The Peruvian sweet onion season is set to continue its strong run for several more weeks, according to suppliers. On the heels of the Peru season is the Mexico deal, which is reportedly showing some good signs ahead of the first shipments which are expected to begin by the end of February.
"Right now we are waiting for our Mexican sweet onions while we still have a few more weeks of Peruvian product," shared Troy Bland of Bland Farms. "The Mexico crop is showing some good early signs and we are excited by the quality we are seeing right now. We will look to wrap up the Peru season by the end of February. Good volumes have been coming out of Peru all season, and we have experienced good movement."
Sweet onions growing in Peru
Bland also noted that the Peru season is getting longer each year, with some suppliers receiving sweet onions until April. "It's a strong onion," he said. "It stores well so we are seeing more being imported each year."
Mexico market can be "unpredictable"
Currently, the sweet onion market is relatively flat, but suppliers say this is to be expected at this time of year. As the Peruvian season winds down and Mexico begins, there is not much to indicate which direction the market will take.
"The market is a little depressed right now, but it's nothing out of the ordinary," Bland said. "We also keep in mind that this is coming off the back of a tremendous Vidalia season last year and we are encouraged by the overall movement. Looking ahead, Mexico has always been tough to predict."
Troy Bland stands in a field in Tampico, Mexico
The Mexico season is not expected to carry on for very long, as the much-anticipated Vidalia onion season begins sometime in April.
Partnership announced in conjunction with Vidalia season
During the PMA Fresh Summit last October, Bland Farms announced a partnership with The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge on the Run, for the 2020 Vidalia season. As part of the partnership, Bland Farms announced there will be co-branded packaging, contests for both consumers and retailers, and specifically-designed point of sale materials. Meg Robinson, Marketing Manager for Bland Farms and Vidalia Brands, said the idea is to increase sales for retailers and generate interest among consumers, especially kids.
"All of our packaging and bins will be co-branded with SpongeBob," she explained. "With or without SpongeBob, Vidalia season is something consumers look forward to. We recommend building big displays to kick off the season. We encourage retailers to put our co-branded SpongeBob secondary display units in other areas of the stores like the meat department. There will be a display contest for retailers, with prizes awarded for the creativity of in store displays."
Delbert Bland and the SpongeBob character; Premium secondary display unit
"The partnership will increase sales and the SpongeBob characters will also grab the attention of children," she continued. "Consumers will have the chance to win prizes from movie passes to a grand prize of a family trip to Hollywood and the Paramount Studios. Additionally, our PLU stickers will feature the SpongeBob characters, including the elusive Gary the Snail."
The partnership will commence in April, when the Vidalia onion season begins.
For more information:
Troy Bland
Bland Farms
Ph: +1 (912) 654-1426
troy@blandfarms.com
www.blandfarms.com
Meg Robinson
meg@vidaliabrands.com