California pomegranates will have a low harvest this season, especially at early fruiting. “Blooms this year were mild and the heat delayed us harvesting,” says Brian Forrest of Youngstown Distributors, noting that the season is starting about 10 days later than usual. “The heat gave us high sugars, which made the fruit very sweet this year. Now that the day temperature is starting to cool down a bit and with the cooler night temperatures, we are seeing the color of the fruits very well. ,
That light crop is also bringing big size fruits in this season. However, how long this year’s crop will last has not been decided yet. Forrest notes that Youngstown distributors may pack the fruit until the end of the year. However, on a short year, it can be done as early as Thanksgiving, depending on the volume and how the movement goes.
post holiday demand Right now the demand for pomegranate is good. “We just went through Rosh Hashanah and that demand was very fast. In the last two weeks everyone wants to stock up on all the pomegranates they could. So now we’re adjusting to where we’ll see post-holiday demand,” Forrest says.
That said, he believes general consumption of pomegranate will remain strong. “People see pomegranates as a healthy food and are buying them for juice or fresh eating in addition to traditional fall table decorations. People also love the ready-to-eat aril cups we have available year round. Demand is not a season – people always call and ask when is pomegranate season and when can they get more fruits? Youngstown Distributors, he says, will be at the upcoming IPFA Global Produce & Floral Show October 28-29 at Booth 4458 in Orlando, Florida.
As for pricing, while pricing in the early season was significantly higher than last year, prices have dropped to more traditional levels over the past few weeks. “Although prices have decreased, they are reflecting some of the increased cultural costs, which are higher than last season,” Forrest says.
A source: https://darik.news