“We sell whole pomegranates for the fresh market as well as arils. These are the seeds and they are a big thing. They add color and flavor to dishes and are used in salads, yoghurt and dessert”, Uchiyama said. “They are popular by health conscious consumers as they are high in antioxidants.”
A labor intensive crop
Trinity Fruit Sales does not grow pomegranates for the juice market. That market is limited to one or two companies in California. “In recent years, many growers started planting pomegranates for the juice market, which led to an abundance of inventory”, Uchiyama said. “Large supplies in combination with limited availability of water and high expenses has resulted in many acres of pomegranates being pulled out. “It is an expensive crop to farm due to its labor intensity. During the growing season, crews take fruit off the trees to allow the remaining fruit to develop into the right size”, Uchiyama said. Pomegranate harvest is also a manual process.
Pomegranates are sold domestically, but it is also a very important export product for Trinity. South Korea is the largest export market and a smaller share of exports goes to Mexico. During the California low season, Trinity Fruit Sales imports pomegranates from Chile to allow for year round supply to food retail.
Prices are largely contract based
“Consumption of pomegranates has been consistent in recent years”, said Uchiyama. Given that a significant number of acres have been pulled out, supply and demand are in balance. As a result, prices have been pretty decent over the past two to three years. “A large share of sales is based on contract pricing. Prices with food retailers are mostly set at the beginning of the season”, Uchiyama said. However, we also sell based on f.o.b. pricing.
Trinity is planting some newer varieties at the moment. “It’s a softer seed variety that is sweeter. “It takes about three to five years for the trees to harvest a crop.”
For more information:
Vance Uchiyama
Trinity Fruit Sales
Email: Vance@trinityfruit.com
www.trinityfruit.com