Hapco Farms gearing up for start of domestic watermelon season
Hapco Farms is looking forward to the start of its domestic watermelon deal, with product from south Florida expected to begin shipping in late April.
Intergrow adds cherry tomatoes-on-the-vine to lineup
Intergrow Greenhouses Inc., a leading North American greenhouse producer based in Albion, NY, has added cherry tomatoes-on-the-vine to its lineup for 2016, joining its TOVs and Beefsteak tomatoes.
Mexican watermelon deal to be fast and furious
The Nogales watermelon deal began for The Sykes Co. on April 1.
Bill Sykes, owner of the Nogales firm, said Mexico is shipping “a large, high-quality crop for the industry.”
The Mexican watermelon deal will be fast, furious and will end by late May.
Sykes’ volume is up this year. “We’re going to have quite a bit of stuff through mid-May,” he said.
Epic Produce Sales anticipates strong watermelon supplies
PHOENIX, AZ — The Mexican watermelon deal for Epic Produce Sales LLC will be finished by Memorial Day. But neither the firm nor consumers need to worry about a shortage of watermelons before or after that point, according to Epic’s watermelon specialists Art Miller, Pato Rodriguez and Jimmy Neal.
The three sat in the firm’s comfortable new office in the south side of Phoenix to discuss Epic’s involvement in the watermelon industry.
Mexican watermelons bringing good color and size
Mexican watermelon volume began flowing into Nogales around March 23.
Prices began dropping about as soon as the trucks started arriving, according to George Quintero Jr., the managing partner of Grower Alliance LLC. The f.o.b. plunge “was faster than we expected,” he said March 30.
“Now we’re into the fields that are coming on. We hope it will stabilize in the next week,” he said.
Watermelons ‘rolling’ for Midwest Best Produce
As Mexican volume coming through Nogales started in late March, Midwest Best Produce Inc., based in St. Louis, was going to be switching from watermelon cartons to bins. “The Mexican volume will pick up until Georgia comes in,” said owner Dan Pupillo Jr. “From here on out, we will roll into spring, until Missouri gets started at the end of June.”
Then, in the second week of July will come Midwest Best’s “main push, which is the Indiana watermelon deal,” he said.
Keith Connell expands Mexican watermelon deal
“We have a big watermelon deal from Hermosillo, Mexico, this year,” said Mike Meyer, a salesman for Keith Connell Inc., based in Stillwell, KS.
Meyer said a very aggressive sales effort from Mexico a year ago paid off and led to expansion this season. “It was tough to sell last year, but everyone with a phone and computer was getting a quote.”
Maggie G checks out golf Texas-style at Viva Fresh tourney
SAN ANTONIO, TX — Country music, Jerry Jeff Walker and Pitbull on the golf course? Must be San Antonio. Dozens of duffers brought out their A game (or as close as they had) for the Viva Fresh golf tournament at the TPC course at the JW Marriot Hill Country Resort & Spa here.
Sprouts Farmers Market announces expansion plans
Sprouts Farmers Market, one of the fastest-growing retailers in the country, announced new locations it will open in the third quarter of 2016. Sprouts will open a total of 36 stores in 2016, 24 of which have already been announced.
USDA says Mass. company 'unfit' for PACA, Az. man cited for PACA violations
The U.S. Department of Agriculture has filed a notice to show cause under the Perishable Agricultural Commodities Act against The Alphas Co. Inc. The USDA alleges that the company is unfit to be licensed under PACA in that it and its president engaged in practices of a character prohibited by PACA.