Okra

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Okra

Okra

Commodity Overview

Okra’s popularity continues to rise and more consumers are being drawn to this staple of Southern cooking. Use its rising popularity to boost your sales. However, okra does not keep well, so only bring in what you will sell in a day.

PLUs

4655 regular (green)

Varieties

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Green Okra
Red Okra
Red Okra
Retail Price Data is based on USDA Specialty Crops Market News surveys. Data collection ends on the report date and encompasses ad pricing good from the Saturday before the report release date through the following Friday. Weekly data - from over 400 retailers, comprising more than 30,000 individual stores with online weekly advertised features - covers over 250 produce items. Registered (logged-in) users, can access weekly reports and additional market information.
USDA Specialty Crops Market News publishes FOB and Movement data on a daily and weekly basis. Pricing and volume information is aggregated by commodity and published weekly, subject to any source-data adjustments. Commodity data is further processed based on origin (domestic vs imports) and type (regular vs. organic). Registered (logged-in) users, can access weekly reports and additional market information.

Facts

  • Okra offers up some little-known health benefits. It contains magnesium, which can help prevent osteoporosis. Okra is a good source of folate, which helps prevent neural tube birth defects. It contains vitamin A, which helps keep eyes healthy. Okra also contains thiamin, which is important for brain function.
  • The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved the following nutrient content descriptors for okra: fat-free, saturated fat-free, very low sodium, cholesterol-free, low in calories, a good source of vitamin A, a good source of folate, a good source of thiamin, and a good source of magnesium.

Sales Strategies

  • Okra is rarely eaten without being cooked in something so cross-merchandise it with bread crumbs, vegetable oil, pickling spices and canning jars.
  • Okra is available year-round, but its peak season is in the summer. Offer promotions to keep okra moving throughout the year.
  • Fall: Include okra in soup displays as it adds a distinct flavor to soups and stews. Include okra in canning promotions.
  • Winter: Promote fried okra as a hearty side dish for wintertime meals.
  • Spring: Okra shines during Mardi Gras, so be sure to have it on hand as it is a main ingredient in gumbo. Create a Mardi Gras themed-display that includes okra.
  • Summer: Okra has traditionally been a part of summertime meals in the South. Use this time of year to introduce it to new consumers.

Dynamic Displays

  • Okra does not keep well. Only bring in what you will sell in a day.
  • Offer consumers options by offering both bulk and packaged okra. Keep packages to a pound or less as a little okra goes a long way.
  • Display okra with other traditional Southern items like kale and other greens.
  • Encourage consumers to try okra by using signs to educate them about its uses.

Food Service

  • Don’t cook okra in iron, copper or brass pans. A chemical reaction occurs that turns the okra pods black.
  • Okra turns pasty when it is overcooked, so be sure to keep its cooking time to a minimum.
  • Use okra to create gumbo during Mardi Gras to attract customers wanting to celebrate.
  • Okra can be added to salads for a unique flavor.
  • Include okra in soups and stews.
  • Serve fried okra as a hearty comfort food side dish.

In the Backroom

Shipping
30-lb. bushel baskets/crates/hampers 23-lb. ¾-bushel hampers 18-lb. 5⁄9-bushel crates/flats 15-lb. ½-bushel baskets/crates/lugs RPC – NA

Grades
U.S. No. 1

Handling
Temperature: 43 to 45 F (7.2 to 10 C) Relative humidity: 85-95% Mist: no Typical shelf life: 7 to 10 days Ethylene-sensitive (Do not store or transport ethylene-sensitive items with commodities that produce ethylene.) Highly sensitive to freezing injury. (Likely to suffer injury by one light freezing.) Susceptible to chilling injury (Damage sometimes is not apparent until produce is returned to a higher temperature.) Do not ice or sprinkle product on display. Okra needs careful handling as it deteriorates and bruises easily. Average length of a pod is 1 1⁄2 to 3 inches.

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Dunagan Family Farms Inc

Overview (1)   (0)   (0)  
Business Type:
Broker, Grower, Shipper
Location HQ:
Homestead, 33031-3315 Florida
Cooking Vegetables:
Squash, Summer, Green Beans, Green Okra, Zucchini Squash, Yellow Crookneck Squash, Yellow Straightneck Squash
Salad Vegetables:
Cucumbers
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Gamez Produce Wholesale Dist.

Overview (1)   (0)   (0)  
Business Type:
Wholesaler
Location HQ:
Laredo, 78040 Texas
Berries:
Blackberries, Blueberries, Cranberries, Raspberries, Gold Raspberries, Red Raspberries, Strawberries, Specialty Berries, Red Currants, Kiwiberries
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Del Valle Distributing

Overview (3)   (0)   (0)  
Business Type:
Wholesaler
Location HQ:
El Paso, 79901 Texas
Berries:
Blackberries, Blueberries, Cranberries, Raspberries, Gold Raspberries, Red Raspberries, Strawberries, Specialty Berries, Red Currants, Kiwiberries
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Hunter Brothers Inc

Overview (2)   (0)   (0)  
Business Type:
Broker, Exporter, Shipper, Importer, Wholesaler
Location HQ:
Philadelphia, 19153 Pennsylvania
Berries:
Blackberries, Blueberries, Strawberries
Citrus:
Grapefruit, Lemons, Oranges, Clementines / Mandarins / Tangerines
Deciduous Fruit:
Apples, Asian Pears, Figs
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Growers Produce Inc

Overview (2)   (0)   (4)  
Business Type:
Wholesaler
Location HQ:
South San Francisco, 94080 California
Citrus:
Limes, Clementines / Mandarins / Tangerines
Deciduous Fruit:
Apples, Grapes
Stone Fruit:
Apricots, Cherries, Nectarines
Tropical Fruit:
Bananas, Carambola, Kiwifruit
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Westcoast Produce Wholesalers

Overview (2)   (0)   (7)  
Business Type:
Wholesaler
Location HQ:
Langley, V1M 3E5 British Columbia
Berries:
Blackberries, Blueberries, Cranberries, Raspberries, Strawberries, Specialty Berries
Citrus:
Grapefruit, Lemons, Limes, Oranges
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Rio Valley Frozen Foods LLC

Overview (4)   (0)   (0)  
Business Type:
Wholesaler
Location HQ:
McAllen, 78502 Texas
Cooking Vegetables:
Okra
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Juan Ortiz

Overview (2)   (0)   (0)  
Business Type:
Grower
Location HQ:
Miami, 33186 Florida
Cooking Vegetables:
Okra
Specialties:
Guava, Passion Fruit
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L&M Companies Inc

Overview (0)   (0)   (0)  
Business Type:
Exporter, Grower, Shipper, Importer, Wholesaler
Location HQ:
La Belle, 33935 Florida
Berries:
Blackberries, Blueberries
Citrus:
Limes
Melons:
Cantaloupe, Honeydew, Watermelon
Stone Fruit:
Nectarines, Peaches
Tropical Fruit:
Mangoes, Papayas
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Tropic Trading Inc

Overview (1)   (0)   (0)  
Business Type:
Broker, Importer, Wholesaler
Location HQ:
Scarborough, M1S 3R3 Ontario
Tropical Fruit:
Avocados, Bananas, Coconuts, Mangoes
Cooking Vegetables:
Okra, Pumpkins, Sweet Potatoes
Salad Vegetables:
Peppers, Bell, Onions, Green
Specialties:
Bitter Melon








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