As a result fresh produce prices are going cold as retailers shift from Thanksgiving to prepping for Christmas.
According to ProduceIQ, dry vegetables (comprising Bell peppers, cucumbers, squash, beans and sweet corn) are taking the biggest hit, down 16 percent compared to last week.
It is not all bad news as broccoli prices are faring surprisingly well at $31. ProduceIQ suspects the limited supply from California to Mexico is contributing to that. It is possible that price instability may go through January.
Strawberry prices are higher than usual as well — though off last week’s prices because of the holiday decline. ProduceIQ expects a slow Mexican supply to keep prices up for a bit longer.
