Westside Produce looks for stable melon volumes

Overall cantaloupe and honeydew volume for Firebaugh, Calif.-based Westside Produce should be similar to recent years, said Garrett Patricio, president of the company.

Grower of traditional and long-shelf-life melons, Westside Melons will have supplies from May through October, with peak availability expected from July through September.

Growing conditions have been fantastic, Patricio said. “Warm and dry growing conditions always make for the best melons.”

Matching supply and demand

Patricio said he expects strong market conditions this year, as shippers are striving to supply specific contract needs.

“I think all grower/shippers have right sized their operations to provide consistent supply to their contract customers,” Patricio said.

“Traditional surpluses cost too much money, so I anticipate the market will be strong for California melons.”

Market expectations

Varieties continue to evolve, Patricio said.

“Fortunately, as a short cycle crop, we are able to adapt and make changes quickly,” he said. “Because soil conditions and microclimates affect your ability to consistently deliver the same characteristics, we’ve built our reputation on choosing varieties that provide consistent quality and flavor every day.”

Perhaps since the exterior of melons is not consumed, Patricio said his company isn’t seeing a big shift to organics by consumers. “We expect (organic) output to remain consistent in the next three years,” he said.

Marketing 

For Westside Produce, trends in marketing melons have been interrupted by COVID-19 

“The five-year trend had been less wholesale and retail and more food service and fresh cut, but during the pandemic we experienced a surge in retail demand,” he said. “It will be interesting to see if the trend continues or falls back in line with more ready to eat.”

Foodservice demand in 201 may reach 50% to 60% of pre-pandemic demand levels, he said.

“Food service restaurant business is improving, but cruise ships, banquets and events are just starting to return. Whether normal will ever be normal again is up for debate,” Patricio said.

While the California drought and concerns about labor supply are ongoing,  Patricio said is optimistic about the future.

“We maintain a solid stable of melon grower partners in historically consistent water districts.” he said. “We also have established relationships with a diverse range of wholesale, retail and food service customers.”