Supplies of hot peppers in Mexico continue to be low. “The weather is slowing down production,” says Mario Cisneros with Perlag Imports in Texas. The company grows hot peppers year-round in Mexico’s Monterrey region. “Last week, temperatures reached 104°F twice here in Texas, but it’s even a bit warmer in our growing region in Mexico,” he said. The heat doesn’t only have an impact on production volume, it also affects the quality of the product. Cisneros is hopeful however that temperatures will come down in the next few weeks. “We are waiting for colder weather to come in, so things get a chance to freshen up a bit.”
The main chile pepper varieties for Perlag Imports are Jalapeño, Poblano, and Serrano. From Monterrey, the peppers are trucked to the company’s warehouse in McAllen, TX, where they are inspected and washed. If they are accepted, they are distributed throughout the entire USA. “Our hot peppers are offered in three different types of boxes. A generic box as well as a box with our label Tarasco, and we offer a box with our premium brand Monarca.”
High prices
While the weather results in slow production, a lot of people still ask for chile peppers. “Demand is good, which drives up pricing,” said Cisneros. “Jumbo and XL Jalapeños, for instance, are usually about $16/box and are now at $26/box, an increase of more than 60 percent.” Large Jalapeños are around $20/box, and de-stemmed Jalapeños run at $26/box. “With Serranos, we are also seeing a steep increase. While they usually are around $24 per box, we are now selling Serranos at $31.50/box. Poblano peppers XL are $26.50 per box, while the large size is around $25.
For more information:
Mario Cisneros
Perlag Imports
Tel.: (+1) 956-627-3313
[email protected]
www.perlagimportsllc.com