Mack: Florida crop is progressing quite well
Mack: Florida crop is progressing quite well
Arnold Mack, president and chief executive officer of McMelon Inc., said growing conditions for watermelon production point to a favorable Florida season. “The Florida crop is progressing quite well,” he told The Produce News in early April. “The crop is impressive looking. We should have some nice promotable volume.”
Looking at the industry as a whole, Mack said Florida production showed some activity at the beginning of April, and many of the state’s watermelon producers anticipating activity to ramp up during mid-April. “Everyone will be irrigating,” he said.
McMelon, which didn’t begin planting until Jan. 20, will come into its own volume in May.
“It’s been warm at night,” Mack continued. “The wind has subsided.” Windy conditions can create scarring on young watermelons that becomes noticeable as they mature. “That will be at a minimum,” he went on to say.
The company’s production acreage in the Sunshine State is located north of Okeechobee, FL, and west of Vero Beach, FL. Mack said production transitions from the more southerly growing area to fields in the north as the season progresses.
Memorial Day, a time of year when consumers actively purchase watermelons for their holiday menus, will see good volume from McMelon. “If we can stay pretty dry, we can ship into June,” Mack noted.
The fruit is marketed under the “McMelon” label to the company’s retail and foodservice customers. “Most of our business is chainstores,” Mack said.
