Indoor Growers Gain Market Share in Leafy Greens
The leafy greens market ebbs and flows with the weather, says Brian Cook, President of Local Bounti. Due to heavy rains in California’s Salinas Valley in March, there may be a reduced supply of leafy greens.
“We wish the best to the folks out there fighting the good fight,” Cook says. “But it looks like they will be missing some planting in the Salinas area. We will probably see a reduced amount of availability out there in traditionally-farmed lettuce.”
Cook says one benefit of growing in a controlled environment is the surety of the supply chain. Local Bounti is always seeking more shelf space at grocery stores, but as a hydroponic leafy greens grower, it can also help fill in the gap when there are unexpected weather conditions.
While there has not been a significant impact on prices yet, the adverse weather that California has faced will likely affect pricing in 2023, says Viraj Puri, CEO and Co-founder of Gotham Greens.
“This situation demonstrates some of the benefits of indoor farming,” Puri says. “Not only does it help provide a cleaner, more controlled environment, but it also allows greenhouse growers to provide the market with more consistent product attributes, quality, and supply, all of which are inherently less predictable with conventional farming.”
Puri says the leafy greens market continues to grow as consumers incorporate more fruits and vegetables into their diets. The leafy greens market is growing across various sectors, including conventional, organic, and greenhouse-grown, Puri says.
Many growers are expanding to hold a larger share of the CEA leafy greens market. As more acres of production space come online every year, growers are competing for market share, revenue, and unique flavors to please a crowd. Growers expect the future is bright for indoor-grown leafy greens, due to the proximity to urban areas, flavorful varieties, and more.
For more, continue reading at GreenhouseGrower.com.
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