Ample volume of bell peppers expected

Volume of bell peppers out of west Mexico was off to a strong start, distributors said, and should only increase in December.

Crown Jewels Produce Co. LLC, Nogales, Ariz., expected to receive its first green and elongated red bell peppers in mid-November from Guaymas, Sonora, Mexico, said Jesus Gonzalez, general manager.

In mid-December, the deal will switch to red, yellow and orange peppers from Los Mochis, Sinaloa, Mexico.

The company will start sourcing source green bell peppers from Guasave and Culiacan in Sinaloa about the same time.

Crown Jewels will have bell peppers from November until May, he said.

He sais things were looking good in early November, as above-normal fall temperatures returned to usual patterns.

Bell pepper markets, as of early November, were active — in the $20 range for 1 1/9-bushel cartons — said Chris Ciruli, partner in Ciruli Bros. LLC, Rio Rico, Ariz.

He expected shipments of hothouse-grown bell peppers to begin in mid-November with good volume of green, red, yellow and orange peppers expected by December.

Rio Rico-based Fresh Farms has added flat la rouge bell peppers to its product line this season and expected to begin receiving them in mid-November, said Jerry Havel, director of sales and marketing.

He expected green bell peppers to start arriving by the third week of November.

Quality should be good on bell peppers this season, he said.

Nogales-based Del Campo Supreme expected to have full production of red, yellow and orange bell peppers as well as the la rouge variety and hothouse-grown blocky peppers by mid-December, said Jim Munguia, sales manager.

“Volume will be light in the beginning, but it will pick up after the first of the year,” he said.

“The overall pepper category is still growing,” Ciruli said.

An economist speaking to members of the Nogales-based Fresh Produce Association of the Americas said that mini sweet peppers have helped drive the market, he said.