As the holiday season starts to wind down, Florida's strawberry season is just beginning to ramp up.
Picking for most growers in the Sunshine State got underway in early to mid-November, and supplies were slowly but surely picking up throughout December. Growers seemed pleased with the quality of the early berries.
“The size is really nice,” said Kristen Hitchcock, chief financial officer at Plant City, Fla.-based Parkesdale Farms, growing partner of Irvine, Calif.-based Gem-Pack Berries LLC.
And the sugar level seemed particularly high for the early season, she said the first week of December.
Hitchcock expected volume to peak the week of Valentine's Day in mid-February, as usual, but she said volume is already strong for Parkesdale Farms/Gem-Pack.
November weather was wet and cold, she said, so the company was monitoring for Botrytis. Chile thrips were also an issue.
It was too early to know for sure, but Hitchcock predicted that volume at Parkesdale Farms would be similar to last year. Based on hefty early production, she expected to see ample supplies throughout the season.
Gem-Pack also will offer Well-Pict-brand proprietary strawberry varieties grown in Florida, said Michelle Deleissegues, Gem-Pack's vice president of marketing.
“You can expect a flavor-forward berry with the Well-Pict varieties,” she said. “They're sweet with a nice acid-to-sweetness balance.”
Plant City-based Wish Farms started picking its Florida strawberries the first week of November, which is about a week earlier than usual, said Nick Wishnatzki, public relations manager.
“Berry size is average, and quality has been above average,” he said.
Florida's cooler-than-normal fall temperatures have helped the crop progress without a lot of stress, Wishnatzki said. That helps ensure quality and flavor and reduces disease pressure.
Peak season likely will be mid-February to early March, he said. Volume at Wish Farms should be similar to other seasons.
Wishnatzki expected strong demand and good weather to have a positive impact on pricing this season.
“We expect to stay on a more even curve in that regard, with market prices looking to remain strong as the season progresses,” he said.
Watsonville, Calif.-based California Giant Berry Farms began harvesting Florida strawberries the second week of November, said Alan Ediger, vice president of sales.
But volume had not reached normal numbers as of mid-December because of unusually cool weather.
“Quality has been good,” he said. “We are seeing some effects of the rains associated with the cold fronts, such as size being slow to develop, due mostly to the cooler-than-average temperatures.”
Volume was expected to be similar to past seasons.
“Ideally, weather and market conditions will be favorable in March through early April to provide a strong end to the season,” Ediger said.
Plant City-based Astin Strawberry Exchange LLC has 1,800 acres of conventional strawberries this year and 200 organic acres, said Shawn Pollard, sales representative.
Unlike last year, when picking was delayed by Hurricane Irma, the harvest started in mid-November, as usual, he said.
Pollard said demand is strong for his company's product.
“People want Florida berries,” he said.
Consumers know they're only available for a relatively short time — November to April — and they have good color and a favorable flavor profile, Pollard said.
Meeting demand for Christmas and New Year's will be difficult for Astin Strawberry Exchange, Pollard said, but “decent” volume should be available by Jan. 20, with peak season likely coming after Valentine's Day — earlier if weather is warm in January.
An early Easter (March 31) will be good for Florida growers, he said. “We have tremendous amount of volume from mid-February to mid-March.”
Growers expected a strong sales spike for Valentine's Day.
“Valentine's Day is the big holiday for Florida Strawberries,” Wishnatzki said. “There is always a big retail push in the lead up, and we have the perfect pink and red color combination that jumps off the shelf — juicy red Wish Farms strawberries next to Pink-A-Boo pineberries.”
Once consumers experience the tasty berries they purchased for Valentine's Day, they'll be more inclined to repeat their purchase the following trip, he said.
Stems are always popular for Valentine's Day.
“Chocolate-dipped berries are a must,” Wishnatzki said.
“Valentine's Day is a huge part of our industry,” Hitchcock added. “The long-stems are essential.”
Parkesdale Farms is expected to produce 300,000 to 400,000 packages of long-stem strawberries for Valentine's Day.