From Kevin Burkett, Clemson Agribusiness Associate
Vine-ripe juicy tomatoes are always a summertime favorite and one that can even cause a bit of competition. This can range from seeing who can grow the largest, who has the best variety, how oddly shaped one may appear, and of course which one makes the best tomato sandwich.
This summer, farmers markets around South Carolina have had volunteers submitting data on fruit and vegetable prices. None of this data includes personal information from either market volunteers or farms themselves.
To briefly summarize, in total we received 14 reports of tomato prices through the month of July. These were reported from Charleston (3), Fairfield (4), Greenville (5), and McCormick (2) counties. We are also including data on the 7 times tomatoes were reported from the South Carolina State Farmers Market in Columbia. Only low and high prices were reported without regard to variety, appearance, size, or other characteristics. On a per pound basis, the range of prices was from $0.48 per lb. all the way up to $6.00 per lb. Greenville County had the highest average of all counties at $3.00 per lb. This most certainly does not cover the entire state but provides some perspective on prices in regions of South Carolina throughout the month.
These are preliminary results of a Specialty Crop Block Grant being coordinated through Clemson Extension Agribusiness. With more data, more prices and more crops can be studied. The goal is to collect market data from around the state that can inform producers, Extension / researchers, service providers, and others that may benefit from the information. Fruits and vegetables are the primary focus of the project, and this is the first-year data has been collected. Farmers markets that are interested to participate can email kburke5@clemson.edu or watch a short YouTube training here: SC Farmers Market Price Reporting Project.
The South Carolina Grower 