Divine Ripe shipping tomatoes year round
Divine Ripe shipping tomatoes year round
Divine Ripe, a Hidalgo, TX-based distributor of tomatoes, will ship product year round, according to Marco Jiminez, president of the company.
Mr. Jiminez, who began his career 11 years ago with his family's company, Bonanza, started Divine Ripe after splitting from Bonanza two years ago. He has since built his volume and uses "four or five big growers and some smaller growers" in various regions of Mexico. "I now have year-round supply on our own box," said Mr. Jiminez. "We have both round and Roma, with the majority (80 percent) being Romas."
Currently, the firm provides two grades of product. The "Divine" and "Regina" labels are the company's top brands, with product grading out at about 95 points. Its "Sarita" label grades out at 88-92 points. All product is No. 1 grade.
Production is currently comprised of greenhouse, shadehouse and open-field tomatoes. Mr. Jiminez said that 40 percent is now grown under cover and 60 percent is open field. Next year, he anticipates 60 percent will be grown under cover, and by 2009, 100 percent of product will be grown in either greenhouse or shadehouse.
He said that organic production is under consideration, but he would not speculate on when he might begin an organic program.
Mr. Jiminez, who began his career 11 years ago with his family's company, Bonanza, started Divine Ripe after splitting from Bonanza two years ago. He has since built his volume and uses "four or five big growers and some smaller growers" in various regions of Mexico. "I now have year-round supply on our own box," said Mr. Jiminez. "We have both round and Roma, with the majority (80 percent) being Romas."
Currently, the firm provides two grades of product. The "Divine" and "Regina" labels are the company's top brands, with product grading out at about 95 points. Its "Sarita" label grades out at 88-92 points. All product is No. 1 grade.
Production is currently comprised of greenhouse, shadehouse and open-field tomatoes. Mr. Jiminez said that 40 percent is now grown under cover and 60 percent is open field. Next year, he anticipates 60 percent will be grown under cover, and by 2009, 100 percent of product will be grown in either greenhouse or shadehouse.
He said that organic production is under consideration, but he would not speculate on when he might begin an organic program.