Organic veg market is ‘reinvigorated’
Organic veg market is ‘reinvigorated’
NOGALES, AZ — As February rolled around, organic Mexican vegetable markets were “coming off,” according to Steve LeFevre, sales manager for Wholesum Family Farms, based here.
The movement had been “backed up by high prices. This will take a couple of weeks to settle,” he said on Jan. 30.
In mid-January, organic Mexican vegetable supplies were down and demand pushed high prices for all products in this category except for red bell peppers.
LeFevre told The Produce News on Jan. 13, that prices had risen to $40 per 25-pound organic cucumber package. It had been in the $36-40 range since late December.
Frost damage around the first of the year in Sonora reduced organic vegetable supplies. Fields further south in Culiacan escaped damage.
LeFevre said that in the 15 years he has worked for Wholesum, the company has moved from the range of $1-1.5-milllion in sales to about $50-55 million in sales this year through the Nogales office.
“We’ve had 18 to 20 percent growth per year,” he noted.