Georgia freeze may cause production gap

Published 2022년 3월 14일

Tridge summary

A rare winter storm in Georgia and North Florida in late March has caused potential damage to young plants and crops, affecting the spring transition and harvest. The situation is further complicated by increasing crude oil prices, which are impacting freight carriers and growers. The ProduceIQ Index reports price increases for various produce, including bell peppers, squash, and cauliflower, due to decreased supply from Mexico and Florida. Prices for eggplant and romaine lettuce are also high, with high freight costs expected to affect price disparity between the West and East Coast.

Disclaimer:The above summary was generated by Tridge's proprietary AI model for informational purposes.

Original content

On Sunday morning, Valdosta, Georgia, recorded 28-degree temps. The extent of damage to South Georgia and North Florida growing regions is unknown. Young plants are in the ground for the upcoming Spring transition.Winter storms in mid-March are rare and can wreak havoc on seedlings and tender transplants of the dry veg category (pepper, cucumbers, squash, eggplant, and beans). Other commodities, such as watermelon, may also be affected.We are a week out from the first day of spring, but produce markets are already abuzz with new life. Winter growing regions are slowly winding down, and spring harvests are not quite ready. Over the next month, growing regions will begin their spring migration Northward.On top of Spring transition pressure, increasing crude oil prices are threatening the margins of freight carriers and growers alike.For example, before Russia invaded Ukraine, the average U.S. Retail Diesel price rose from $2.37 per gallon in November 2020 to $4.05 in February 2022. ...

Source: Producebluebook