It’s always difficult to forecast with certainty what the Southern California strawberry crop will look like in winter. One month, the state could be enduring floods and freezing temperatures, and the next could be characterized by drought and beach weather.
As of early this year, grower-shippers were predicting ample supplies of good-quality berries this season.
During the fourth week of January, strawberry volume statewide was more than twice what it was a year earlier — 1.2 million trays versus 245,000 — said Cindy Jewell, who handles marketing for Oxnard, Calif.-based Bobalu Berries.
Last year, the state was enduring one of its wettest years ever. This year, early-season rainfall generally was less than normal, but some forecasters expected an El Niño condition to swoop in and boost precipitation levels before spring is over.
Strawberry prices out of Oxnard were significantly lower this year than last.
Trays of eight 1-pound clamshells had fob prices of mostly $12 on Jan. 25, according to USDA. Prices were not quoted last year until Jan. 30 and started off at mostly $22 to $24.
Irvine, Calif.-based Gem-Pack Berries started harvesting its Oxnard summer crop in August, and some fields will continue to produce until March, said Madu Etchandy, vice president of operations.
The Oxnard and Irvine fall/winter crop started in December and will continue until May.
“Our strawberry volume is up this year as we continue to assimilate Well-Pict production in both strawberries and raspberries,” Etchandy said.
Gem-Pack partnered with Well-Pict Berries late last spring.
“Fruit size has been medium-large and overall sweet, even with the cool temperatures,” she said.
Some green shoulder appeared because of cold weather, “but we’re picking through any rain damage pretty easily, and overall quality has held up well,” Etchandy said.
Salinas, Calif.-based Naturipe Farms LLC started harvesting strawberries in Southern California in December, said Jerry Moran, vice president of sales.
“Our strawberry volume will be increased versus last year,” he said. “Last spring, California was hit by quite a bit of extreme weather, which resulted in lower volumes not just at Naturipe, but across the industry.”
Naturipe has increased its acreage in all its California growing regions, Moran said.
A dry December could lead to increased volumes by mid-February, he said.
“To date, the size and flavor have been outstanding, as well as the quality,” Moran said in late January. “We are really looking forward to supplying more of our jumbo Mighty Reds strawberries this winter and spring.”
Watsonville, Calif.-based Seven Seas is currently growing strawberries in central Mexico and will continue to do so into April, when there will be some overlap with the harvest out of Santa Maria and Lompoc, Calif., said Brent Scattini, vice president, West Coast.
The crop in the ground in California “looks amazing,” he said.
“In addition, we have strong numbers coming off our farms in central Mexico right now and expect to continue well into April,” Scattini said.
“Our berries from central Mexico have been great,” he added. “Size has been good, and flavor has been amazing.”
But cool nighttime temperatures south of the border “have had some effect on color, and slowed the process a little,” he said.
Strawberries typically are harvested in Oxnard until early June, said Jewell of Bobalu Berries.
Full volume should come on in the Santa Maria region in February.
“We’ll have a really good overlap between Easter (March 31) and Mother’s Day (May 12),” she said.
That will allow plenty of time for grower-shippers to work with retail and foodservice partners to put together programs far in advance, Jewell said.
