The supply of garlic is limited at the moment. “We see supply starting to improve and stabilize a little bit. However, garlic is always dealing with some logistical challenges from China,” says Anthony Serafino of Exp Group, LLC, noting that supply is lower than it was this time last year.
This includes working with the upcoming Lunar New Year holiday in Asia, which will occur on February 10. “There is a labor shortage in China during the Lunar New Year because they have a mandatory week of non-work. It's pretty standard every year. Situations like Houthi rebels targeting ships in the Red Sea also add another wrench to the global supply chain,” he adds.
Currently, North American garlic largely reaches the West Coast where Exp. The group is pulling supplies from. “It's like a tug of war for some garlic — in Canada, it's shipped through Vancouver, and in the United States, it's brought from California to the eastern part of the United States,” says Serafino.
Demand exceeds supply
On top of shipping challenges, demand for garlic also remains strong. “We didn't have enough — and that's the thing about garlic is there's not enough, so the supply remains limited,” Serafino says.
Not surprisingly, this leaves strong prices. “Once we get past the Lunar New Year, we should see some improvement in garlic supplies. However, I see demand and prices for garlic remaining high until then. I don’t expect garlic prices to decline for another six to eight weeks,” Serafino says. “I hope we will then see some easing in prices. However, garlic is a fairly expensive commodity and does not seem to be catching on due to the high demand.
for more information:
Anthony Serafino
Earn. Group LLC
Tel: (+1) 201-662-2001
anthony@expgroup.us
www.expgroup.us
