Florida is now more than half way through its spring tomato season. Ideal weather conditions have provided growers with plenty of tomatoes and, more importantly, excellent quality. Domestically, the state will be the primary host of the tomato crop in the country for at least the remainder of May before production spreads north and west.
"We're about 70 - 80 percent completed in Florida," said Jon Esformes of Sunripe Certified Brands. "Immokalee has finished up and now we've moved into the Central Florida districts. The weather has been very kind, providing optimal growing conditions. As a result, quality has been outstanding and we have about the best quality tomatoes we can hope for."
"Right now, Sunripe is also focused on meeting the challenges throughout the country," Esformes added. "Regions like California have had a lot of rain, for example. We will be making a start to the tomato season there in the middle of June. Additionally, once the Florida crop has finished at the start of June, we will be moving north into Georgia."
Value is important
While the tomato category continued to venture into new varieties, presentation is also a trend that is on topic. From snacking packs to mixed packs, suppliers are aiming to present tomatoes in different ways for the consumer. According to Esformes, Sunripe Certified do have a selection of varieties that they are proud to grow, but value is also important to them.
"All of our varieties this season, from Round, to Vine-ripened, as well as Roma, have enjoyed an outstanding season," he said. "Sweet grape tomatoes also continue to gain their share in the market. Everyone is hot on the snacking category right now and we continue to see an opportunity in providing value to customers. What we have been seeing is more and more packaging and while this may look pretty, it's also expensive. Therefore, Sunripe Certified realizes that value is also important to the majority of Americans buying tomatoes. Families are looking for value and so we aim to provide that with simple, quality tomatoes that everyone can enjoy."
Current volumes are such that suppliers and retailers have been able to work together on various tomato promotions throughout the season. "This season has given us the opportunity to promote more tomato consumption," Esformes noted. "Working along with retailers, we have seen promotable prices for the past 60 days. This is an excellent chance for us to move product at reasonable prices, which in turn helps to build consumption."
Orange grape tomatoes
New varieties present learning opportunities
Sunripe are also offering a new proprietary variety, the Bella Roma, for the second year now. The company has been refining their skills in growing them. Like most new produce varieties, experience is gained over time and this has presented an enjoyable challenge as they adjust to different conditions.
"This is our second year of commercial production for our Bella Roma brand," Esformes explained. "We have enjoyed great success, both in terms of growing the tomatoes, and also in the response we have heard from customers. We continue to expand acreage for the Bella Roma as we learn more about it every season. Mother Nature presents us with different conditions and we never expect the same conditions to repeat themselves. It's a learning curve that extends for the life of every variety."
Despite the challenges, it's a part they delight in. "Finding new ways to deal with different challenges is a very enjoyable part of the process. And we happily continue to meet those challenges, as we maintain the belief that open-field is the best way to get the highest quality at a reasonable cost."
Sustainable growing
Organic farming has become more than a way of growing in the US, and is now well established in the industry. More consumers however, are looking deeper than just growing practices and want to find out the culture of a business and whether this is in harmony with what they value. Esformes noted that for Sunripe Certified, growing sustainably means extending the care from the plants to the surrounding community, as well as the environment that we are part of.
"This is the way I see it - farming is a way of life," he said. "We at Sunripe Certified want to make sure that our land is sustainable into the future, and therefore we access every tool possible to ensure that. We love what we grow, but what we love more are the people we grow it with. We all grow together as families and individuals, and when disaster strikes, it's a wonderful feeling to be standing next to the people we value and who value us. It is our honor to work with everyone at the company and we look forward to continuing to grow our products together."
For more information:
Jon Esformes
Sunripe Certified Brands
Tel: +1 (941) 722-3291