SunnyRidge finding success producing very low-latitude blueberries in Mexico
SunnyRidge finding success producing very low-latitude blueberries in Mexico
TUXPAN, JALISCO, MEXICO -- The acquisition of the exclusive rights to several University of Florida-developed blueberry varieties that require few to no chill hours to thrive has enabled SunnyRidge Farm Inc. to develop a Mexican blueberry program that it debuted Nov. 21, here.
At 19 degrees latitude, the blueberry bushes, which have begun to yield their first crop, may be some of the few blueberry plants to successfully grow this close to the equator. Paul Lyrene, a professor of horticultural sciences at the University of Florida, developed the varieties over many years. SunnyRidge acquired the rights to about 25 varieties, which it began trialing at its farming operation here, and the firm has narrowed that initial planting down to about 10 varieties that have been most successful and yielded the best fruit.
SunnyRidge plans to harvest blueberries from this farm from October through April, though the pickings will be intentionally staggered to satisfy customer need and to complement production peaks and valleys from other producing areas such as Chile.
Conceived about four years ago and after a little more than three years of physical development, this newest of SunnyRidge's farms is located at a relatively high altitude of 5,000 feet and is surrounded by mountains, some of which are actually volcanoes. It employs state-of-the-art technology such as computer-monitored-and-controlled irrigation systems to ensure that the composition of the water is ideal for the blueberries, blackberries and raspberries being grown there, and that it is in full GlobalGAP compliance. Efforts are continuing to bring more area growers under the SunnyRidge umbrella to produce more fruit for the firm, but the existing operation is composed of roughly 250 acres of blueberries, 75 acres of blackberries, 50 acres of raspberries, 8.5 acres of nursery and 10 acres devoted to research and development, with a 9,700-square-foot packing center.
The farm will share a marketing window with blueberries from Chile, but Keith Mixon, president, said that SunnyRidge has a closer proximity to U.S. markets that give it an advantage over Chile. He said that fruit from this farm can be picked and arrive in New York City in four days, for example. "We will intentionally create valleys" in response to market timing, with corresponding peaks, too, he said.
The firm's strikingly candy-sweet blueberries are the stars at the Tuxpan farm, but they share the stage with blackberries and raspberries. The Brazilian Tupi variety blackberry, which is probably the most widely grown blackberry in the world, is quite thorny, making handling the plants and harvesting the fruit challenging and also often leading to fruit damage when thorns injure the berries in the wind. "Mexico is the largest producer of blackberries in the world, and the Tupi is why," Mr. Mixon said. The firm has been producing them for some time at its operations in Los Reyes, Michoacan, Mexico, where blackberries are the dominant industry but where water is scarcer and well digging is not permitted. With some Tupi in production at its Tuxpan farm, SunnyRidge is exploring alternative varieties, for which it has secured exclusive rights, developed by John R. Clark, professor of horticulture at the University of Arkansas. Those plants are in their first generation of trialing, having been planted in July.
The plants have reached a size that is large enough to reach the tops of the farm's trellises, so work to secure them to the support systems was was underway in late November. Tupi blackberries must be trellised from the beginning, marking another advantage for the firm's new varieties over the ubiquitous Tupi. The expectation is to harvest the fruit from the plants during an October-through-May window, and the fruit should be "super sweet," according to Mr. Mixon, who added that it will be marketed as such.
As for the raspberries, lessons learned from blackberry production in some cases have been applied to those fields. For instance, it was discovered that using the defoliating spray necessary for Tupi production on the bottom few inches of foliage on the firm's raspberry plants helped to control mites on the plants.
The raspberry variety in production is from England and yields large, sweet, firm fruit in strong volumes, according to Mr. Mixon, who added that the berries will be "shipping soon."
Present at the grand opening of the Tuxpan farm were dignitaries including Alberto C?rdenas Jim?nez, secretary of agriculture of Mexico, and Emilio Gonz?lez M?rquez, governor of the state of Jalisco. Both took turns at the podium before dinner was served for the roughly 300 invited guests, and Mr. Jim?nez, through an interpreter for the English speakers in the audience, praised the success of farming operations such as those of SunnyRidge and noted that about 55 million acres of produce are planted throughout Mexico. Mr. M?rquez, also speaking mostly through an interpreter for the non- Spanish-speaking guests, noted the importance of working with universities to develop new varieties and added that it is important that Mexico get involved in such efforts. "We have the talent; we have the brain power," he said.
Following other speeches, the day ended with a meal that highlighted the farm's bounty and with music into the night provided by an accomplished 11-piece mariachi band in full regalia.
(Additional photos appear in the Dec. 1 issue of The Produce News.)
At 19 degrees latitude, the blueberry bushes, which have begun to yield their first crop, may be some of the few blueberry plants to successfully grow this close to the equator. Paul Lyrene, a professor of horticultural sciences at the University of Florida, developed the varieties over many years. SunnyRidge acquired the rights to about 25 varieties, which it began trialing at its farming operation here, and the firm has narrowed that initial planting down to about 10 varieties that have been most successful and yielded the best fruit.
SunnyRidge plans to harvest blueberries from this farm from October through April, though the pickings will be intentionally staggered to satisfy customer need and to complement production peaks and valleys from other producing areas such as Chile.
Conceived about four years ago and after a little more than three years of physical development, this newest of SunnyRidge's farms is located at a relatively high altitude of 5,000 feet and is surrounded by mountains, some of which are actually volcanoes. It employs state-of-the-art technology such as computer-monitored-and-controlled irrigation systems to ensure that the composition of the water is ideal for the blueberries, blackberries and raspberries being grown there, and that it is in full GlobalGAP compliance. Efforts are continuing to bring more area growers under the SunnyRidge umbrella to produce more fruit for the firm, but the existing operation is composed of roughly 250 acres of blueberries, 75 acres of blackberries, 50 acres of raspberries, 8.5 acres of nursery and 10 acres devoted to research and development, with a 9,700-square-foot packing center.
The farm will share a marketing window with blueberries from Chile, but Keith Mixon, president, said that SunnyRidge has a closer proximity to U.S. markets that give it an advantage over Chile. He said that fruit from this farm can be picked and arrive in New York City in four days, for example. "We will intentionally create valleys" in response to market timing, with corresponding peaks, too, he said.
The firm's strikingly candy-sweet blueberries are the stars at the Tuxpan farm, but they share the stage with blackberries and raspberries. The Brazilian Tupi variety blackberry, which is probably the most widely grown blackberry in the world, is quite thorny, making handling the plants and harvesting the fruit challenging and also often leading to fruit damage when thorns injure the berries in the wind. "Mexico is the largest producer of blackberries in the world, and the Tupi is why," Mr. Mixon said. The firm has been producing them for some time at its operations in Los Reyes, Michoacan, Mexico, where blackberries are the dominant industry but where water is scarcer and well digging is not permitted. With some Tupi in production at its Tuxpan farm, SunnyRidge is exploring alternative varieties, for which it has secured exclusive rights, developed by John R. Clark, professor of horticulture at the University of Arkansas. Those plants are in their first generation of trialing, having been planted in July.
The plants have reached a size that is large enough to reach the tops of the farm's trellises, so work to secure them to the support systems was was underway in late November. Tupi blackberries must be trellised from the beginning, marking another advantage for the firm's new varieties over the ubiquitous Tupi. The expectation is to harvest the fruit from the plants during an October-through-May window, and the fruit should be "super sweet," according to Mr. Mixon, who added that it will be marketed as such.
As for the raspberries, lessons learned from blackberry production in some cases have been applied to those fields. For instance, it was discovered that using the defoliating spray necessary for Tupi production on the bottom few inches of foliage on the firm's raspberry plants helped to control mites on the plants.
The raspberry variety in production is from England and yields large, sweet, firm fruit in strong volumes, according to Mr. Mixon, who added that the berries will be "shipping soon."
Present at the grand opening of the Tuxpan farm were dignitaries including Alberto C?rdenas Jim?nez, secretary of agriculture of Mexico, and Emilio Gonz?lez M?rquez, governor of the state of Jalisco. Both took turns at the podium before dinner was served for the roughly 300 invited guests, and Mr. Jim?nez, through an interpreter for the English speakers in the audience, praised the success of farming operations such as those of SunnyRidge and noted that about 55 million acres of produce are planted throughout Mexico. Mr. M?rquez, also speaking mostly through an interpreter for the non- Spanish-speaking guests, noted the importance of working with universities to develop new varieties and added that it is important that Mexico get involved in such efforts. "We have the talent; we have the brain power," he said.
Following other speeches, the day ended with a meal that highlighted the farm's bounty and with music into the night provided by an accomplished 11-piece mariachi band in full regalia.
(Additional photos appear in the Dec. 1 issue of The Produce News.)
