Grimmway Farms' Eric Proffitt Talks Current Carrot Market
BAKERSFIELD, CA - A staple vegetable in almost every household, carrots experience high demand at this time of year. School terms kicking off, big games taking place, and Easter creeping up, it’s little wonder that this root veg has consumers coming back for more. As we already near the end of February, let’s dive into the current state of affairs in the carrot world with help from our friends at Grimmway Farms.
“The market is currently tight due to the volume that is shipped during this time of year,” remarks Eric Proffitt, Executive Vice President of Sales and Marketing. “This is the prime time for carrots. Promotions run heavy on value-added baby carrots both organically and conventionally grown from September to April.”
Pricing is also elevated, as the grower reports that input costs continues to rise.
Although pricing may be a little higher, quality and volumes thus far have been great, with much-needed precipitation in California helping crops along.
“With proper field selection and harvest coordination, we have managed through the tumultuous weather without interruption of supply to our customer base,” Eric affirms.
Grimmway’s core carrot program is based in California, but the company also grows and ships carrots from its Lake Park, Georgia, facility from mid-December to May 1.
“Georgia will resume shipments in mid-February after taking a three-week pause due to abnormal temperatures in December. We expect to have great promotable supplies of both organic and conventional carrots for the foreseeable future,” Eric adds. “We’re also currently finishing our fall season in the Bakersfield/Kern County, California, region, and we’ll be transitioning over the next few weeks to our Imperial Valley winter season.”
To stay in the loop on all things pertaining to the market, keep reading us here at AndNowUKnow.