The heirloom tomato supply is steady right now. “We have good supplies of our large Southern Select heirloom tomatoes and our supplies are slightly higher in accordance with our projections,” says Charlie Eagle of Southern Specialties. The company’s heirlooms are greenhouse-grown in Guatemala and therefore supply isn’t subject to the seasonality that field-grown product is. “The conditions are favorable in this region with abundant sunlight and a temperate climate,” says Eagle.
On top of Guatemala, industry product right now is also coming from both Canada and Mexico–two countries whose potential 25 percent tariffs on product coming into the U.S. are on pause until April 2. “Demand may pick up for Guatemalan product as our government institutes tariffs on Canadian and Mexican goods,” says Eagle. Right now pricing is generally lower on heirloom tomatoes with good promotional opportunities available. Supplies are anticipated to stay steady.
