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Farmworkers pack newly harvested China Express vegetables inside crates at Vessey Farms in Holtville on Monday. Editor's Note: This caption has been corrected. It misidentified the farm where the photo was taken. (JOSELITO VILLERO PHOTO / January 15, 2013) |
This weekend’s uncommonly cold temperatures — especially for a corner of California where people take refuge from the cold — are heating up produce prices.
“It has definitely been colder than normal, especially the last three days,” said Chris Kuhlman, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service.
Thursday’s cold front left the Imperial Valley shivering in temperatures about 10 to 15 degrees Fahrenheit below normal, Kuhlman said. The National Weather Service issued a freeze warning for the Imperial Valley to the greater Phoenix area.
“We benefit quite a bit,” said Ralph Strahm, a Holtville farmer who is harvesting iceberg lettuce, cabbage and cauliflower on about 300 acres. “(This weather) reduces the supply and drives up prices.”
Indeed, a box of lettuce which fetched $7 three weeks ago — when temperatures were above the seasonal average — now sells for $27, said Larry Cox, a Brawley farmer. That same box of lettuce would sell for $10 to $11 under normal weather conditions, he added.
Saturday night, with its below-freezing temperatures was, generally, the coldest night for the region, Kuhlman said. The city of Imperial registered a low of 29 Fahrenheit.
Although above-average market prices may seem like a blessing, additional work is needed to bring produce to market.
“It causes a slowing-down of the growing of the crop significantly, and it makes it more challenging to harvest,” said J.P. LaBrucherie, vice president of LaBrucherie Produce in El Centro.
Crops like broccoli, cauliflower and lettuce cannot be harvested while there is ice on them, LaBrucherie explained.
“Everybody starts the day later.”
Strahm concurred.
“We can’t harvest for as many hours of the day,” he said. “We have to wait for the ice to come off the produce.”
Abnormally cold temperatures present another obstacle to farmers who wish to take advantage of abnormally high market prices: they need to have produce to sell.
“Cold weather slows down the growing,” Strahm explained.
Holtville farmer Jack Vessey is dealing with this very issue.
“My biggest concern is getting enough supply,” he said. “We have fewer units going out.”
Fortunately, temperatures this year have not fallen low enough to cause significant damage, like they did in January of 2007, when temperatures in the Imperial Valley dropped as low as 25 F, Strahm said.
That season’s freeze inflicted about $77.5 million in damages on Imperial County, said Imperial County Agricultural Commissioner Connie Valenzuela.
Overall damages statewide reached $1.32 billion, she added.
As bad as that freeze was, Imperial County’s agriculture did not sustain enough damage to qualify for a federal disaster declaration, and the financial assistance that comes with it.
To qualify, a region must sustain a 30 percent loss of an entire year’s normal crop value, Valenzuela said. Not even the $22.1 million in damages to the lettuce crop was enough to meet this threshold, she said.
“It’s hard to meet those minimum numbers,” Valenzuela said.
In fact, only San Benito County — with its comparatively miniscule damages of $483,000 — qualified for a disaster declaration in connection with the January 2007 freeze, Valenzuela said.
The National Weather Service’s freeze warning may be extended past Tuesday, meteorologist Kuhlman said, but he doubts this will be the case in Imperial County, where the forecast calls for a low of 33 Fahrenheit.
“It’s good news as long as we don’t run out of product,” Cox said.
Staff Writer Antoine Abou-Diwan can be reached at 760-337-3454 or aabou-diwan@ivpressonline.com
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