On the back of reduced watermelon yields from Mexico, the market for seedless fruit has remained higher than last year. Growers in Arizona, who harvest their melons next month, are expecting those prices to remain strong until then.Mexico has had trouble with yields, said Saul Gonzalez of Grower Alliance in Arizona. He believes the market will hold steady with prices which are higher than those seen last year.
"I've seen prices for seedless watermelons around 16 cents per pound," he said, "and that's due to lower yields."
Higher prices have also been encountered, as Bill Spence, of Sandia Distributors, noted. He said they've seen prices climb up to 20 cents per pound.
"The price is very good compared to last year when it was in the 12 to 14 cents per pound range," said Spence. He also cited lower production from Mexico as the reason behind higher prices, and he hopes those prices, along with good demand, continue throughout the summer.
"Demand is good for product shipped right now," he said, "and we hope that Memorial Day demand pull translates into a good Fourth of July." The anticipated start date for the watermelon harvest in Arizona is June 10th.