California, USA: Garlic Shipments Increased Significantly

Said Ken Christopher of Gilroy, California. "We are alleviating the state of'serious garlic shortage'-due to the outbreak of special circumstances, global garlic demand is extremely high. Its demand exceeds all forecasted supplies."

Christopher pointed out that compared with July 2019, fresh garlic shipments in July this year increased by 25%. Shipments of organic garlic increased by 67% during the same period. Christopher said: "Organic products have been developing steadily for many years, and their percentage of our business is becoming more and more important. More major retailers and wholesalers are in demand for this product, so we have made plans. However, It’s unbelievable that its growth will reach 67%."

The overall demand for garlic seems to be strong, and one of the reasons is that the demand comes from a more unusual channel. "Companies that provide door-to-door fresh food delivery services such as Blue Apron and HelloFresh have increased demand. There is a piece of fresh garlic in each box they deliver. Garlic is an essential ingredient for every dish. Therefore, when Americans are waiting at home, when most states are locked or slowly opening up, we noticed that these delivery services are in great demand for garlic," Christopher said.

Wholesale prices of garlic in China have also contributed to demand growth. "This situation is beginning to change rapidly, because our later garlic is mainly used to produce peeled garlic products. As more and more growers in California peel late ripening garlic, its inventory is returning to normal, and more and more Customers are turning to California-made garlic," Christopher said. Demand for California garlic continues to be strong. Christopher pointed out that a major retailer estimates that demand will double or even triple in the coming year.

There is no doubt that compared with previous years, all these factors make garlic prices very high. Christopher said: "This is entirely due to demand." He also added that Christopher Ranch has added two shifts in its fresh garlic processing plant to support increased sales activities. "During the pandemic, we tried to maintain retailer pricing to make them predictable. However, with new crops now available, our prices must now be adjusted upwards slightly."