“We have a few growers who grow Indian eggplants year-round for us here locally and the supply varies,” says Peter Lee of Homestead, Fl.-based Unity Fresh. “Some time periods we have a lot. Other times we don’t have a whole lot.” At peak volume, Lee notes, he gets some 300-500 boxes weekly and the low end of the supply looks to be approximately 50 boxes. “And right now, I would say I have about 200 boxes—you could say a moderate supply of the eggplants.”
Unity Fresh’s client base, which is largely supermarkets, do provide a steady demand for the eggplants, which are the smaller, purple often oval-shaped eggplants, compared to the more commonly known traditional Italian eggplants, which are a larger, longer and darker vegetable. “And all of the supply goes out of the state—a lot of it to the East Coast,” Lee adds.
Prices up and down
The price on Indian eggplants seems to fluctuate as well. “I would say it goes between $8-$30/box. It goes up and down quite a bit,” he says. “And right now, it’s not really at a good price. It’s a low price right now and that depends on how much comes in locally and how much is being imported as well.” Indian eggplants are currently being imported from the Dominican Republic and the Honduras.
“So in the next few weeks, it’s hard to tell what will happen,” says Lee. It depends on the weather and how much is being imported. It’s really hard to tell.”
