Watermelon supplies are in good shape out of the primary Mexican growing region of Hermosillo. Even better for growers and consumers, the weather has started to heat up, meaning that the fruit is expected to become sweeter as the weeks go by."We started the watermelon season in Hermosillo back in the middle of April," said Mikee Suarez of MAS Melons in Nogales. "We expect to have good supplies until the end of the month or the first week of June, if weather permits. Temperatures have been lower than usual in previous weeks, meaning that either BRIX levels are lower, or we leave the watermelons out for a longer period to achieve the desired BRIX level, which we have been doing. This week is our first week with temperatures in the 100s F. Heat equals sugar so we are finally starting to get those temperatures we need for very sweet watermelons."
Supplies abundant but market moving
Watermelons are in plentiful supply, but that doesn't mean the market is weak. On the contrary, suppliers have noted that promotions have been successful, meaning that fruit is present but moving, which is beneficial for everyone.
"The market has remained steady," Suarez said. "There is a lot of fruit in the pipeline but we have been lucky that shippers have been on point with promotions, and as a result, the fruit has been moving. This is great news because we don't have to worry about fruit piling up and feeling like we need to move any faster than we are. The fruit is priced well for growers and receivers alike."
New shipping point to serve East Coast & Midwest
MAS Melons have this year started shipping watermelon out of McAllen, Texas. This is as a result of a new growing region that the company has just opened up. Suarez explained that this will make it quicker and easier to serve their East Coast and Midwest markets.
"This year is the first that we are receiving fruit in McAllen," he said. "We have one grower now in Tamaulipas that is providing fruit for us to ship through Texas. This helps us get to our markets on the East Coast and Midwest faster, while Nogales will continue to primarily supply the West Coast. It's nice to have both shipping points."
For more information:
Mikee Suarez
MAS Melons
Tel: +1 (520) 377-2372