He said there has been good availability on those two melon options with promotable supplies kicking in during the third week of April. “We will be running in Mexico through the end of May on the PureHeart minis with the full-sized watermelons lasting into the first week of June,” he said.
By then, Nichols revealed that production will have transitioned to Yuma, AZ, with melon fields in that region taking the lead through June and into July with some varieties. California’s San Joaquin Valley is the prime production area for the full range of the Dulcinea options in July, August and September before the transition back to Mexico takes Dulcinea into the fall and winter months with its mini seedless watermelons. Pacific Trellis also has smaller seasonal deals in Idaho and Guatemala during specific time frames, which augment its supplies.
“We do offer our PureHeart mini seedless watermelon on a year-round basis,” offered Pacific Tellis/Dulcinea Farms Director of Marketing and Business Development Howard Nager, noting that all of the other melon options are seasonal.
Both Nichols and Nager explained that the seasonal lineup is dominated with high-flavor, specialty melon varieties that are the main drivers of the melon category in this day and age. In fact, Nager said mini seedless and full-sized seedless watermelons represented at least 60 percent of the melon category sales. He noted that traditional cantaloupes are still a solid category segment but they tend to get the best traction as part of a chain’s cut fruit program. He said many retail outlets report that their cut fruit, including all the various options, account for as much as 20 percent of fruit sales within the produce department.
Besides the aforementioned PureHeart mini seedless watermelon (both organic and conventional), under the Dulcinea banner, Pacific Trellis markets SunnyGold Yellow Mini Seedless Watermelon, Sugar Daddy Watermelon (full sized organic and conventional), and Tuscan-Style Extra Sweet Cantaloupe. Each of these varieties will have good volume throughout the summer with promotional opportunities, especially in June and July and into August and even September.
“All of the melons should be highly promotable around the Fourth of July,” said Nager, noting that is always a popular time to feature watermelons.
The company has also rebranded three other specialty melons under its new Pure Perfection Melon Program, also sold under the Dulcinea brand. This program includes Pure Sweetness, an extra sweet cantaloupe variety; Pure Sunshine, a green-fleshed Galia melon that is both sweet and juicy; and Pure Crunch, an oblong Chinese Hami melon that is touted as being as unique in flavor as it is in shape.
These specialty melons will be merchandised in a one-count mesh bag. During June, they will be grown in Arizona while production will come from California in July through September.
Pacific Trellis does offer retail merchandising aids for its many melon varieties, including a produce manager information sheet, point-of-sale signage, integration with customer advertising platforms, and the availability of demo opportunities. The Dulcinea marketing team also has a strong presence with online activations, including digital advertisements, social media graphics and eCommerce support.
Nichols said acreage and production for all the melons in the Dulcinea family are on par with 2024, if not slightly up. He added that this year the spring production from Mexico was a bit on the early side, but noted that in mid-May it was too early to make any predictions as to the exact timing of the California fruit.
