COACHELLA, CA - As we look toward strong pre-Christmas demand for broccoli-lined party trays and holiday dishes, all eyes are on conditions out of California’s Coachella Valley. I caught up with Ocean Mist Farms’, Commodity Account Manager, John Chobanian, who filled me in on what the retail scene can expect as we lead up to the bustling holiday season.

“We started in Coachella the first of December and will harvest out of the region until about March 15th, so we are at the front part of the season,” John tells me as I ask him to outline the Ocean Mist Farms season for me. “Volume industry-wide has been strong, and we have been no exception. Ocean Mist Farms has a very strong broccoli program and quality is very nice on a regular basis.”

With Coachella’s weather being unexpectedly warm in the past few weeks, John says that the company’s broccoli harvest has been ahead of its usual schedule. Supplies are on the shorter side currently, he explains, but if weather starts to get cold down south, the industry could be looking at even tighter supplies over the next few weeks.

So, what does this mean for the pre-holiday broccoli market?

“The market is improving as product gets shored up,” John explains as we talk about how retailer’s can plan for the coming holiday push. “However, market conditions could be very active if the weather is cold and demand stays constant, or improves. Prices could sharpen drastically if demand improves and cold weather pushes product back, causing a gap.”

All in all, demand is looking very strong for Ocean Mist Farms’ broccoli, and we can expect good numbers from the Christmas pull, all the way through the holiday party tray rush at the end of the year. For all things broccoli, as well as the company’s other high demand products, check out oceanmist.com.

Ocean Mist Farms