OXNARD, CA - It is officially July, meaning the fireworks of Independence Day will soon light up outdoor tables across the United States—and a fan favorite “red” for the red, white, and blue dishes is certainly strawberries.

For that last-minute push at retail, Bobalu reports plenty of promotable strawberry volume to support the holiday demand.

“The Strawberry Commission Pink sheet currently shows the cumulative statewide strawberry volume is still tracking well ahead of the previous two years,” Cindy Jewell, Vice President of Marketing, shared in an email update. “However, we did see the weekly volume dip below 8 million trays of fresh strawberries last week for the first time since April. The industry is forecasting that volume should plateau for the next couple of weeks before beginning to slow a little.”

From the western side of Santa Maria, California, the grower’s fruit is going strong with volume looking to remain consistent. Bobalu reported nice color, sizing, and flavor, with plans already in place to rotate swiftly into the next crop for fall, projected to kickstart in August.

“As in past seasons, we will transition here in Santa Maria first as we approach fall, then Oxnard will follow with a fall crop as well,” Cindy concluded.

Bobalu is just coming off of celebrating one of its key local initiatives, having awarded the 2024 scholarships of its new program to 14 students from Oxnard and Santa Maria. As of 2024, Bobalu has granted 44 scholarships total to graduating high school seniors attending colleges and universities throughout the U.S.

As we monitor all impactful moves from every facet of the industry, AndNowUKnow will report the latest.