Driscoll expects ample supply of strawberries and raspberries
Driscoll expects ample supply of strawberries and raspberries
Watsonville, CA-based Driscoll Strawberry Associates Inc. is anticipating a bumper crop of strawberries and raspberries carrying into the fall months.
In strawberries, the abundance is coming from all of the company's growing areas in California. The surge in strawberries includes a big comeback crop in the Watsonville-Salinas and Santa Maria areas, as well as a fall crop in Oxnard, CA, for which volumes will be ramping up soon, said Tim Youmans, Driscoll's national retail sales manager.
The message to retailers and consumers is that they are going to see a good supply of strawberries. Retailers can "maintain the size and location of their berry patch display," Mr. Youmans said.
The prime window for running ads is from now until the end of October, Mr. Youmans said. That time frame should be good for in-store promotions and for pricing berries at a profitable level, he said.
The surge in strawberries is a result of the freeze earlier in the year, which set the crop back to a later cycle. Retailers have been responding very favorably to the news, Mr. Youmans said.
October and November should be strong promotional months for Driscoll's raspberries, with a fall peak in volume out of Oxnard in addition to supplies from central Mexico. The strong volumes also are a result of the earlier freeze.
"The comeback is stronger," Mr. Youmans said. "It's a unique opportunity."
In strawberries, the abundance is coming from all of the company's growing areas in California. The surge in strawberries includes a big comeback crop in the Watsonville-Salinas and Santa Maria areas, as well as a fall crop in Oxnard, CA, for which volumes will be ramping up soon, said Tim Youmans, Driscoll's national retail sales manager.
The message to retailers and consumers is that they are going to see a good supply of strawberries. Retailers can "maintain the size and location of their berry patch display," Mr. Youmans said.
The prime window for running ads is from now until the end of October, Mr. Youmans said. That time frame should be good for in-store promotions and for pricing berries at a profitable level, he said.
The surge in strawberries is a result of the freeze earlier in the year, which set the crop back to a later cycle. Retailers have been responding very favorably to the news, Mr. Youmans said.
October and November should be strong promotional months for Driscoll's raspberries, with a fall peak in volume out of Oxnard in addition to supplies from central Mexico. The strong volumes also are a result of the earlier freeze.
"The comeback is stronger," Mr. Youmans said. "It's a unique opportunity."
