OXNARD, CA – While consumers may be shaking their fists at the sky in frustration over the recent span of California rain, berry growers throughout the state are launching off the long-awaited moisture into excellent upcoming crops. Subsequently, the recent weather has also made for a tight strawberry market in the lead-up to Valentine’s Day.

As Dan Crowley, Vice President of Sales and Marketing at Well•Pict, recently told me, the company is preparing for the holiday bustle with increased volume from this time last year.

“Our stem demand leading up to Valentine’s Day is 20-30% higher than last year’s numbers,” he tells me. “Due to the recent rain, we’re also getting good plant growth and nice uniformity from the field, which will be perfect for the holiday and retailers.”

Dan says that even though the consistent rainstorms have caused a small amount of lost crops from rain damage, making for the tight market as demand rises, the long-term benefits offer growers lots to look forward to. Along with sufficient moisture for the plants to pull from, rains also get the salt out of the soil and will make for excellent crops three weeks from now.

“We’re really positive and enthusiastic about the crop coming in. We expect great size, quality, and condition from our berries, and will have promotable volumes for our retail partners,” Dan says, adding that Well•Pict is still on time. “Our trading partners know that we’ll do everything we can to keep them in supply of high-quality product.”

As the high demand before Valentine’s Day continues to build, Well•Pict plans to offer a special Valentine’s Day-themed presentation of its proprietary variety, to offer an alluring presentation of full-colored fruit that Dan says is full of the “wow factor” that consumers love.

The company will continue to harvest out of Oxnard through April, and will begin production in its Northern districts in March as well.

How will markets be affected as winter weather continues? AndNowUKnow will have all the latest.

Well•Pict Berries