Following a month marked by bad weather and short supply levels, American importers are reporting a partial recovery for Mexican carrot crops.
Cliff Wiebusch of Val Verde Vegetable Co. says that after three to four weeks of poor production, Mexican carrot shipments are beginning to stabilize. “Supply levels have been fairly bleak,” Wiebusch reports, “but they’ve picked up in the last week.”
Val Verde, which is run out of McAllen, Texas, is currently sourcing its carrots from Zacatecas, Mexico. Zacatecas – as with many other Mexican communities – suffered from excessive rainfall in October, exacerbated by Hurricane Patricia. Carrot yields across much of the country suffered, causing supply levels to drop and prices to balloon.
Wiebusch reports that a 50 lb. sack of carrots is currently selling for $12.00 to $14.00. At this time of year, the same unit would normally sell for $8.00 to $9.00.
While the market has leveled, Wiebusch says that he does not expect supplies to fully recover this season. With the increased demand that comes with the holidays, he expects prices will remain high in the coming weeks.
“There’s not an over-abundance of supplies,” he explains. “We’re expecting things to stay steady.”
