Bell pepper production begins the transition from summer to the winter growing regions. The Coachella Valley and Baja production will steadily ramp up supplies as the Oxnard growing areas winds down. With multiple growing regions in California and Mexico, we anticipate a smooth transition with ample supplies of both field and hothouse peppers.
Demand is picking up, as some supplies in the west become tighter due to damaged crops on the east coast from Hurricane Irma. We’re also seeing strong demand for our mini sweet peppers, which have a large appeal for their snack qualities. “From a snack point of view it’s healthy for adults and kids on the go,” says Brian Miller of Prime Time Produce. He says crops are good and weather has been favorable. “Things are lining up, and we’ll be in full swing out of Coachella and Baja mid-November, we’re going to have good production as we move into the fall window.”
Most current market reports state that prices on red, green and yellow peppers FOB are unchanged over the past month. Miller says they’re beginning production of green beans out of Coachella Valley with good volume starting November 1. “Prime Time fresh asparagus will also be in good supply as we head into the holiday season.”
