Mexican greenhouse growers watching weather

Suppliers that source produce from protected agriculture and greenhouses in Mexico are looking to the skies to see how Mother Nature might directly, or indirectly, affect their markets this season.

For context, Sandra Aguilar, marketing manager for Ciruli Bros., Rio Rico, Ariz., said last season’s markets for Mexican greenhouse product were low due to heavy production.

“But as we near the start of this season, we’ve seen some weather trends across the country, which we anticipate will make growing conditions harder for open-field product, thereby increasing demand for hothouse-grown items,” she said. “We would expect markets to be higher than they were last fall if this continues.”

Matt Mandel, vice president of sales and marketing for SunFed, Rio Rico, Ariz., said meteorologists predicted an active storm season this year, and they were spot-on.

“Mother Nature has already delivered some catastrophic results for the Gulf Coast and Baja California (from Tropical Storm Lidia), with more poor weather looming for both the U.S. and Mexico growing locales. My heart goes out to those affected and here’s to hoping for better weather ahead,” he said.

Protected agriculture represents 100% of the company’s Perfect Produce line of cucumbers, bell peppers, eggplant and tomatoes, all of which will have an organic line to complement.

Heavy rains in Central Mexico in July and August reduced supply and led to a more competitive market with higher pricing, said Jaime Garcia, general manager for Kingdom Fresh Farms, Donna, Texas, who added that this could affect the fall markets.

Garcia said some growers in the Mexico’s Sinaloa region that typically start planting bell peppers and cucumbers in late August and early September planned to delay their work due to Tropical Storm Lidia.

Kingdom Fresh Farms starts its winter growing season in October at its main ranch in Torreon, Mexico, with its Pueblo, Mexico, ranch producing through the winter months. The company uses protected structures to grow romas, vine-ripe rounds and conventional and organic grape tomatoes.

Garcia anticipates good markets with high pricing October through December. He said pricing was high in late August on roma tomatoes at an average of $16-17 for a 25-pound box; while a normal market might be $9-12.

During the same timeframe, a two-layer box of round tomatoes was going for $14-16 and grape tomatoes at $10 for a box of 12 1-pint containers.

Aguilar said Ciruli Bros. will start its West Mexico deal soon with bell peppers, eggplant and cucumbers that are grown in protected structures from Los Mochis and Culiacan in Sinaloa, Mexico, adding tomatoes in early January.

“This season, we are adding cucumber production grown in protected structures in Los Mochis to try to get into the shipping deal earlier, around early November,” she said. “The West Mexico region will carry us through April.”

In the late spring, Ciruli Bros. will transition to Central Mexico in Zacatecas for green bell peppers and cucumbers. “The last two years, we have seen increases in bell peppers and cucumbers and we expect that trend to continue to meet increased demand for summertime product.”

Prime Time International, Coachella, Calif., grows green, yellow, orange, red and mini sweet peppers in Mexican greenhouses November through May/June.

“Demand and supply have had a good balance the past couple months,” said Brian Miller, director of business development. “It’s a more balanced supply this year.”

Miller said he noticed the company’s mini sweet peppers — a mix of red and yellow — have really been picking up traction.