Watermelons are grown all over Texas and the state’s production is quite significant, ranking third in the country. “Our watermelons are grown in Garden City, but other key growing regions in the state include East Texas, Grande Valley and West Texas,” says Kevin Green with Jackson Melons. Green has been involved in the watermelon deal for 33 years. Harvest in East Texas is expected to start at the beginning of next week while Garden City will start around July 8 to 10. The Garden City season runs for about six weeks before harvest transitions to West Texas.
Late start
“Our season will start about two weeks later than normal due to cold weather. The year started out quite warm, but then we had a lot of cold weather later in the year, slowing growth.” Now, the watermelons are growing well and catching up. “This week, the heat is coming, and temperatures will go up to about 104°F in our area,” Green shared. These high temperatures could change the picture in terms of timing.
Expectations for the season are good. “The crop looks pretty good, and we are anticipating high yields,” Green said. Of course, yields could change depending on the weather. From a demand perspective, the picture is also positive. “There is a real supply shortage and demand is higher than supply,” Green commented. As many growing regions are slower to start, the shortage is expected to be temporary. “That is also my concern,” said Green. Right now, the market is at $0.30 - $0.32/lb. on seedless watermelons, which is higher than usual. “It’s one of the highest June markets I’ve ever seen, and I don’t remember pricing ever hitting the 30s. However, what happens after the 4th of July holiday when there is big supply and lower movement?”
Watermelons from Jackson Melons are sold all over the country. “The majority stays in the state of Texas, but it really depends on the market. “If there is a shortage out West, we’ll go West.”
For more information:
Kevin Green
Jackson Melons
Tel: (+1) 903-657-2760
kevin@jacksonmelons.com