CALIFORNIA & MEXICO - We’re back with yet another market update! Today we dive into the ins and outs of the current Brussels sprouts market, and a few of our industry friends were nice enough to share some exclusive insights into this season’s crop.

“The summer is almost over, but our supply of Brussels sprouts is steady and will continue to be good over the next few weeks,” shared Ben Wilson, Commodity Account Manager for Ocean Mist® Farms. “Thankfully, we were largely unaffected by the storms that devastated some parts of the Northern California growing region during our planting season this spring, which resulted in some industry gaps and shortages. Our yields and quality have been much better than we expected earlier in the spring, and we have been able to support our customers’ demands all summer.”

Ocean Mist’s Senior Director of Marketing Mark Munger also offered some insights.

“Data shows that when you merchandise a wider selection of Brussels sprout pack types on your store shelves, you can expect a lift in sales,” added Mark. “Our experience also demonstrates that consumers who purchase Brussels sprouts spend significantly more on their shopping trips, making them valuable customers. Giving people options with a variety of packs—from raw products to value-added items to family packs—means there are more options to satisfy a wider consumer base.”

As F&S Fresh Foods reports, quality for the category remains strong.

“Brussels sprouts are a core commodity in our Green Giant Fresh product family at F&S Fresh Foods and are currently being harvested in both the Santa Maria and Salinas, California, regions, where quality has been very good for the past few weeks,” shared Mike Schwager, Director of Procurement for F&S Fresh Foods.

“We are still seeing elevated pricing out of the region,” Mike continued. “With Brussels sprouts being a long crop cycle, the lack of volume can be traced back to some of the weather events in Q1, along with some unseasonable cooler weather throughout the growing period, with yields starting to get to where they should be. Pricing is expected to remain elevated for the next few weeks, but there will be additional supporting regions coming online to help support the California crops with additional volume. Fall is one of the time periods where we see some of the best quality sprouts of the year, so we always look forward to getting past the challenging summer growing periods.”

Ippolito International also weighed in on the current market.

“The Brussels sprouts market has been up and down this past season—very much like a roller coaster!” shared Alexis Nishihara, Sales and Commodity Manager. “Last winter’s rain caused some flooding in our growing regions, and this continues to adversely affect yields. However, while yields have been low, our Queen Victoria Brussels sprout quality remains high. Sizing is a bit smaller these days as we are running ahead of schedule in some fields in an effort to keep up with budgeted volume. We expect to be closer to our normal fall volume by the end of September or first week of October. This time of year, families are back to school and excited to get back in the kitchen with their favorite seasonal recipes. This is where Queen Victoria Brussels sprouts deliver! With consumer demand for Brussels sprouts running high, we anticipate quality sprouts and are looking forward to another strong season.”

PRO*ACT’s The Source also reported that the Brussels sprouts market is seeing a limited supply, with fair quality on the crops. The company reports that lighter supplies coming out of Mexico as well as Oxnard and Salinas, California, have led to slightly higher pricing trends for the category.

ANUK will continue to track this fresh produce staple and more, so keep an eye out for our next update.

Ocean Mist® Farms Ippolito International F&S Fresh Foods