Winning or not: USDA tracks vegetable movement and prices

What vegetable commodities are winning this year?

It depends on how you define “winning,” for often winning with volume doesn’t translate to higher prices.

The latest statistics from the U.S. Department of Agriculture reveal comparisons on shipments and prices of vegetables compared with a year ago.

These two charts illustrate the numbers.

One thing that stands out from the shipment numbers is the growth of tomato shipments this year. According to the USDA, year-to-date tomato shipments in early October were up 11% compared with a year ago and up 48% compared with a year ago. 

The tomato pricing trend went the other way.

For early October, the USDA said shipping point tomato prices were down 16.4%.

Pepper and cucumbers shipments also were way up, according to the USDA. Shipments of bell peppers were up 15% from a year ago and up 25% compared with two years ago. Bell pepper shipping point prices in early October were down 16% compared with a year ago.

Year-to-date shipments of cucumbers were up 19% compared with a year ago and up 91% from two years ago. Early October f.o.b. prices for cucumbers were down 29% compared with a year ago.

In contrast, year-to-date shipments of sweet potatoes were down 44% compared with last year and down 73% from two years ago.

Shipping point prices of sweet potatoes were up nearly 50% compared with a year ago, according to the USDA.
 
The USDA said the year-to-date shipments of potatoes were down 7% compared with last year and down 3% from two years ago.

Shipping point prices of potatoes in early October were 10.4% above year-ago levels.

Year-to-date iceberg lettuce shipments were down 3% compared with a year ago; iceberg lettuce prices in early October were down about 35% compared with year-ago levels.