ProduceIQ: Wildfires, weather strain Southeast produce as tomato prices soar

Drought and wind supercharge wildfires in Georgia and North Florida. Much of the Southeast is experiencing extreme drought, and dried-out debris left by Hurricane Helene is creating ideal fire conditions.

Right now, the biggest impacts on fresh produce are the fires’ negative effects on air quality for growers and the smoky haze that shades plants, slowing plant growth.

Overall, the dry conditions that have allowed these uncharacteristically strong wildfires to proliferate are increasing costs and reducing planted acreage for produce growers throughout the Southeast. Rain is in the forecast this week for much of the region, and the welcome moisture will hopefully aid firefighting efforts.

ProduceIQ Index:  $1.43/pound, up +0.7 percent over prior week

Week #17, ending April 24^th 

Blue Book has teamed with ProduceIQ BB #:368175 to bring the ProduceIQ Index to its readers. The index provides a produce industry price benchmark using 40 top commodities to provide data for decision making.

Elsewhere in produce markets, grape-type tomato prices start to descend, but round and plum-type prices refuse to yield. Down -35 percent over the previous week, grape-type tomatoes plummet for the second week in a row. That’s welcome relief for tomato buyers looking for substitutes for round and plum-type tomatoes.

In week #17, round and plum-type tomato prices hit the highest levels on record. Supply is extremely tight for both commodities due to the fallout from February’s freeze in Florida and a transitional supply gap in Mexico. Availability is unlikely to improve for another 2-3 weeks.

Round-type tomatoes

The supply picture for broccoli and cauliflower worsened in week #17. Average broccoli prices are up +24 percent and cauliflower +58 percent week over week. High heat in Yuma brought a swift end to the growing season, and growers in California have yet to catch up due to recent rains. Tight availability is expected to persist through the week, but relief isn’t too far off.

Cauliflower

Another standout this week, romaine prices are rocketing upward. Average prices are up +62 percent over the previous week and may rise further next week as growers in California work to ramp up production. Quality is reportedly fair, with reports of heat- and moisture-related challenges.

Romaine

Finally, sweet corn markets split but show signs of recovery. For the second week, sweet corn prices declined notably. Increasing supply out of Florida is finally easing record-breaking prices. However, despite optimism, the Western market remains tight, and broader relief isn’t expected for another week.

Sweet Corn

ProduceIQ saves you time and provides valuable information to increase your profits.

ProduceIQ Index

The ProduceIQ Index is the fresh produce industry’s only shipping point price index. It represents the industry-wide price per pound at the location of packing for domestic produce and at the port of U.S. entry for imported produce. 

ProduceIQ uses 40 top commodities to represent the industry. The Index weights each commodity dynamically, by season, as a function of the weekly 5-year rolling average Sales. Sales are calculated using USDA Agricultural Marketing Service data on movement and prices. The Index serves as a fair benchmark for industry price performance.