Demand for cantaloupe is heavier on the west coast than the east coast currently lightening western supplies while the east is experiencing more supply and availability. Fruit is coming from both Guatemala and Honduras with availability on domestic fruit starting next month.
Growers have high hopes for an excellent domestic season. Barry Zwillinger of Legend Produce says the conditions have been absolutely excellent, both in California and Arizona. “When we planted the fruit back in the first of the year we had great temperatures and everything came out of the ground fantastically – the crop has continued to grow very well, the weather right now is ideal.” He says they’re on schedule – right down to the day – for harvesting this year just like last year. Domestic cantaloupe season starts May 1 and goes until the end of August. He notes that there will be a good crop size, and fruit will have good/normal sizing.
Crops haven’t experienced any severe challenges, though there has been some damage reported in some fields in both states of freezing temperatures in the latter part of February and beginning of March. Zwillinger isn’t concerned. “It’s insignificant in the big picture. With the total volume and field production as a whole, it won’t affect anything.” Rains delayed some plantings but he says overall, start and finish dates won’t change. What has changed, however, is the amount of fruit they’re now devoting to fresh processors. “We see the cut fruit category (at retail) is becoming a bigger factor; more people are starting to buy cut fruit rather than whole fruit.”
Their proprietary origami cantaloupe has seen much higher demand into 2018 and saw markedly big increases last year as well. “Retailers have seen their demand and consumption on cantaloupe decrease. When they focus and work with someone like ourselves who is strictly focused on flavor not low cost or long shelf life, that’s where the origami comes in and that’s why it’s done so well,” Zwillinger says. It’s the younger buyers that aren’t willing to continue to spend money on something that they don’t think tastes good. “They’re not like the older buyer like me, give it a week or two and come back. The younger buyer may not want that item again. I think the bigger retailers we work with are realizing this and that they can’t afford to give the buyer a poor alternative.”
For more information:
Barry Zwillinger
Legend Produce
Ph: 623-298-3782