Volumes of imported zucchinis are on the decline right now.
“We only do Baby Green Zucchini from Guatemala and the supply is down about 35 percent,” says Tulio Garcia of Miami Agro Import Inc. in Miami, Fl. Garcia points to not only rains in Guatemala affecting production but the recent Fuego volcano eruption that took place in early June has also affected supplies. Garcia estimates it generally produces 15,000-20,000 lbs. weekly of Baby Zucchini from Guatemala.
“Last year we had a good supply of zucchini,” adds Garcia. “The rainy season in Guatemala is from June to October. But last year there wasn’t as much rain unlike this year. That’s why supply was good.”
Meanwhile, Mexico remains the biggest competitor of imports as well a little bit from Nicaragua. Domestically, the U.S. also offers some competition.
Demand to pick up?
At the same time, demand may start to turn given the summer season. “Zucchini is a very popular grilling item so I think consumption will be good going forward from here,” says Garcia. “Right now, demand is coming mostly from the foodservice side since retailers are mostly doing regular zucchini at this time of year when there’s a lot of local product.”
Not surprisingly, the lower volume pushed pricing up on zucchini. Garcia notes pricing currently sits at $14-$16 FOB while last year at this time it was $9-$10 FOB for a 5 lb. box of zucchini. “I think the price will stay around $ 12-$14 for a couple of weeks until the volume starts to pick up again,” he says.
