With some 2,500 acres of melons in production on the west side of the San Joaquin Valley, Westside Produce in Firebaugh, CA, anticipates “business as usual this year,” except for a little bit earlier start than usual, according to Garrett Patricio, vice president and general counsel.

The expected start date is between June 25 and 28, just slightly earlier than the typical start date of about July 1.

“Acreage for the year appears to be normal,” with ample supplies of melons available “during our peak shipping months of July, August, September and into October,” he said.

He expects that production for the industry should be normal as well.

Garrett Patricio by a pallet of Westside Produce ‘Tri’ label cantaloupes.“The biggest concern around the industry is the drought” and its possible effect on California cantaloupes, he said. But “at this point, we don’t believe there will be any problems supplying cantaloupes or any production-related issues.”

Water deliveries are “a concern going forward,” he said. But for 2014, Westside Produce’s growers seem to be in a good situation with regard to water. “We’ve got some established growers with pre-1914 water rights,” and those century-old historic rights are “a tremendous benefit.”

The company is “extremely focused on delivering a high-quality product that meets or exceeds traditional Brix levels and quality characteristics of California melons,” Patricio said.

The melon varieties being grown by the company this year are “similar to years past,” he said. There are “no major new offerings this year.”

Westside Produce does business with “a significant number of retail chains as well as several of the nation’s largest foodservice providers,” he said. “We will continue to have our foodservice program, we will continue to have our retail program, and keep delivering quality melons to those customers that want to continue to promote melons in the summer.”

The California drought has been “a major concern for a lot of customers,” Patricio said. “We have gone out of our way” to reassure them that “the drought is not going to be an issue this year. Going forward, we are not quite certain,” although by having growers with pre-1914 water rights, Westside Produce “appears to be positioned well” to continue supplying cantaloupes “for a long time.”

Most of the company’s growers have either been on drip irrigation systems for a long time or are developing drip systems, he said. Those systems not only reduce water use but also reduce food-safety concerns.

“Westside Produce has always been a leader in food safety and will continue to be a leader in food safety going forward,” he continued.

“Not only are we committed to delivering a high-quality product, but we are also committed to delivering the safest product available on the market,” Patricio said.

One major issue Westside Produce has been facing is skyrocketing electricity rates. Looking to combat that and to “continue operating our cold storage facility at peak level,” the company has installed a solar power generating system that will deliver in excess of one megawatt of power, which should “offset virtually all of our power needs not only for this year but for years forward,” Patricio said. “We are highly focused on innovative technology that will allow us to continue delivering product and shipping from California, taking advantage of our beautiful California weather.”

Solar power is “something we have been looking at for six or seven years now, and the opportunity seemed right,” he said. Although many of the incremental tax benefits are no longer available, the costs of installation “have come down significantly.”