Now that summer is here, produce businesses open up full throttle, though spiraling costs have some suppliers concerned about how fruitful their bottom lines will be.
WARM WEATHER = HOT SALES
Naturally, produce sales bloom with warmer temperatures, but it can be argued that the trend has accelerated in recent years.
Mark Hayes is president of Harvard, IL-based grower-shipper Twin Garden Sales, Inc., BB #:119080 which specializes in sweet corn. He believes trade associations have had an influence by continually promoting the benefits of fresh fruits and vegetables.
And while that may be part of it, higher consumption could also be attributed to attitude—inspired by long, sunny days and so many outdoor activities—as well as ample supply.
THE PANDEMIC’S REACH
Summer’s arrival coincides with further easing of Covid restrictions, as restaurants continue their quest for normalcy. There are, however, plenty of pandemic reminders, as some suppliers note.
Hayes says growers ask him if things “will be back to more normal levels, and I have no idea—but it sounds legitimate.
“In the case of sweet corn, it’s not a big foodservice commodity. It has more of those fresh, roadside-stand, loss-leader situations with lots of volume in the summer.”
Hayes does say tray packs made gains during the pandemic, and they remain popular.
“We’ve been in the tray-pack business over 30 years, and it’s been growing, but it jumped during this pandemic—jumped from bulk to tray pack—as there’s a convenience factor, less waste, and less surprises when you get it home.”
Ron Cottle, president of Cottle Strawberry Nursery, Inc. BB #:152781 in Faison, NC, says the pandemic certainly fed demand for locally grown items.
“Everybody was trying to get local as much as they could,” he says, noting retail business was solid while foodservice suffered. Fortunately, the latter is recovering.
Despite the positive signs, some aren’t so sure the pandemic is fully over.
Earnest (Tim) Tillman III, president of E.A.T. Fresh Produce, Inc. BB #:131767 in Pahokee, FL, says when the pandemic swept across the country, it wiped out as much as three-quarters of his sales, much of which was tied to foodservice.
He voices hope, but there’s still uncertainty. “Are we out of it yet? That’s the thing—there are definitely still questions.”
The good news, at least, he notes, is “I’ve regained much of the business I lost.”
This an excerpt from a spotlight feature in the May/June 2022 issue of Produce Blueprints Magazine. Click here to read the whole issue.
