Deliveries of freezer grade strawberries to processors in California continue to run at lower levels in 2008 than they did in 2007 according to the Processing Strawberry Advisory Board of California. It is unlikely at this time that total year production will reach the levels that they did in 2007. It is more likely that they will be closer to the range of 2005 or 2006 based on where we are to date with total freezer deliveries.

The fresh market continues to be strong for California strawberry growers. The trend is expected to continue through the Memorial Day holiday. The overall amount of fruit sent to the fresh market has kept freezer deliveries slower than last year. In years where the fresh market stays strong, there has been less freezer fruit overall. In 2006 there were 390 million pounds of freezer grade fruit delivered to processors. Most of it came in the month of June as field pricing increased. In 2007 California ended with 439 million pounds delivered to processors after a strong start to the season. In 2005 only 354 million pounds were packed as frozen after a slow beginning to the freezer season. It is unlikely that California will pack as much in 2008 as it did in 2007 given the amount of fruit delivered to date.

California deliveries of freezer grade fruit continue to run well behind 2007. It is slightly ahead of 2006 at this point in time, but could fall behind that year if the fresh market continues to take fruit at the record pace it has so far in 2008. In 2006 there was pressure to increase field pricing as the crop got later. There was a $0.06 increase from the beginning of the season to the end. Most fruit delivered that year came in after the price increased.

California continues it's heavy shipment of fresh strawberries. The past three weeks now rank as the highest shipment period in history for fresh California strawberries. USDA is reporting that California has shipped more than 2.5 million trays in the first two days of the current week with prices holding steady. There still seems to be heavy demand for strawberries from California, and this could continue for another week or more.