The demand-exceeds-supply situation with eggplant from Florida is expected to last through to at least March. Persistent rain through much of the winter limited plantings, and quality issues caused by strong winds further put a dent in this year's Florida crop.
“With the drop in bloom and wind scarring, there's not much product that's marketable as even a choice #2 product,” said Oakes Farms' vice president, Steve Veneziano. “Even with the weather clearing up, the damage is done. Our yield is 10 percent of what's normal for winter plantings.” He expects the current situation to last at least six more weeks, which would mean the current shortage of product would run through March.
As expected with a light crop, prices have been strong. Veneziano has seen the price per carton reach $26.00 for fancy-grade product and $16.00 for choice. The season is expected to last through May, but it's uncertain if production will increase and cause prices to come down before the season ends.
“There's a lot of uncertainty about how much production will increase,” said Veneziano. “A lot of guys replanted their crop after the first plantings didn't come through, and fewer did so after the second plantings fell through – a lot of guys just gave up after the third time. Production will depend on how many growers decided to keep planting as well as the late February weather.”
