CALIFORNIA & MEXICO - As a California-based company, we at ANUK are spoiled with a selection of fresh produce that spans from fruit to herbs to vegetables and beyond. One category always on our minds is Brussels sprouts, especially as many of our industry friends provide a Mexico- and California-grown supply. According to recent reports, some growers have been experiencing a tight market, so I asked several category experts for their insights.

“Summer is typically a challenging time to grow and ship Brussels sprouts, and this year is no different,” Ben Wilson, Commodity Account Manager at Ocean Mist® Farms, told me. “Supplies industry-wide have been tight and the general market has been above seasonal averages. Fortunately, we are currently harvesting good volumes of our Brussels sprouts in our Castroville and Salinas, California, growing regions, and quality and consistency have been excellent. Our Ocean Mist Farms Gold Standard Brussels sprouts are available in loose packed 25 lb boxes and in our whole, halved, and shredded value-added packages.”

We received similar information in PRO*ACT’s latest report from The Source. The news source stated that supplies out of Oxnard and Salinas, California, as well as Mexico have remained light through July across all regions.

Adverse weather conditions in both Mexico and California early last month are one of the main contributors to the current state of the market. The Source and our industry friends also confirmed that pricing is up in the category as well.

“The overall supply of Brussels sprouts has been difficult recently due to many challenging weather aspects,” Dan Canales, Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing at Ippolito International. “Most of the adverse weather conditions happened during critical growing times earlier this year, at the beginning of our Brussels sprout crops’ cultivation. We have just begun harvesting in Salinas a couple weeks ago, but yields are not fully up to budget. Adding to the challenges, at the end of the Mexico season this year, there were quite a few weather-related quality challenges in that growing region as well. As a result, market pricing has been somewhat higher due to overall shortages. However, relief is in sight with improved quality from the Salinas crop. We will see overall supplies to start improving each week as we move forward. We are planted according to plan for the upcoming fall season, and we expect ample supplies and excellent quality.”

Crystal Chavez, Marketing Coordinator for Gold Coast Packing, echoed these sentiments.

“Brussels Sprouts are very tight. We are still working through planting gaps that were caused by the extensive rainfall we received earlier this year. Those delays have not been helped by the unseasonably cooler weather that we experience following the rain and into the spring months," she explained. "Humidity has also caused some quality issues, further exasperating the already tight supply. Brussels have grown in popularity and continue to be a trending veg. In past years, the demand for Brussels was not what it is now during the spring and summer months. All of these factors are making for very tight supply on Brussels sprouts. It is unclear when normal volumes will resume but it appears that relief may not come until the fall.”

Though the current market conditions may not be ideal, supply-side partners like these are working diligently to provide their buy-side partners with a consistent supply.

As we continue to keep our eye on the produce market, keep coming back to ANUK.

Ocean Mist® Farms Ippolito International Gold Coast Packing