Nogales season lengthens as Grower Alliance expands
Nogales season lengthens as Grower Alliance expands
RIO RICO, AZ — The Nogales shipping season is expanding, Jorge Quintero Jr., the managing partner of Grower Alliance LLC, here, said. “We started earlier than ever” this summer, Quintero noted.
Grower Alliance had an early watermelon deal start Sept. 10, despite two unusual hurricanes struck West Mexico and largely washed out the watermelons. Nonetheless, the start date was 15 days earlier than normal.
At one time the Nogales deal began in November but now Culiacan and Sonora are increasingly shipping in October with products like melons, squash and cucumbers.
“So, we’re pushing other items earlier. We’re now competing with California. The customers want to come to one source for everything.” That source can be in Nogales.
This is the eighth season for Grower Alliance to operate. The firm is moving to ship 4.5 million packages this season, up more than one million packs from the 2013-14 shipping season. Quintero added, “There are other programs out there that we are not signing commitments for, but we may hit five million packages this season.”
In the previous seven years, Grower Alliance had fall and spring watermelon deals. “This year will be the first year we shipped all season with watermelons and honeydew.” Grower Alliance’s honeydew program uses the “Dolores” label. “We don’t have to try to sell it. People call and ask for ‘Dolores.’ ”
The firm has expanded its hot pepper business to be steady from late October into May. An increase of 500,000 packages of additional European cucumbers is slated for the coming season.
Grower Alliance “has dabbled with sweet corn — white, yellow and bi-color — in the past. We have customers that will be taking it in volume now.” The bi-color corn “is new to us this year.” The corn is packed with four dozen ears per carton or wood crate.
Come spring Grower Alliance will double its Roma tomato volume. That deal runs mid-March to mid-May.