Last week, retailers had the opportunity to promote a bounty of locally-grown produce. Pumpkins hailed from Illinois, Ohio, Wisconsin, Minnesota, North Carolina, Connecticut, and Massachusetts. Apples appeared from Oregon, Missouri, New York, Washington, Michigan, and Ohio. Hearty vegetables like broccoli and cauliflower from Maine, California Brussels sprouts, and cabbage from Minnesota offered new crop goodness for delicious meals.
Total ad numbers last week were 272,011, a 6% decrease from the week before 289,235. The total for the same week last year was 15% higher than for this year. The total number of ads broken out by commodity groups: fruit 144,648 (53% of all ads), onions and potatoes 19,038 (7%), vegetables 103,650 (38%), herbs 1,206, ornamentals 1,079, and hemp 2,390. The number of ads for organic produce was 44,535, 16% of total ads.
The following are the prices of major advertised items (3,000 plus ads) last week, compared to the same week last year. Significant increases in price for fruit last week included raspberries at 20%, organic seedless grapes (red at 20%, white at 19%), conventional seedless grapes (white and black at 13%, red at 12%), Bartlett pears at 19%, apples per lb. (Gala at 18%, Honeycrisp at 16%), and pineapples at 16%. There were no significant decreases. The sole significant change in price for onions and potatoes was a 46% increase for Russet potatoes (5 lb). Significant increases in price for vegetables included pie-type pumpkins at 49%, celery at 21%, and spaghetti squash at 10%. There were no significant decreases.
Click here to read the full report.
Source: mymarketnews.ams.usda.gov