“We currently have good volumes of asparagus from the Caborca region of Mexico,” said Charlie Eagle, vice president of business development for Southern Specialties, a leading grower, importer and distributor of specialty produce, in an interview with The Produce News Jan. 21. “We’re loading the asparagus in San Luis, Mexico. Promotional volumes will be available in February and March.”

Caborca is both a municipality and a municipal seat in the Mexican state of Sonora.

Southern Specialties also has Mexican blackberries from the Michoacan region of Mexico, which will be crossing into the United States through McAllen, TX.

Purple Zebra heirloom tomatoes growing at Southern Specialties greenhouse in Guatemala.“Guatemala blackberries will follow later in the season,” noted Eagle. “We expect Guatemalan blackberry volumes to slowly increase as we approach Valentine’s Day. Both Mexican and Guatemalan blackberries will be available at the same time.

“Chilean blueberries are in full swing with good supplies for Valentine’s Day, and we expect Florida blueberries to start early this year,” he continued. “We also have good supplies of limes from Guatemala, and volumes will begin to decrease in early to mid-February.”

Eagle added that the company is expecting slightly smaller fruit sizes on the limes due to the drier weather conditions in the growing regions.

Kent mangos out of Peru will be peaking for Southern Specialties, and good volumes of large Formosa papayas are now available.

“Golden papayas out of Brazil are starting to come back in quality after suffering some rains and floods in production areas of the country,” Eagle observed.

Southern Specialties is enthusiastic about a new company launch this year of a greenhouse-grown specialty tomato program, also in Guatemala.

“We’ll be shipping excellent quality, mixed variety large heirloom tomatoes in single layer flats,” said Eagle. “And we’ll have red and yellow teardrop tomatoes in one-pint clamshells as well as mixed baby heirloom tomatoes in one-pound clamshells.”

The company is very well known for its beans, peas and other vegetable programs. This season its French beans are in moderate to good supplies due to some recent cold temperatures in the growing regions, but volumes are expected to pick up.

“Our presentation includes ‘Southern Selects’ value-added French beans and our ‘Today’s Gourmet’ ‘Fair Trade Certified’ French beans,” added Eagle.

Fair Trade USA worked with Southern Specialties and its farms in Guatemala to achieve certification. “Today’s Gourmet” French beans display the “Fair Trade” label on the front of the bag. In an earlier January press release, Daryl Johnston, vice president of sales for Southern Specialties said, “We are very pleased to become a Fair Trade USA partner. Fair Trade-certified produce supports healthy farming communities and ecosystems while delivering nutritionally rich, great-tasting produce. Retailers can show commitment to their customers and the grower community by offering this ethically sourced ‘Fair Trade Certified’ product.”

Eagle said that “Southern Selects” Sugar Snap peas, another favorite of the company’s customers, are also currently in moderate supply due to lower yields that resulted from windy conditions blowing off the flowers.

“Production will start to improve in early February and we expect to have good supplies for the rest of the month,” he said.