Mack: Heat means sweet watermelons
Mack: Heat means sweet watermelons
Although Florida weather has been warmer than Arnold Mack, president and chief executive officer of McMelon Inc., would like to see it for watermelon production, he said the news isn’t all that bad.
“It’s been a little warm,” he told The Produce News in mid-May. “But I’ll take the heat as long as it doesn’t rain.” Heat means sweet when it comes to watermelon production, he commented.
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.
“Quality has been good for us,” he went on to say. “Heat creates more sugar.” Quality for the South Florida crop actually exceeded initial expectations. “Yields are turning out better than we anticipated. We’ve generally had better than average yields,” Mack stated.
Mack said production in the southern part of the Sunshine State will carry through late May, at which time McMelon will turn its attention to production in North Florida. “The fields look good overall,” he said of production in the region. The North Florida harvest ramped up on May 23.
Disease pressures in North Florida will result in some reduced watermelon size.
Around June 15, McMelon will begin Georgia production to keep customers supplied during July. He said it’s too early to predict crop quality and sizing at this time.
Watermelon is marketed under the “McMelon” label to the company’s retail and foodservice customers. “Most of our business is chain stores,” Mack added.
