Prime Time watermelon production ramps up in May
Prime Time watermelon production ramps up in May
Mike Aiton, director of marketing for Prime Time International, said the company is gearing up for watermelon production.
“The weather has recently smoothed out after a very hot January and a very cold February in the Coachella Valley,” he told The Produce News. “Consequently, the start of the crop will mirror last year, with an estimated starting date of May 2.”
He said El Niño conditions did not have a significant impact on the desert planting and growing season.
“The majority of the wet weather was in the central and northern part of the state,” Aiton added. Total acreage in watermelon production remained unchanged from last year, Aiton said.
Prime Time will market watermelons through June 15, peaking during the Memorial Day holiday. “A very late Memorial Day will enable higher volume this year for the holiday,” he commented. “Currently, the fruit is about the size of a baseball. The plants are healthy and flourishing, and we are hoping for a large yield, similar to what we enjoyed a year ago.”
Seeded and seedless watermelons are marketed under the Prime Time label. Aiton said the majority of the fruit is packed in two-foot bins and sold to retailers and wholesalers.
Aiton said it remains to be seen what kind of impact movement in western Canada will have as the watermelon season unfolds. “Western Canada is normally a big factor in the early watermelon season here,” he stated. “However, a difficult exchange rate will raise retails and may curtail purchases and encourage the trade there to move to a smaller (less expensive) size. Last year was a difficult year for early watermelon producers. A huge crop from Mexico and from Southern California forced prices down, and watermelons were a significant bargain. It appears as if this poor market from a year ago has not discouraged plantings this year.”
