A bigger-than-expected strawberry crop this year is cutting into farmers' profits, reports The Associated Press.
Farmers down in Florida typically enjoy this time of year, as they have a unique advantage over other parts of the country. Since strawberries require warm weather to grow, they can take advantage of a window between November and February where many other fields are frozen over. During this time period, Florida becomes the biggest strawberry producer in the country, and the farmers sell all over the world.
However, the relatively mild winter meant that strawberries grew just about everywhere, resulting in a larger-than-expected crop. In particular, Mexican farms had a great strawberry season and are lowering the price that Floridians can get for their food. The Department of Agriculture reports that the price of strawberries is down to $2.15, which is 28 cents lower than the same time last year.
"Because of the influx of Mexican berries, our prices have not gone up," Peggy Parke, the vice president of Parkesdale Farms in Dover, told the news source. "Mexico just keeps pulling them over for low cost. I feel like the Mexican market has had a big effect on us this year as far as pricing."
Farmers who aren't making quite as much money as they expected can keep costs low by buying used agricultural equipment through IronPlanet, as this is often more affordable than buying new. IronPlanet recently sold more than $50 million of gross merchandise volume (GMV) in the area, including a large number of agricultural equipment. The four-day sale held February 21–24, near Orlando, was IronPlanet’s largest auction in company history.
