Red celery Duda Farm Fresh

Storms earlier in the month combined with ongoing warm weather have aided rapid development of crops in California including celery and iceburg lettuce, according to reports in the US.

Sammy Duda, vice-president of Duda Farm Fresh Foods, told The Packer that the combination of rain and mild conditions had led to growth that 'we've never seen before'.

Duda added that, because crops were now even further ahead of schedule, he expected to see a supply gap in the coming weeks.

However, the water from the storms had 'barely made a dent in the states' water deficit', according to Boone Lek, a senior water resources engineer at the California Department of Water Resources.

“In the next several weeks you’d expect a gap,” he said Dec. 18. “A correction is coming, we just don’t know when. When or if it cools down to normal with scattered frosts, you’d expect to see a supply response two to three weeks after that.” - See more at: http://www.thepacker.com/fruit-vegetable-news/California-storms-speed-crop-growth-286276041.html#sthash.sWeCyL5q.dpuf
“In the next several weeks you’d expect a gap,” he said Dec. 18. “A correction is coming, we just don’t know when. When or if it cools down to normal with scattered frosts, you’d expect to see a supply response two to three weeks after that.” - See more at: http://www.thepacker.com/fruit-vegetable-news/California-storms-speed-crop-growth-286276041.html#sthash.sWeCyL5q.dpuf