Supplies of cantaloupes from regions such as Honduras are heavy, though they're paying the price in North America due to a lack of demand. “It seems there are plenty of cantaloupes and not enough business for them,” says Tom Drake of Pompano Beach, Fla.-based Central American Produce, whose company is currently receiving cantaloupes out of Honduras. “It’s been great growing conditions, plenty of production, good quality, great color, good sugars. The few times everything’s been working together, the markets aren’t there to support the volume of fruit.”
Drake notes that cantaloupe demand was down over the holiday season as well. “People seem to be more mindful of their spending right now,” he says. “It’s been a tough market.”
No big changes anticipated
Looking ahead, Drake predicts the market is likely to stay the same for the next few weeks. “I don’t think much is going to change because all producing areas are in. So between Costa Rica, Honduras and Guatemala, there’s quite a bit of fruit in the market,” he says. “Unless there’s a big change in the supply or a huge demand, I don’t see anything changing anytime soon. Weather is still good down south too and there’s no shortage of supplies.”
Meanwhile the honeydew melon, the light-green cousin melon to the orange cantaloupe, is currently faring well, though that might be due to a more minimal supply of them. “You grow more cantaloupe than honeydew generally,” Drake says. “When we’re in production, we’d do at least two cantaloupes to one honeydew. And they’re good right now.”
For more information:
Tom Drake
Central American Produce
Tel: +1 954-943-2303
[email protected]
http://www.centralamericanproduce.net/
