Fresh Plaza: South African butternut squash has seen bumper prices this season

Butternut squash has been in demand for the last few weeks causing prices to increase.

“This season has seen bumper prices for butternut squash, firstly there was a shortage from South Africa following weather issues during planting, this was followed by huge surge in demand when the UK went into lock down,” explains Daniela Ivanova from Rush Exotics.

As the hotels and restaurants closed, food service suppliers had to reinvent themselves and a lot of them saw the demand for vegetable boxes delivered to the home. Butternut squash was a very popular item in these boxes.

“Our butternut squash is from South Africa and there have been a few delays because of the lock down there, mostly in the packhouses as they respect social distancing and have to undergo strict checks of compliance. We are now getting three containers a week and hope to continue this until the season ends in June.

“The demand has tapered slightly, partly because of the high prices and the availability of cauliflower and broccoli and the veg box suppliers have gone back to that, but I think that demand will increase again as we head towards the end of the South African season.”

The Rush group supply the butternut squash in these distinctive, pink boxes.

https://www.freshplaza.com/article/9214825/south-african-butternut-squash-has-seen-bumper-prices-this-season/