Ever since the start of the global pandemic, citrus demand and volume have been tremendous. Navel oranges, in particular, have been in high demand.
Consumers have gotten the message that vitamin C is a good immunity boost. Given any chance to fight COVID-19 through healthier food choices, citrus makes logical sense.
Typically, vegetable choices make their way to the grocery shopping list. We tend to build meals around vegetables or at minimum, lay a foundation of flavor. Fresh fruits suffer the fate of being more of an “impulse” buy over must have items.
Onions, celery, garlic, carrots, mushrooms and bell peppers frequent any tasty sauce, stir fry or summer grilling dish. It’s difficult to imagine cooking without them. These pantry staples are hardly out of stock.
Specialty or ethnic menu suggestions call for eggplants, cabbages, green onions, leeks, potatoes and squashes. Turning them in to a sumptuous meal is only a recipe away.
Most fresh products are being sold by supermarkets. In the United States and many other countries, restaurants are still closed or limited on how much and what food is being served.
Less demand on certain fresh produce items and more demand on others makes it a very unpredictable supply chain. Affordable fruits and vegetables with a good shelf life command shopper attention. In normal markets, fruits generally get traction from seasonal promotions. Today’s emphasis is geared towards staying healthy.