PennRose Farms looks to rising volume of Mexican produce

Volume of Mexican produce items was expected to increase for PennRose Farms LLC after Thanksgiving, says spokesperson Christopher Ciruli.

From West Mexico, the marketer’s product mix includes cucumber, green and colored bell pepper, eggplant, and squash, all marketed in the Pueblo’s Pride brand name, Ciruli said.

Organically grown vegetables are marketed in the Rowdy Rabbit Organics brand and include cucumber, green and colored bell pepper, and squash.

“The season spans from the end of October through May, with availability varying by shipping point in Nogales, Ariz., or McAllen, Texas,” Ciruli said.

Ciruli said the West Mexico season typically kicks off in October. The industry is off to a slow start because of Hurricane Norma in October, he said. In addition, growers received very little rain early on in Sonora and Sinaloa this fall, which Ciruli said made it difficult to plant crops.

Below-average production during November has led to above-average pricing on fresh green beans, cucumbers, squash, and eggplant, Ciruli said. “After the Thanksgiving holiday, we expect production to improve with normalized volume in December.”

In addition, Ciruli said the late rain has given growers the opportunity to plant more volume which we expect will allow for a strong push in January and February.

Mexico continues to increase its production of dry winter vegetables, mainly with items like cucumber, bell pepper, squash and eggplant, Ciruli said.

“Seasons are also extended with production from central Mexico, allowing for more consistent supplies,” he said.

Organic importance

Doug Johnson, vice president of sales with PennRose Farms, said the firm is increasing its volume and variety of Mexican organic vegetable crops because of growing consumer demand.

“In anticipation of this growth, PennRose Farms launched its own branded line of organic produce in 2023, Rowdy Rabbit Organics,” Johnson said.

The firm is marketing fresh organic cucumber, green and colored bell pepper, zucchini and yellow squash, he said.

“Our plan is to increase organic production from Sinaloa this season, extending to other growing regions once the West Mexico deal ends to ensure our customers have steady supplies,” Johnson said.

Ciruli said the outlook for Mexican vegetables is good this season.

“We are optimistic because, despite inflationary pressure, we are seeing demand for fresh fruit and vegetables at retail and foodservice outlets returning to pre-pandemic levels,” he said.