Processing volume of California strawberry year to date is the lowest it has been in many years. The chart here shows how little volume has been processed so far this year versus previous seasons. The low volume is a function of a strong fresh market, lower initial demand, and the set back of the crop in the north area of California due to cold weather. Processing volumes for freezer grade fruit will begin to climb moving forward as some fields in the Oxnard area are being turned in for processing over the next few weeks. Freezer grade posted prices, as well as juice grade field prices, have been rising over the past few days. Posted freezer grade pricing for #1 grade fruit is now in the $0.48-$0.49 per pound range with juice grade pricing at $0.18 per pound. If volumes remain low, pricing could strengthen further.
