As the fresh produce industry recovers from a multistate cyclospora outbreak, leafy greens growers are reporting volatile summer demand.
“Demand will lift one week, then pull back sharply the next without settling into a normal rhythm,” says Nicole Minnich-Zapata, marketing director for Misionero.
Post-Outbreak Demand Volatility Hits Leafy Greens
While retailers have committed to keeping leafy greens in stock, the slower turn of the category has put pressure on freshness and shrink, Minnich-Zapata says.
“That tells us this is a consumer confidence issue more than a category issue,” she says. “Our focus right now is on getting the messaging right, so shoppers feel good about putting leafy greens back in the cart.”
Jeff Church, chief operating officer of Church Brothers Farms, also says there has been a significant shift from the company’s retail customers, though figures are beginning to rebound.
“Our foodservice business has held up better, with a much more modest decline,” he says. “We expect demand to be on the softer side for the next six weeks, but it could be longer given the widespread negative publicity that’s been swirling.”
Growers Leave Acres Unharvested as Orders Soften
Following reports from major news outlets, such as The Wall Street Journal, that Central California growers have disced crops or skipped harvests entirely, Minnich-Zapata notes that while walking by fields for quality control is routine each year, current unharvested acres stem directly from weak buyer orders.
“We are walking by acres because of demand being low,” she says. “There is always a small percentage walked by for quality reasons in any given season. That’s routine, and it happened this year the way it does every year. The volume beyond that traces back to softer orders. When product doesn’t have a home, the responsible decision is to leave it in the field rather than harvest into a market that can’t absorb it.”
Church reports his family’s business did not have to disc under acreage but has adjusted harvest and shipping schedules as needed.
“What we’re managing is a real, if temporary, dip in demand tied directly to the recent headlines,” he says. “We’re adjusting harvest and shipping schedules, as needed, but this is a demand-driven blip, not a supply or quality issue. It’s been a strong season on the growing conditions front.”
Minnich-Zapata describes the season as a disaster, noting that growers up and down the valley have absorbed substantial financial losses.
“We adjusted our growing plans where we could, but we were adjusting into a moving target, and no amount of planning gets ahead of demand that swings week to week,” she says.
Unpredictable Market Clouds Yuma Winter Acreage Planning
As the industry shifts focus to Yuma, Ariz., summer market volatility has affected winter planning.
“Nobody is allocating acreage with confidence,” says Minnich-Zapata, pointing to added uncertainty around Mexican imports.
“Until we know where buyers intend to source, it’s difficult to commit desert acreage with any certainty, and that ambiguity carries a cost on both sides of the table,” she says.
Church says his family’s operation is factoring in the dip in demand as it plans its desert winter planting season.
“It’s definitely a balancing act between acreage allocation based on today’s numbers and planning for the recovery we expect to see well before the desert season is in full swing,” he says.
Industry Calls for Unified Food Safety Messaging
Church says the current decline in sales is a critical opportunity to educate consumers, as retailers and buy-side partners can help highlight supplier food safety programs already in place including field-level testing, harvest protocols and traceability.
“We’d like to see more proactive communication, in-store and otherwise, about the rigor behind U.S.-grown leafy greens, so consumers have factual context rather than headline-driven fear,” he says.
Despite current losses, Minnich-Zapata maintains that core demand for the category will recover.
“Fresh produce isn’t a discretionary category in the long run,” she says. “Leafy greens are one of the most nutrient-dense, accessible foods available to consumers, and reduced fresh vegetable consumption carries real public health consequences over time.”
For Misionero, the immediate goal is rebuilding consumer trust.
“Our job through this winter season is twofold: manage supply responsibly against what we actually know and keep reminding shoppers that what we grow is good for them,” Minnich-Zapata says. “That message hasn’t changed, and it’s worth repeating right now.”
Rebuilding that trust requires close alignment across the supply chain, she adds, noting that both growers and buyers must share the narrative.
“What we can do together is make sure consumers understand what actually stands behind produce: rigorous, audited food safety programs that our customers hold us accountable to every day,” she says.
Minnich-Zapata says current food safety infrastructure is built on prevention, not reaction, with retail and foodservice partners being a huge part.
“When federal health authorities have not linked domestic product to these concerns, that’s meaningful information shoppers deserve to hear clearly,” she says. “The opportunity in front of all of us is to lead with facts and transparency, consistently and in one voice. That’s how we rebuild confidence.”
Traceability and consistency are key to protecting the future of the leafy greens category, Church says.
“Growers need to keep communicating openly about the food safety programs and practices already in place, and retailers can amplify that message directly to shoppers rather than letting silence fill the gap,” he says. “The more the industry can align on a clear, factual narrative (rather than each link in the chain reacting independently), the faster we rebuild confidence in the category.”
