At the same time, Cunningham predicts a positive year from its overseas growers. “We’re increasing our volume from Israel right now,” says Cunningham. Add to that the fact that Morocco and Spain are winding down their seasons—Spain earlier than usual thanks to weather—and that kicks off a new batch of imports of Satsumas from Peru. “Peru will start about two weeks early. Grapes started early this year and it seems like the citrus will follow the grape crop in Peru and Chile,” says Cunningham, who predicts a particularly strong season from Peru. “We’re excited. I think Peru is going to have a good year. And Chile is very early—they had a hot growing season so we still have some time to see how the fruit does as it grows,” she says. “We’ll have a good year from Chile. We have a couple of our growers who have a lot of new plantings coming on in Chile this year so we’re excited.”
Pricing proves positive
Meanwhile pricing also looks positive. “We’re programmed pricing but it all seems to be positive pricing for the grower,” says Cunningham. “We haven’t seen it where the market has gotten filled up with fruit and pricing has been horrid from a grower perspective. And from the retail side, prices have been good with promotable volumes and promotable pricing.”
So for now, as challenging as the weather seems to be, it’s leaving a positive effect on the mandarin market. “Nothing is normal on the weather. Everything is uncharacteristically is different than what anybody would call a normal growing season,” Cunningham says. “I guess the challenge has become our new normal.”
For more information:
Linda Cunningham
Classic Harvest Produce
Tel: +1 559 549 5980
linda@classicharvestproduce.com
www.classicharvestproduce.com