Sweet corn shipments will be having a significant increase in volume beginning the week of April 9th in the U.S.
The rise in shipments is just a prelude to the major peak shipping periods related to the big four summer holidays — Memorial Day (May 28th) , Father’s Day (June 17th), Fourth of July (a Wednesday) and Labor Day (September 3rd).
Sweet corn shipper A Family of Farms, based in South Bay, FL is seeing sweet corn shipments picking up this week with steady volume through the months of April and May. The company’s bicolor corn will start shipping in late April and continue through the Fourth of July. The shipper has a similar situation to one of its Florida competitors, Duda Farm Fresh Foods of Ovideo, FL, which had lower sweet corn volume than normal through Easter, due to rain and cooler weather during the planting season. Sweet corn shipments also are expected to remain consistent for the transition to loadings taking place out of Georgia around Memorial Day.
On the West Coast, sweet corn shipper Five Crowns Marketing of Tracy, CA, experienced a late freeze in the Imperial Valley which reduced supplies during April. Volume shipments will arrive in May. However, there may be a bit of roller coaster ride with shipments because of rain and cooler weather during the planting season.
During the past five years, shipments of sweet corn have peaked in late June leading up to the Fourth of July, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Retail Report.
In 2017, sweet corn was promoted in an average of 4,600 stores per week. The peak weeks, however, showed significantly more promotions, with sweet corn on ad in 18,500 stores the week ending June 30; 17,200 stores the week ending May 26; and 16,400 stores the week ending September 1.
The leading states for sweet corn shipments are California, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Michigan, New York, Texas and Washington.