CALIFORNIA - Having kept watchful eyes on recent market reports, it was reported that cauliflower pricing was on the rise during the week of May 11. According to data from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), prices were sitting between $14–$19.35 depending on pack size as of May 12. To get more insights, we looked to several category connoisseurs.

“We are seeing an impact on the cauliflower market due to cold weather. Pricing on organic cauliflower is now over $24 for a 12 ct,” said Brian Peixoto, Sales Manager at Lakeside Organic Gardens.

Information from The Source attributes this higher pricing to limited cauliflower supplies, in part due to quality lowering yields.

Ocean Mist® Farms’ Wyatt Maker, Cauliflower Commodity Account Manager, echoed this idea when I got in touch with him regarding the current market, also naming weather as a culprit for lower volumes.

“Ocean Mist Farms’ cauliflower quality has been very good, with nice white color and trimmed jackets,” he said. “The recent cooler temperatures have slowed growth, creating a production gap. With that, industry supplies are down this week, and the market has been between $18–$20. We expect our production numbers to be slightly below budget for the next two weeks and the market to hold close to the mid- to upper-teen range.”

Crystal Chavez, Marketing Coordinator at Gold Coast Packing, reiterated that supplies had been lower than normal over the past few weeks, partially due to an uptick in holiday demand. However, prices are beginning to stabilize in the Santa Maria, California, region where the company grows its cauliflower.

“At the beginning of the week, there was a spike in cauliflower pricing due to layover demand from Mother’s Day and lower supply, however, the demand was not significant enough for the elevated pricing to stick,” she stated. “By mid-week, we saw the prices back to normal. It appears that the Salinas Valley has higher pricing than we are experiencing here in Santa Maria. That increase is due to lower supply. The availability of cauliflower in Santa Maria is stronger with pricing at $12–$16, while Salinas is offering cauliflower at $15–$22.”

As future updates on the cauliflower market become available, AndNowUKnow will report the latest news.