With the first melons being picked from the California desert on April 28, Barry Zwillinger told The Produce News that it is the "earliest and best melon crop in 30 years of doing this.”

Zwillinger, who is the owner of Legend Produce, which has operations in both California and Arizona, said what appears to be a great season for his firm is the result of perfect growing weather and the company’s exclusive deal to market the Origami variety of cantaloupe.

“Last year [in the desert], because of disease problems with the Mosaic virus, we struggled to find good fruit,” he said. “We lost about 30 percent of our crop.”

This year, a couple of hard freezes early on knocked down the white fly population, which carries the mosaic virus, and then a warm spring helped the fruit mature quickly and beautifully.

All of the fields look great, but Zwillinger is especially proud of the Origami variety.

“It is a great piece of fruit,” he said. “It has a full slip, longer shelf life, small seed cavity, thin rind, great deep orange color, good aroma and a Brix level of 14-15 percent. It eats fantastic.”

Because of this variety, which is from Harris Moran Seed Co., and the popularity it has engendered among the buyer community, Legend has increased its desert acreage this year. Zwillinger said total desert melon acreage for all growers is down this year, but Legend has registered a significant increase.

He said the necessary food-safety protocols that must be followed make it difficult for the smaller grower to put in any acreage.

“There used to be a lot of 100- or 200-acre growers,” he said. “Now I don’t think anyone is growing less than 300 acres.”

While that has resulted in fewer total acres, Zwillinger believes that because of better yields for the entire industry over last season’s disease-plagued crop, total production will probably be on par with the last couple of years.

“We are picking a few melons today in Brawley [CA] and will start our regular harvest in those fields tomorrow,” he said April 28. “By next Monday [May 4] we will be in full production in both Brawley and Yuma, and there will be promotable volume next week.”

Legend also grows melons in Maricopa in Arizona and by late June, its fields on the Westside of the San Joaquin Valley will be ready for harvest. It also has increased its production in the Woodland area of Northern California because of the state’s well-publicized drought. He said those many districts will help Legend have continuous supplies from now throughout the summer.

“We are anticipating no gaps from here on out,” he said.

Zwillinger noted that most U.S. retailers look forward to the beginning of the domestic production with the start of the California and Arizona desert deals.  

“Most retailers, especially those looking for high-quality fruit, are very happy when the domestic production begins,” he said. “It’s here now!”

Legend Produce is a year-round supplier of melons and Zwillinger said he will continue to bring in melons from Honduras through the middle of May via several different U.S. ports.