Duda Farm Fresh Foods' shipping lemons from new facility in Mexico
Duda Farm Fresh Foods' shipping lemons from new facility in Mexico
The Mexican lemon season is underway, and Duda Farm Fresh Foods, headquartered in Oviedo, FL, is packing and shipping lemons from its newly constructed, 33,000-square-foot fresh citrus packinghouse in Guemez, Tamaulipas, Mexico, near Ciudad Victoria.
The state-of-the-art facility, which is a partnership between Duda Farm Fresh Foods and Mexico Citrus Farms Inc., is managed and staffed by Mexico Citrus Farms Inc. Citrus at the facility is packed exclusively for Duda Farm Fresh Foods and includes full traceability.
"The facility has the degreening-cooling capacity to store up to 42,000 cartons, or 2,116 bins," Nichole Towell, marketing development manager for Duda Farm Fresh Foods, told The Produce News. "Some of the latest features incorporated into the design and construction include high-tech degreening systems, cold rooms, a line that can pack up to 1,700 cartons per hour and the latest grading equipment. All products are packed to California quality standards, and the facility has been certified by PrimusLabs."
Ms. Towell said that the facility demonstrates Duda's commitment to its long-term fresh-market program with advanced growing practices. The new packinghouse, which became operational in July, completes the company's fully integrated program. It will be operating during the Mexican citrus season, which runs from July through March.
Duda projects that 500,000 cartons will be packed during the season. All Duda's Mexican products are shipped through its McAllen, TX, facility, where it has bagging capabilities and additional quality-control protocols in place. The packinghouse in Mexico is about four hours from Duda's facility in Texas, making same-day delivery available.
"This year, we are seeing drought conditions [at grove sites in Mexico], but we are expecting light rain soon that will be beneficial for the groves and the size of the fruit," said Alberto Cuellar, global business development director for Duda Farm Fresh Foods. "The growing region is characterized for sizing fruit fast, but due to the rainfall shortage this year, we are looking at a small delay in the sizing process.
"A major advantage for our customers is to have fresher lemons during the summer," Mr. Cuellar continued. "With the technology we have in place, we will be able to guarantee freshness as never before during the summer. The Mexican lemon program offers an opportunity for customers to switch from a storage lemon to a fresh lemon, which allows for the highest-quality fruit available."
Duda Farm Fresh Foods is a major grower, shipper and marketer of fresh citrus and fresh and fresh-cut vegetables with primary locations in Florida, Texas, California, Arizona, Georgia and Michigan. Duda Farm Fresh Foods is a wholly owned subsidiary of Duda, a family-owned, diversified land company headquartered in Oviedo, FL.
The state-of-the-art facility, which is a partnership between Duda Farm Fresh Foods and Mexico Citrus Farms Inc., is managed and staffed by Mexico Citrus Farms Inc. Citrus at the facility is packed exclusively for Duda Farm Fresh Foods and includes full traceability.
"The facility has the degreening-cooling capacity to store up to 42,000 cartons, or 2,116 bins," Nichole Towell, marketing development manager for Duda Farm Fresh Foods, told The Produce News. "Some of the latest features incorporated into the design and construction include high-tech degreening systems, cold rooms, a line that can pack up to 1,700 cartons per hour and the latest grading equipment. All products are packed to California quality standards, and the facility has been certified by PrimusLabs."
Ms. Towell said that the facility demonstrates Duda's commitment to its long-term fresh-market program with advanced growing practices. The new packinghouse, which became operational in July, completes the company's fully integrated program. It will be operating during the Mexican citrus season, which runs from July through March.
Duda projects that 500,000 cartons will be packed during the season. All Duda's Mexican products are shipped through its McAllen, TX, facility, where it has bagging capabilities and additional quality-control protocols in place. The packinghouse in Mexico is about four hours from Duda's facility in Texas, making same-day delivery available.
"This year, we are seeing drought conditions [at grove sites in Mexico], but we are expecting light rain soon that will be beneficial for the groves and the size of the fruit," said Alberto Cuellar, global business development director for Duda Farm Fresh Foods. "The growing region is characterized for sizing fruit fast, but due to the rainfall shortage this year, we are looking at a small delay in the sizing process.
"A major advantage for our customers is to have fresher lemons during the summer," Mr. Cuellar continued. "With the technology we have in place, we will be able to guarantee freshness as never before during the summer. The Mexican lemon program offers an opportunity for customers to switch from a storage lemon to a fresh lemon, which allows for the highest-quality fruit available."
Duda Farm Fresh Foods is a major grower, shipper and marketer of fresh citrus and fresh and fresh-cut vegetables with primary locations in Florida, Texas, California, Arizona, Georgia and Michigan. Duda Farm Fresh Foods is a wholly owned subsidiary of Duda, a family-owned, diversified land company headquartered in Oviedo, FL.
