Report: US strawberry demand moving in positive direction

A new report from RaboResearch identifies short-term and long-term trends in the U.S. strawberry market.

“Strawberry Demand Moving in the Ripe Direction” identifies several current conditions in the industry, including the following:

• Although some consider the U.S. market to be mature, strawberry consumption has continued to grow. Strong consumer demand has driven an increase in imports and has incentivized multi-year high acreage in California.
• Strawberry availability is expected to improve in 2022, and prices will likely remain steady.
• The report also discusses the early development, challenges and opportunities of growing strawberries indoors or under protection – a production system that could take 5 to 10 years to become more mainstream.

The summary of the report indicated the U.S. market has absorbed over 2 million pounds of fresh strawberries recently. Although some consider the market to me mature, strawberry consumption has continued to grow and shows an elevated household penetration in the U.S. in terms of volume, strawberries will continue to be the leading item in the berry patch in years to come.

“Strong consumer demand has driven an increased level of imports and has incentivized multi-year acreage in California,” the report said. “As a result, strawberry availability is expected to improve in 2022, and prices will likely remain steady. However, we expect some level of uncertainty, volatility and high input costs in the short run.”