California Giant Berry Farms Details Peak California Strawberry Volumes for Memorial Day; Andy Rice Comments
WATSONVILLE, CA - The sun is shining here in California as retailers and shoppers prepare for Memorial Day weekend, and luckily, they will have access to a plethora of quality California Giant Berry Farms strawberries to get the summer started right. The grower recently forecasted strong volumes of the product, with high yields anticipated despite a later-than-average start for some of its growing regions.
“2023 was a challenging year for some of our growing regions,” said Andy Rice, Vice President of Field Operations and Product Supply. “Ultimately, weather impacted crops early on—from above average amounts of rain, flooding, or uncharacteristically cold weather. Like most California production, our production curve was shifted, and peak promotable volumes are arriving, albeit later than average.”
In spite of these challenges, California Giant is on track to deliver peak promotable volumes of California strawberries, a release stated. Out of its Santa Maria region, the supplier is reporting sizeable, high-quality fruit and is in its peak volume window, which is expected to maintain through mid-June.
The Watsonville and Salinas growing regions are seeing week-over-week increases in volumes, with estimates projecting substantial harvested volumes beginning mid-June and spanning to early August. Due to the area’s late start, California Giant is forecasting fruit will be available late into summer. The region's ranches are reporting excellent quality and flavor, alongside sizeable fruit.
To support the expected influx of strawberries, the grower is utilizing Instacart advertising and Ibotta consumer promotions to drive purchase intent. The brand will also launch consumer engagement sweepstakes to further drive brand awareness and demand.
California Giant’s peak promotable volumes come at an optimal time, as recent USDA data reports that gains in retail per capita consumption for berries have been very strong compared with many other fresh fruits. Strawberry consumption specifically has grown from 4.6 pounds in 2011 to 6.7 pounds in 2021, an overall gain of 45 percent.
Are you ready for summer berry demand? If not, reach out to a California Giant rep soon!
