Imported cantaloupe supply is good, depending on where the fruit is being sourced from. "Our main farm that we import from in Honduras is hitting a peak on their cantaloupe harvest right now. So we have great supply, especially on the East Coast," says Justin Bootz with Legend Produce, noting it ships in the East out of the Ports of Miami and New Jersey. "We have great volume there right now."
© Legend Produce
West Coast supply from Honduras is also good, though more limited due to the logistics and sea freight. "We can only send so many containers to the West Coast, so that limits us a little bit, though volume is generally good right now," he adds. Legend uses the Port of Hueneme in the West Coast, shipping out of Oxnard, CA.
Meanwhile industry-wide, those who source from Guatemala are seeing a bit of a supply gap, possibly due to rains and more.
East Coast vs. West Coast
As for demand, it is good following the quieter weeks of Christmas and New Year's Day holidays. This week however, demand on cantaloupes is ramping up so movement is increasing. "Pricing is good and trending upwards due to those reasons," says Bootz, noting though that price also depends on the port of entry. "In offshore melons, prices are a bit cheaper out of the East Coast since it costs a little less to get product there from Central America. West Coast pricing is typically a dollar or two higher to cover those increased sea freight costs. Still, we always need to remain competitive to keep our volume moving."
© Legend Produce
As for offshore honeydew melons, which generally start a few weeks after offshore cantaloupes, they're just starting to come in from Honduras. That volume is expected to ramp up going forward. There is also limited supply from Mexico currently, but that volume is also expected to increase. All of this is meeting strong demand given it exceeds supply.
It's also leaving honeydew pricing strong, at around $19 on the East Coast, and on the West Coast for Mexican fruit, it's between $12-$15 depending on size. Offshore honeydew are expected to be in a similar price range once supply picks up.
For more information:
Justin Bootz
Legend Produce
Tel: +1 (623) 298-3782
[email protected]
www.legendproduce.com
