Supplies of eggplant have not been able to keep up with demand this summer, and, as a result, prices have been high. While prices could fall next month as plantings mature, the market could still remain strong.
“The heat in California has been a contributing factor to lower production,” said Todd Hirasuna of Sunnyside Packing Company in Selma, California. “But aside from a few production issues here and there, production has been fairly normal for us.” Adverse weather in New Jersey, which grows a large amount of eggplant, has affected production there, and the subsequent lower supplies have propped up prices.
“The market has been in the double-digits,” said Hirasuna. “During the gut of the summer, when there is a lot of production from local programs, it's not atypical for the market to be in the single digits. But we're seeing the market in the $18.00 to $20.00 range, which is definitely not the norm.” On August 21, prices for a carton of medium eggplant from Michigan were between $18.00 and $20.85, and prices for a carton from North Carolina were between $20.00 and $22.95.
“It's hard to say where the market will go, but I expect things to stay where they are for the next two or three weeks,” said Hirasuna. “We'll have more plantings in September, but only incrementally. What that does to the market depends on if there's much demand in other parts of the country. If demand stays strong, the market may ease but still remain favorable.”
