Overall cantaloupe and honeydew volume for Firebaugh, Calif.-based Westside Produce should be similar to recent years, said Garrett Patricio, president of the company.
Melons like it hot, but the lack of high temperatures in California’s Central Valley this spring will probably mean a later start than usual to the Westside cantaloupe, watermelon and honeydew season.
Consumer survey data from The Packer’s Fresh Trends 2018 reveals cantaloupe is nearly twice as popular with women compared with men, and sales of the melon skew heavily toward older, high-income consumers.
Consistent supplies and an expected smooth transition between Western desert and Westside melon districts should set the stage for good promotion opportunities this year.
A handful of California’s Westside melon growers produce a variety of specialty melons for retailers who want to offer their customers options other than cantaloupes, honeydews and watermelons.
Melon growers on the west side of California’s San Joaquin Valley will start harvesting a bit later this season than in 2016, but they anticipate their usual high quality with volume similar to last year.