CALIFORNIA - Are you ready for peak strawberry season? With its Santa Maria, California, growing region nearing its peak next month, Bobalu is laying the foundation for a strong fall strawberry season, bringing increased opportunities to its retail partners.

“Our fall crop is coming on in Santa Maria,” the company shared in its latest weekly crop report. “We are seeing a steady increase in daily and weekly strawberry volume and should see numbers peak by the third week in September. Our peak should take us well into October, just in time for the Oxnard fall crop to kick in and keep volume steady into the holiday season ahead.”

The company also reported good weather conditions and healthy crops in the region.

“Our Santa Maria fields are all on the coast, so the weather has been perfect with foggy mornings and mild sunny afternoons. The 10-day forecast shows much more of the same mild conditions which is keeping our forecast on track with the plants looking very healthy and loaded with bloom and fruit in all stages of color,” the company’s weekly report continued. “We do have ground committed to the new Salma day neutral variety, and look forward to seeing how it is received by our shoppers to consider acreage expansion in future years.”

Looking at the strawberry sector on a statewide scale, the total statewide volume for the week ending August 3, 2024, was 6.4 million trays, with the week ending August 10 dropping to just about 6 million trays. Bobalu shared that while that number is below the same time last year, the total cumulative volume in California is 25 million trays ahead of the same time last year, and current acreage estimates for the fall crop are higher than last year, leaving plenty of fruit ahead for fall and holiday promotions.

Some of the slightly lower total weekly numbers reported this year may be attributed to later planting dates of the summer crop in some regions.

ANUK will continue to relay insights on the strawberry category and more, so be sure to leave a tab open for us.