Excellent weather conditions for kale growers in Mexico

Mild weather in the Mexican growing regions has seen kale production thrive. In the Baja California region, growers are able to produce kale year-round, with the current season crops responding well to recent warm and sunny conditions.

"We grow, harvest and process all our kale year-round in Baja California," said Anthony Vasquez of NewStar Fresh foods. "At this time of year, we grow it in the Mexicali Valley. We have experienced very favorable, mild weather, which has created phenomenal growing conditions. Highs have been in the mid to high 70s and we expect this will build a clean transition to our coastal region, near Ensenada, in April."

Demand for kale during the start of the year has so far been steady. Suppliers note that long term growth continues to be positive, with figures indicating that kale has cemented a stable presence in the market. "Demand in the front part of the year has been steady," Vasquez said. "We continue to see growing demand over the long term and in the past three years, we have experienced double digit growth. It's certainly a sign that kale has not lost its luster. It's not a commodity that appears and gradually fades away - it's here to stay."

Vasquez noted that a lot of the growth is derived from consumers looking for healthy supplements. "There has been strong growth in home use for kale, with customers using it for juicing or in their cooking," he said. "The mature kale, in particular, is seeing strong growth in this sector, as it tends to generate more usable product. We also see strong interest in the Red Flowering kale for the foodservice industry."

NewStar Fresh Foods will be exhibiting at Southern Exposure in Tampa, but this year, they won't be launching a new product. Instead, the company plans to focus on what they see as 're-launching' their established products. Vazquez said it's important to pay attention to existing products, ensuring they are promoted well in the retail and other environments. His approach this year will direct attention to packaging, labeling and partnerships with businesses, including those that provide home delivery of fresh produce items.

"NewStar Fresh have been in the midst of overhaul some of our products and therefore we will be re-launching specific items, with a focus on our core offerings," Vasquez shared. "We will also be promoting innovation on the retail side in such areas as merchandising opportunities. The number of non-PLU produce items is reducing every year and we want to make sure that packaging doesn't overwhelm the customer. It's all about the message being delivered in manner that is clean and fresh."

"We also work with a lot of home delivery businesses, a sector which continues to see excellent growth," he continued. "Southern Exposure will give us an opportunity to connect with our partners and continue to discuss ways in which we can promote products. For example, encouraging customers to revisit certain items in creative ways, such as through healthy recipes."

NewStar Fresh Foods will be at booth number 544.

For more information:

Anthony Vasquez

Tel: +1 (888) 782-7220