Supplies of white and yellow dragon fruits are short.
“On yellow dragon fruit especially, it is harvested in two regions in Ecuador and both are experiencing a production gap and we may not see significant production from them until July,” says Jose Roggiero of Miami, FL-based Freshway Produce, Inc.
Florida production on dragon fruit is running slightly late due to lack of rain.
White dragon fruit volume from Ecuador has significantly decreased as well and all eyes are on incoming supplies of domestic production out Florida. “Florida production is running slightly late due to lack of rain. Red dragon fruit may start towards the end of this month with low volume out of Florida and go to November. Then white dragon fruit may start in Florida either the week before or the week of the 4th of July,” says Roggiero.
Ecuador has been supplying larger volumes of dragon fruit this season. “Ecuador farms and crops are still only between three and five years old for the most part. So yield per acre will continue growing as the plants grow older,” says Roggiero.
Delayed Florida start
Meanwhile in Florida, the slightly later start is due to the make up of the weather. “We haven’t had much of a combination of rain and sun that helps the fruit grow faster,” says Roggiero.
That means plants have fruit developing at different stages. “There’s fruit you’re going to harvest in a week, fruit that you’re going to harvest in 22 days and fruit that you’re going to harvest in 42 days--all on the same plant,” Roggiero says. “That means there’s a small production coming towards the end of the month but by the middle of next month, we’ll start seeing more activity out of Florida.”
Red dragon fruit may start towards the end of this month with low volume out of Florida while white dragon fruit may start in Florida either the week before or the week of July 4.
With growing demand on the fruit, the market in general currently sits at a demand exceeds supply situation. “Towards the end of February and all of March, prices were very low because there was an oversupply,” Roggiero says. He adds that dragon fruit will be a good promotional product during the summer for retailers to consider.
For more information:
Jose Roggiero
Freshway Produce Inc.
jose@freshwayusa.com
www.freshwayusa.com