Lettuce romaine wholesale price — $38.00 / case of 24
Supplier ref. 03984 · quoted October 16, 2026
Lettuce romaine is quoted at $38.00 / 24CT case in the week of October 12, 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 24CT 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 24CT case
Over the last 12 months
Over the last 53 weekly quotes, lettuce romaine ranged from $22.50 to $56.00 per 24CT case, averaging $39.16. Today's $38.00 / 24CT case is below the 53-quote average of $39.16. The quote is up 26.7% from a month ago, when it stood at $30.00. The sharpest week-over-week move in the series is 61.5%, in the week of April 20, 2026 ($26.00 to $42.00). Across our series, lettuce romaine was cheapest in August (average $26.70) and dearest in November (average $53.50). That is one year of observation, not a seasonal rule.
- Low
- $22.50
- High
- $56.00
- Average
- $39.16
- Quotes
- 53
Why Lettuce romaine is moving
High confidenceThe New York wholesale market is seeing romaine lettuce at $38.00 per case, reflecting a significant +26.7% increase over the last three months. This upward trend is primarily driven by challenging growing conditions in California's Salinas Valley, where Impatiens Necrotic Spot Virus (INSV) and other disease pressures, along with insect issues, are leading to reduced yields, inconsistent quality, and lighter weights. Compounding these issues is the ongoing seasonal transition of production from Central California to the desert growing regions, a period often marked by supply fluctuations and tightening availability. As a result, buyers should anticipate continued market volatility and potential prorates on romaine lettuce in the short term.
- disease pressure
- seasonal transition
9 sources consulted
Written automatically from public sources on 2026-10-13. 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 24CT 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 romaine is quoted in three pack sizes this week, from $10.00 for the 2CT to $38.00 for the 24CT. 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 romaine
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 romaine
How much does lettuce romaine cost wholesale in New York?
Lettuce romaine is quoted at $38.00 / 24CT case in the week of October 12, 2026, the lowest wholesale quote we recorded that week. The quote covers one 24CT case, the unit the supplier invoices; we never divide it by a weight to publish a price per pound.
Is lettuce romaine expensive right now?
Against our own series, no reference price: over 53 weekly quotes lettuce romaine ranged from $22.50 to $56.00, averaging $39.16. Today's $38.00 / 24CT case is below that average. That compares this item to its own history, not to another supplier.
When is lettuce romaine cheapest in New York?
In our series the monthly average was lowest in August ($26.70) and highest in November ($53.50). 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 romaine 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 romaine?
The supplier states no weight for the 24CT 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 romaine is quoted in three pack sizes this week, from $10.00 for the 2CT to $38.00 for the 24CT. 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.
Are these the official Hunts Point prices?
No. $38.00 / 24CT 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.