Lettuce little gem wholesale price — $44.00 / 4/8CT case
Supplier ref. 04468 · quoted October 5, 2026
Lettuce little gem is quoted at $44.00 / 4/8CT case in the week of October 5, 2026. That is the lowest wholesale quote we recorded that week from the single New York distributor we track — not a market average, and not an official terminal quotation. The quote covers one 4/8CT case, the unit the supplier invoices; we never divide it by a weight to publish a price per pound.
Price history
13 weekly quotes over 3M · lowest wholesale price observed, per 4/8CT case
Over the last 12 months
Over the last 53 weekly quotes, lettuce little gem ranged from $29.00 to $56.00 per 4/8CT case, averaging $37.57. Today's $44.00 / 4/8CT case is above the 53-quote average of $37.57. The quote is up 33.5% from a month ago, when it stood at $32.95. The sharpest week-over-week move in the series is 50.0%, in the week of October 27, 2025 ($32.00 to $48.00). Across our series, lettuce little gem was cheapest in February (average $31.13) and dearest in December (average $54.40). That is one year of observation, not a seasonal rule.
- Low
- $29.00
- High
- $56.00
- Average
- $37.57
- Quotes
- 53
Why Lettuce little gem is moving
High confidenceThe current price for Little Gem lettuce stands at $44.00 per case, reflecting a significant +37.5% increase over the past three months. This upward trend is primarily driven by the ongoing transition of lettuce growing districts in California, as production shifts from southern fields to the Salinas/Central Coast region, leading to limited availability for various lettuce commodities, including baby vegetables like Little Gem. Reports indicate a challenging period for lettuce supplies in Salinas, with growers experiencing prorates and overall tight conditions. Compounding these supply constraints are elevated truck freight costs from California to the East Coast, as high diesel prices continue to push all-in reefer rates higher.
- growing district transition
- supply limitations
- truck freight costs
5 sources consulted
Written automatically from public sources on 2026-10-06. Our own quotes are the supplier's; the causes above come from the sources listed.
What is in the case
The supplier states no weight for the 4/8CT pack, so we quote it as a pack and publish no price per pound for it. That is a limit of the source, and the reason our figure stays comparable from one week to the next: a per-pound price built on an assumed case weight moves whenever the assumption does. Lettuce little gem is quoted in two pack sizes this week, from $36.00 for the 24CT to $44.00 for the 4/8CT. The quotes are not comparable per pound — the supplier does not publish a weight for every pack — so we list them side by side rather than ranking them.
Availability in New York
Year-round (coastal California ↔ Arizona/California desert rotation)
Where it comes from
In October, our reference lists five origins shipping salads into New York: United States — California (Salinas / Central Coast), Canada — Quebec (greenhouse) and Ontario and Netherlands / Belgium (Witloof endive, air-freighted) appear in market reports for this category, and United States — New Jersey and United States — New York (Orange County, Long Island) on trade calendars only. Sourcing is documented at the salads level and applied to this item.
- United States — California (Salinas / Central Coast)Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct, Novobserved for this category
- United States — Arizona (Yuma) and desert California (Imperial Valley)Nov, Dec, Jan, Feb, Marobserved for this category
- United States — FloridaJan, Feb, Mar, Apr, Maytrade calendar
- United States — New JerseyMay, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Octtrade calendar
- United States — New York (Orange County, Long Island)Aug, Sep, Octtrade calendar
- Canada — Quebec (greenhouse) and Ontarioyear-roundobserved for this category
- Netherlands / Belgium (Witloof endive, air-freighted)year-roundobserved for this category
- Spain (frisée, air-freighted)Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Augtrade calendar
- MexicoJan, Marobserved for this category
Sourcing documented at category level (Salads) and applied to this product. Based on 10 sources · confidence: high
About Lettuce little gem
Salads, as New York foodservice buys them, cover three separate trades under one heading: field head lettuce (iceberg, romaine, green and red leaf), the chicories (Belgian endive, escarole, frisee, radicchio), and washed leaf blends sold ready to plate. Head lettuce follows the standard rotation our reference records — the California coast for most of the year, the Arizona and desert-California district through the cold months — and the handover between the two districts is when condition and price move most. Belgian endive is air-freighted in from the Netherlands and Belgium and frisee from Spain, which puts those lines on a freight-driven cost base rather than a field one.
Buying notes
Head lettuce is bought by count per case, chicories by the box or by head size code, and blends by weight, so two lines that both read "lettuce" are not the same unit and cannot be compared quote to quote. Several lettuces are also carried as a half case and a two-count, which is the practical way to trial an item before committing to the master case.
Frequently asked questions about Lettuce little gem
How much does lettuce little gem cost wholesale in New York?
Lettuce little gem is quoted at $44.00 / 4/8CT case in the week of October 5, 2026, the lowest wholesale quote we recorded that week. The quote covers one 4/8CT case, the unit the supplier invoices; we never divide it by a weight to publish a price per pound.
Is lettuce little gem expensive right now?
Against our own series, no reference price: over 53 weekly quotes lettuce little gem ranged from $29.00 to $56.00, averaging $37.57. Today's $44.00 / 4/8CT case is above that average. That compares this item to its own history, not to another supplier.
When is lettuce little gem cheapest in New York?
In our series the monthly average was lowest in February ($31.13) and highest in December ($54.40). That is one year of weekly observation from one distributor, not a seasonal rule — a single cold season or a freight event can move a month.
Where does lettuce little gem come from?
In October, our reference lists five origins shipping salads into New York: United States — California (Salinas / Central Coast), Canada — Quebec (greenhouse) and Ontario and Netherlands / Belgium (Witloof endive, air-freighted) appear in market reports for this category, and United States — New Jersey and United States — New York (Orange County, Long Island) on trade calendars only. Sourcing is documented at the salads level and applied to this item.
What is in a case of lettuce little gem?
The supplier states no weight for the 4/8CT pack, so we quote it as a pack and publish no price per pound for it. That is a limit of the source, and the reason our figure stays comparable from one week to the next: a per-pound price built on an assumed case weight moves whenever the assumption does. Lettuce little gem is quoted in two pack sizes this week, from $36.00 for the 24CT to $44.00 for the 4/8CT. The quotes are not comparable per pound — the supplier does not publish a weight for every pack — so we list them side by side rather than ranking them.
How much has the price of lettuce little gem moved this year?
Up 25.9% over twelve months, from $34.95 to $44.00 / 4/8CT case. The sharpest single week was 50.0%, in the week of October 27, 2025.
Are these the official Hunts Point prices?
No. $44.00 / 4/8CT case is the lowest of 53 weekly quotes we recorded from one distributor serving New York. The USDA publishes the official New York terminal market quotations; we link to them from our methodology page.