Organic Market Update #337

Week 37, 2023

Hard Squash Season

September through November will be peak season for Organic Hard Squash, with steady supplies from Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, and Michigan. Organic Pie Pumpkins will get started this week and Organic Honeynut Squash will also start shortly out of California and Pennsylvania. Organic Seasonal Specialty varieties like Organic Carnival, Kabocha, Red Kuri, and Kojinut Squash will be available through Fall. Organic Delicata Squash has had some crop failures at a number of Pennsylvania growers, with products supplied primarily out of Wisconsin, Michigan, and California.

Specialty Fruit

Organic Magenta Dragon Fruit is coming into season from Southern California joining Organic Tomatillos and Organic Okra with steady supplies this month. Organic Black Mission Figs and Organic Brown Turkey Figs will start the middle of September, with pricing expected to increase slightly over the month due to lower volume. Organic Kiwiberries from the Pacific Northwest are expected to start next week and last about one month.

Tomatoes

Organic Cluster Tomatoes should remain steady as Quebec production is expected to start again at the beginning of October, slightly later than expected. Organic Beefsteak Tomatoes out of Quebec will also begin early October, with outstanding quality: Organic Tomatoes Cherry On-the-Vine and Organic Tomatoes Cocktail. Organic Snacking Tomatoes continue with outstanding availability. Grapes, Cherry, and Cherry Medley Tomatoes will be readily available into October.

Grapes

The Organic Grape crop is still being assessed daily following the rains from Hurricane Hilary in California’s growing region. The overall outcome is affecting more mature and traditional varieties, while the new crop is faring extremely well, especially Jack Salute, Sweet Celebrations, Sweet Globes, and Great Greens. Pricing is up as volumes are lower, with picking and packing processes using much more labor.

Broccoli & Cauliflower

Both Organic Broccoli and Cauliflower are still widely available. There have been no shortages in the supply of Organic Broccoli, but the price has remained steady. Costs are beginning to climb while production of Organic Cauliflower is now declining, however no notable shortages or price rises are anticipated.

Berries

Organic Blackberry prices and supplies remain steady while Organic Strawberry pricing will start inching up as the transition begins from Northern CA fields to southern CA/Baja, Mexico. Expect steady supplies with a slight price increase on excellent quality. Organic Raspberry supplies will bounce back quickly after a short hiccup in production. Expect pricing to ease off a bit and supplies to increase from Baja/CA and Central Mexico. Organic Blueberry supplies remain extremely limited due to the lack of Peruvian vessels. Arrivals are scarce, and demand remains high, causing prices to remain elevated.

Celery

As Organic Celery becomes more available in mid-September, prices will decrease on an uptick in supply volume. Now is a great time to promote and increase displays to draw attention to Organic Celery, a customer favorite that will undoubtedly see an upturn in sales, following a lengthy time at higher prices.