Guatemala

Born Farms Founder Shares the Benefits of Macrotunnels

Wed, 24 Sep 2025 18:55:39 GMT

Earlier this year, Unispice’s Born Farms added macrotunnels to its green and French bean farms to better protect the crops from devastating weather and pests.

Christopher Safieh, founder of Born Farms, says green and French beans are susceptible to heat, rain, diseases and pests, so about two years ago the company started to design this custom solution, from the mesh used in the tunnels to the hoops.

“We designed the mesh so that the light that went through the mesh was perfect for the beans but was not enough to let weeds grow,” he says. “We’re basically using no herbicides within the tunnels, but the light wave is perfect for the beans.”

Safieh says this results in a straight growing bean thanks to the light distribution through the mesh.

He says these macrotunnels help provide a consistent crop throughout the rainy season in Guatemala, which can run from May to September. Beans quickly develop fungal issues when underwater for more than three hours.

“And what it allowed us to do also is also extend the season in certain farms because we have farms in different altitudes and climates throughout Guatemala, and we use them only for a specific season,” Safieh says. “Because you’re shielding it against a lot of external stuff, we’re able to extend the season in a lot of our farms. We’re able to grow not only year-round but do it extremely consistently even through the rainy season, which is traditionally one of the toughest seasons for Guatemala.”

And this predictability, Safieh says, is one of the hardest factors to control, but using Unispice’s Cerebro, an AI predictive modeling platform, the company designed grids for improved drainage of the nearly 400 hectares under tunnels to handle large storms capable of dumping large amounts of water in a short amount of time.

“We ran simulations of water and designed a farm to be able to take that amount of water,” he says. “So, what ended up happening is that instead of having between 98% and 100% loss, which is what other farms had, we had between 7% and 2%, which is very manageable compared to 100%.”

Safieh also says the macrotunnels coupled with Cerebro and Unispice’s packaging technology help extend shelf life and thus better predictability throughout the supply chain.

“If you make that first step predictable, we can guarantee predictability throughout the chain,” he adds. “So, when we’re building our program with our retailers or our food service companies, we can give them a lot more predictability when it comes to their supply. So, it makes it very stable. The reason why you get a lot of swings in prices is because of lack of predictability.”

Safieh says Born Farms also uses its technologies to deliver appropriate volumes of beans during peak parts of the season — the week of Thanksgiving.

“We grow between three and five times what we grow on a usual week, specifically for the week of Thanksgiving,” he says. “If you have it a week before, it’s useless. If you have it a week after, it’s like having Christmas trees in January.”

Produce exports impeded by political unrest in Guatemala

Fri, 13 Oct 2023 14:29:37 GMT

Business as usual has hit a major roadblock, quite literally, for one fresh produce export heavyweight. In recent days Guatemala has faced a series of has logistical delays due to the political unrest in the region.

According to the Guatemala Produce Trade Association, local news is reporting that political protests and demonstrations have intensified and resulted in road closures throughout the country. These road blockades have created a domino effect in some areas, leading to fuel shortages along with highway traffic delays and complications. On Oct. 12, NPR reported that eight days of peaceful protests in Guatemala have turned violent.

As a result of the blocked roads and protests, many Guatemalan fresh fruit and vegetable exports are experiencing major logistics challenges and delays.

U.S. consumers rely on fresh fruits and vegetables grown Guatemala; in 2022 alone, the U.S. imported over 6 billion pounds of fruits and over 305 million pounds of vegetables from the country, according to the USDA.

Can fresh produce purveyors expect regular shipments of exports to resume from Guatemala anytime soon?

“As GPTA, we are severely impacted both emotionally and professionally due to the political issues that are transpiring in Guatemala,” Priscilla Lleras, GPTA executive director, said in a news release. “As news becomes available — we will make every effort to keep industry and our customers informed. Until this situation subsides, we have our prayers and hearts going out to those on the front lines in Guatemala.”

Another downstream effect of the political unrest, according to the GPTA, is that the regional chaos has “forced many maritime and trucking companies in Guatemala to reconsider and restructure operational strategies until they can secure measures that can be implemented to protect the Guatemalan people and the lives of those operating transits and logistics.”

Despite challenges, several GPTA members still plan to attend the International Fresh Produce Association’s Global Produce & Floral Show in Anaheim, Calif., Oct. 19-21, to display and discuss products and services, according to the release.

Related: NatureSweet — Tariffs could cause U.S. consumers to pay much more for fresh tomatoes

Input sought on import plan for hass avocados from Guatemala

Wed, 03 Apr 2024 19:31:29 GMT

Signaling that approval is on the horizon, the USDA says it has developed a pest-risk analysis for imports of hass avocados from Guatemala.

Giving interested parties until May 28 for comment, the agency outlined phytosanitary measures will allow the imports of hass avocados from Guatemala to the U.S. Supporting documents and any comments the USDA receives on the notice may be viewed at regulations.gov .

“After reviewing any comments we receive, we will announce our decision regarding the import status of fresh hass avocado (Persea americana var. hass) from Guatemala in a subsequent notice,” the USDA said in the Federal Register notice. “If the overall conclusions of our analysis and the administrator’s determination of risk remain unchanged following our consideration of the comments, then we will authorize the importation of fresh hass avocado (Persea americana var. hass) from Guatemala into the United States subject to the requirements specified.”

Guatemalan exports boost Pacific Trellis Fruit's mini watermelon production

Tue, 12 Dec 2023 21:36:17 GMT

Following successful production trials, Pacific Trellis Fruit/ Dulcinea Farms will expand the source of its PureHeart mini seedless watermelon to include Guatemalan exports beginning in January and extending through April, according to a news release.

“We are extremely excited about this development as it will expand our ability to deliver Dulcinea PureHeart mini watermelons 52 weeks per year,” Rob Markel, vice president of melon sales at Pacific Trellis Fruit, said in the release. “At this time, we are also growing the melons in both Los Mochis and Colima, Mexico, and the fruit to market ships through Nogales, Ariz.”

The year-round grower-shipper and marketer of fresh fruit said PureHart watermelons will arrive via the West Coast to Port Hueneme in California and as well as to the East Coast through Port Everglades in Florida.

“In addition, the watermelon from Guatemala is currently undergoing Fair Trade Certification, which is a rigorous and globally recognized sustainable sourcing model that improves livelihoods, protects the environment, and builds resilient, transparent supply chains,” Markel said.

Guatemala’s specialty exports to U.S. on the rise

Thu, 22 Sep 2022 02:13:50 GMT

Guatemala’s exports of specialty vegetables and fruits to the U.S. have been steadily rising over the past two decades.

According to figures cited by the Guatemala Produce Trade Association, the U.S. Department of Agriculture has reported fresh and frozen fruit imports from Guatemala have increased 18% from 2014-18, to 5.8 billion pounds. Fresh vegetables in that category have remained steady, at an average of 147 million pounds a year, according to the USDA.

Imports include French beans, sugar snap peas, snow peas, blackberries, baby vegetables, rambutans, papayas and plantains.

“We can offer year-round because Guatemala offers attractive growing conditions throughout the year,” Charlie Eagle, vice president of business development for Southern Specialties Inc. , Pompano Beach, Fla., said in the release. Additionally, its proximity to South Florida enables us to move product quickly and manage the cold chain efficiently.”

Katiana Valdes, marketing director at Crystal Valley Foods , Miami, said Guatemala’s infrastructure has been improving rapidly.
“Our growing partners all maintain rigid quality and food safety programs,” Valdes said in the release. “It’s with this focus on quality and food safety, the variety of production areas, and continuous advances in agriculture techniques that Guatemala’s specialty exports have been able to expand.”

Related stories:

Guatemala group releases retail planner for beans, peas

Guatemalan heirloom tomatoes available year-round

Summit in Guatemala looks at exports to U.S.

Guatemalan produce to be displayed at Fresh Summit

Fri, 13 Nov 2020 06:16:55 GMT

Expect a wide variety of fruits and vegetables from the Guatemala Produce Trade Association at the Produce Marketing Association’s Fresh Summit.

Members of the Guatemalan group will be showcasing items and services in the following booths Oct. 18-19:

CarbAmericas/World Wide Frozen Foods, booth No. 983
Crystal Valley Foods, booth No. 3361
Dave’s Specialty Imports, booth No. 1048
Harvest Sensations, booth No. 755
Southern Specialties, booth No. 4061
Crowley/Customized Brokers, booth No. 3024
Seaboard Marine, booth No. 4632
Guatemala Snow Pea Association/Guatemala, booth No. 1565

“Buyers and attendees at the show will find many opportunities in the selection of profitable and popular products from Guatemala,” Priscilla Lleras-Bush, coordinator for the Guatemalan association, said in a news release. “Our members represent quality flavorful fruits including berries, bananas, mango, pineapples and rambutan.

“We also have trending greenhouse-grown heirloom tomatoes as well as specialty vegetables such as baby squash, Brussels sprouts, French beans, sugar snaps and fresh peas.”

Members will also report on some new products from Guatemala, according to the release.

Developments in logistics and transportation will also be a topic of discussion at Fresh Summit, according to the release.

Related Content
Guatemalan heirloom tomatoes available year-round
Guatemala’s specialty exports to U.S. on the rise
When stuff happens: Guatemala producers wait for water rule

North Bay Produce partners with Guatemalan grower

Thu, 22 Sep 2022 02:13:32 GMT

Traverse City, Mich.-based North Bay Produce Inc. has partnered with Guatemalan farm to bring imports of French green beans , snow peas, sugar snap peas, and Brussels sprouts to North American customers.

The Guatemalan operation, called UniSpice, specializes in planned growing cycles, according to the release. The controlled farm only plants orders to customer specifications as a group, which the release said is an approach that ensures consistency. The high altitude and cooler nights of the farm, located in the highlands of Guatemala, give crops higher brix for a sweeter taste, according to the release.

North Bay Produce imports the Guatemalan farm’s produce directly to the firm’s MidAmerica Warehouse in Mascoutah, Ill., according to the release. The facility is located in a place where it can reach 90% of the U.S. population within 18 hours or less by truck. The facility, according to the release, also is one of twelve USDA certified cold treatment Facilities in the U.S., and one of two adjacent to an airport runway.

A & A Organic adds imported French beans

Tue, 15 Nov 2022 07:36:55 GMT

A & A Organic Farms , Watsonville, Calif., has added organic French beans from Guatemala to its list of items.

The beans are shipped to Los Angeles, in vacuum-sealed 12-ounce bags, 10 to a carton, and bulk packages

“The new Le Petit packaging looks great,” Andy Martin, president, said in the release. “Even with COVID disruptions, we are seeing an increase in demand for bagged products like this.”

A & A Organic will carry French beans year-round with steady supplies, according to the release. The first shipment arrived July 7.

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Guatemala ag exporters: Lower transportation rates, or migrants will come

Fri, 23 Sep 2022 19:59:48 GMT

The subject line of the e-mail certainly grabs your attention: “Guatemalan exporters of agricultural products call on maritime shipping lines and on airlines to help to improve Guatemala’s rural competitiveness and prevent migration to the United States.”

The news release, from Guatemala ag exporters distributed a release that said:

“More than hundreds of thousands of producers of fresh and frozen agriculture products in rural Guatemala rely on the income generated from exports to markets like the United States. Yet, with the COVID-19 pandemic, strong competition from other countries, climate challenges and ever increasing maritime and air freight shipping costs, the income of thousands of agriculture families are at risk, putting thousands of jobs at stake and leaving migration to the United States as the only solution for producers in rural areas to obtain the income and economic viability to support their families.”

One saying that you hear from some growers in the U.S. is “Import people or import crops.” Unless they have access to immigrant farm workers, the crops that fill American tables will have to come from other countries.

The essential message from Guatemala ag exporters (my words) is “Make it easier for us to export our crops to the U.S. or prepare for a wave of undocumented immigrants.”

Is this overstated hyperbole or an earnest plea?

More from the release:

“Guatemala’s agriculture sector has been one of the most resilient sectors in the country, despite the strong negative economic impact and costly changes that the COVID-19 pandemic brought on to it. As agriculture products are vital to keep a healthy body with a strong immune system, the entire value chain had to adapt to different additional biosafety measures as well as new logistics regulations to continue supplying different international markets, mainly the United States, Guatemala’s main trading partner. As much as 80% of the total TEUs exported to the United States belong to agriculture products (including coffee, banana, sugar, flowers, fruits, and vegetables). Most of these products are shipped on temperature-controlled containers.” Current conditions have not been easy for agriculture companies in Guatemala. On the one hand, according to statistics, international demand for fruits, vegetables and roasted coffee has increased, mainly among US consumers. A recent market study on consumer sentiment from the Produce Marketing Association (PMA) pointed out that consumption of fruits and vegetables as of June 2020 increased 11% compared with March of this year, when the COVID-19 pandemic started. However, while demand for agriculture products has increased, Guatemalan companies of peas and vegetables (which account for no less than 60,000 producers nationwide in addition to thousands of indirect labor) have only been able to work at half their capacity, significantly increasing all their costs, including production costs. These companies were faced with many challenges which forced them to abandon fields, harvest much less product already ready for the picking, confront shortage of labor for the post harvest handling and shipping of their products already paid by international clients, and finally the selling of their products already at lower prices compared with prices prior to the start of the pandemic. A similar situation for example is being experienced by the more than 60,000 producers of flowers and ornamental plants, 70% of them being women. Exports of ornamental plants have been on hold almost completely as their demand has dropped significantly and one of the most important days in the year for this industry, Mother’s Day, virtually did not take place in 2020 as economies all over the world were on lockdowns by that time to prevent the spread of COVID-19. And similar cases are found in the majority of agriculture products produced and exported by Guatemala. “Rural agriculture workers in Guatemala are really feeling the economic impact of the very high maritime and air freight shipping rates, just when the economy is trying to recover from Covid19. We understand that all industries took a hit with the pandemic, which is why we are calling on maritime shipping lines, especially Seaboard and Crowley, and on airlines, especially cargo airlines, to start negotiations with Guatemalan agriculture industries to find the best way to support the rural competitiveness of Guatemala and be able to keep suppling the US market with top-quality agriculture products like mangoes, pineapples, berries, limes, roasted coffees and vegetables in terms of flavor, color and size; said Mr. Andrés Bickford, Manager of AGEXPORT’s Agriculture Sector. For the past three years, exports to the United States (measured in TEUs) have kept a steady growth rate of 5%, reaching 327,358 TEUs in 2019. During the first semester of 2020, US ports mainly received perishable products from Guatemala, being the peak season for most fruits and vegetables. Among other products, Guatemala also shipped garments, food, and other manufacturing products. We recognize that the customer experience, service, and expertise on handling fresh vegetables that maritime shipping lines provide give us the trust to continue using their containers for our daily operations. We want to negotiate with them a much better container rate, door-to-door, from the packaging plants in Guatemala to our clients’ distribution centers in the United States, and for all agriculture products. A better shipping rate would have a strong economic impact on the entire value chain, especially on the income of the small producers and on the competitiveness of their products. In addition, it is a win-win situation as well for the shipping lines, as they guarantee themselves consistent volume from long-lasting clients of fresh and frozen agriculture products while also cooperating to stop migration influxes from Guatemalan rural areas to the United States, which is the first thing that happens when formal jobs are lost in our country; said Mr. Bickford.”

TK: Although a huge majority of Guatemalan peas, vegetables, and fruits shipments are shipped to Florida, there are only six maritime shipping lines to Florida, according to the release.

I’m not sure of the status of the negotiations but the gauntlet has been thrown down by Guatemalan exporters. Make it better quick, or else.

ProducePay seeks to increase financing of growers

Thu, 22 Sep 2022 02:13:28 GMT

ProducePay has much more money to finance growers sending produce to U.S. markets.

Los Angeles, Calif.-based ProducePay has secured a $205 million debt facility from Coventure and TCM Capital.

The funding news follows on the heels of ProducePay’s $14 million 2018 Series B equity funding round, which was led by Anterra Capital, according to a news release.

“Because the fresh produce market is incredibly fragmented, and because traditional financing is costly and time-consuming, it has been difficult for farmers to make the investments required to grow,” Ali Hamed, founder at CoVenture, said in the release. “But ProducePay, which was co-founded by a family member of a leading Mexican produce farmer, has proven that when you combine a deep understanding of the market, a meaningful connection to growers, and significant investment in data and technology, big change is possible.”

The financing, said ProducePay founder and CEO Pablo Borquez Schwarzbeck, will allow the company to invest more heavily with farmers in Latin America and the U.S. in coming years.

Founded in 2015, he said ProducePay provides financing for farmers’ preseason and in-season operations through advance payments when the company pre-purchases product. ProducePay takes title to produce from its growers as the produce moves into to the supply chain but does not take physical possession of the produce or market the produce. ProducePay protects the Perishable Agricultural Commodities Act trust rights for growers, Schwarzbeck said.

The company mostly funds growers in Mexico and other Latin American countries, but Schwarzbeck said Dec. 9 that 25% of ProducePay funding is serving U.S. growers.

The company earlier this year introduced ProducePay Insights , a market reporting and analysis web tool on the ProducePay website that tracks price, weather and shipment reports on a wide range of fresh produce commodities, he said. The web tool, with a free version and a premium version, has 3,000 active weekly users, Schwarzbeck said.

With the increased investment in the company, Schwarzbeck said the company will be able to help more growers in Mexico, Guatemala, Peru, Chile and the U.S.

The short-term funding helps growers invest in their business and offers more responsive solutions than banks, which can take months or even as much as a year to make a lending decision. In contrast, dozen of analysts at ProducePay can make funding decisions in a few weeks.

“We are geared to be able to evaluate any farming opportunity and decide whether we want to participate in that crop within three weeks, regardless of whether it’s a $200,000 investment or a $10 million investment,” Schwarzbeck said.

Expanding vision

The $200 million in new funding will help ProducePay serve growers in those five counties, the primary sources of supply for the U.S. market.

Since its founding in 2015, ProducePay helped growers sell more than $1.5 billion in produce, and $750 million in 2019 alone, according to the company.

Schwarzbeck said ProducePay has helped finance about 400 growers this year, of which about 75% are in Latin America. The average annual sales for those growers is about $3 million each, he said.

This year, ProducePay is enabling growers with about $1 billion in sales. With the new funding facility, Schwarzbeck believes Produce Pay can help its growers reach $4 billion in transactions by 2022.
Schwarzbeck said the company is betting heavily on the continued growth in Latin America produce exports.

“Our own research estimates that the industry produce consumption in the United States is growing by 4% annually, whereas production in Latin America of produce destined to the U.S. is growing by 7% annually,” he said. That means, he said, the share of Latin American produce of total U.S. consumption will continue to grow.

The goal of ProducePay, he said, is to become the foremost private funding source of capital to fresh produce growers in the region.

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U.S., Guatemala, H-2A program addresses ‘irregular migration’

Fri, 23 Sep 2022 21:28:51 GMT

(UPDATED July 24) The U.S. and Guatemala are pursuing a program to boost H-2A workers from that country, in an effort to stem what the Department of Homeland Security calls irregular migration patterns.

A registered Foreign Labor Recruiter program would prioritize H-2A visa appointments over non-immigrant categories for Guatemalans, according to a DHS news release. It would also develop and coordinate an “outreach campaign to promote the H-2A program in partnership with Guatemala’s Ministry of Labor, focusing on the recruitment of qualified workers.”

The program focuses on H-2A recruiters in Guatemala, promoting transparency and accountability, and increasing protection for workers seeking legal employment in the U.S.

The program is one of several designed to stem the flow of undocumented workers from Guatemala, according to the DHS. The programs seek to “expand the capacity of migrant reception.”

“By working cooperatively and with international organizations, both governments will continue to harmonize immigration regulations, synchronize regional immigration systems to ensure migrants and children are not victimized by smugglers, and enhance protection systems and capacity through partnership,” according to the release.

The U.S. and Guatemala have a common cause to confront the flow of undocumented workers, according to the release.

“By strengthening the relationship between the two countries through such agreements, the U.S. and Guatemala, as partners, will better protect the most vulnerable populations of Guatemala while confronting irregular migration,” according to the release.

The DHS issued the release about the “important progress” with Guatemala on July 22. The following day, President Donald Trump threatened, through tweets, to impose a ban on Guatemalan immigrants, tariffs on imports from the country, or other punitive measures.

The tweets came after Guatemalan President Jimmy Morales canceled a meeting with Trump on a program that would have required Central American migrants to claim asylum in Guatemala, and not Mexico or the U.S.

H-2A, by the numbers

For the first two quarters of Fiscal Year 2019, about 8,500 H-2A applications have been received by the Department of Labor, a 14% increase over the same time last year.

The states with the most H-2A workers as of March 31 (and what percentage of the overall U.S. number that represents), according to the department, are:

Florida: 19,156 (15.5%);
Georgia: 16,268 (13.1%);
California: 12,330 (10%);
Washington: 10,366 (8.4%); and
North Carolina: 9,155 (7.4%).

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H-2A reform finds grower support

UPDATED: H-2A regulatory reform proposal finally published

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Guatemalan Produce Trade Association announces member videos

Mon, 24 May 2021 11:21:47 GMT

The Guatemalan Produce Trade Association’s website now showcases importer and member videos for retailers and foodservice to meet the importers and industry service providers working to market top quality fruits and vegetables.

The GPTA member videos provide the industry at large with the opportunity to learn about each member company, products and services.

Industry retailers and foodservice can familiarize themselves with GPTA importers broad offering of fruits and vegetables. “GPTA represents a wide variety of produce items that are grown in Guatemala including raspberries, blackberries, strawberries, cantaloupe, watermelon, mango, papaya, bananas, pineapples, plantains, lychee, greenhouse heirloom tomatoes, green beans, sugar snaps, fresh peas, mini vegetables, broccoli and carrots,” says Priscilla Lleras-Bush, GPTA Director. “GPTA members facilitate the trade of these fruits and vegetables by streamlining import programs for retailers’, food service and distributors.”

Guatemala continues to be crucial source of fresh fruits and vegetables for the U.S. market. “We are happy to report an overall growth in the vegetable sector, according to USDA/FAS 2020 statistics vegetables from Guatemala have increased by 14% in value,” says Lleras-Bush. “Additionally, the quantity of vegetable products has also increased from Guatemala by 6% year-over-year.”

The GPTA member videos can be easily viewed at: https://guatemalaproducetradeassociation.com/about-us.

Lleras-Bush notes the objective of the GPTA website is to inform the industry regarding the variety of quality products coming from Guatemala. “The website serves as a link for U.S. buyers to find solid sources of high quality, safe produce from Guatemala,” she says.

The Guatemala Produce Trade Association (GPTA) aligns leading U.S. importers and industry service providers towards the goal of positively impacting trade of Guatemalan grown fruits and vegetables imported to the U.S.

USDA seeks comment on imports of fresh Hass avocados from Guatemala

Wed, 21 Sep 2022 14:14:19 GMT

The USDA has drafted a pest risk assessment for the importation of fresh hass avocados from Guatemala.

The agency has published the assessment so that interested stakeholders can comment, according to a news release.

The USDA said the draft pest risk assessment for fresh hass avocado will be available for review and comment until Oct. 19. To view the assessment or submit comments, go to USDA APHIS | Stakeholder Risk Assessment Consultation .

Fresh Del Monte enters row crop business to help bottom line and feed world

Thu, 02 Jun 2022 16:12:17 GMT

Coral Gables, Fla.-based Fresh Del Monte , a vertically integrated grower and marketer of fruits and vegetables, is entering the row-crop business.

The company is seeking to help global concerns over food shortages and optimize the company’s assets, according to a news release.

The row crops, including white corn, will be grown on the company’s resting lands, between its core crop seasons.

The company has started its row crop expansion project with white corn in Guatemala, set to be harvested in July. Fresh Del Monte is also evaluating hundreds of additional acres that go through resting periods for additional crop rotation opportunities, according to the release

“We, as a company, are large-scale farmers, and we’re also big on asset optimization and thinking outside the box when it comes to leveraging all our assets,” Mohammad Abu-Ghazaleh, Fresh Del Monte’s chairman and CEO, said in the release. “Growing row crops is an excellent way for Fresh Del Monte to leverage its idle lands. The benefits are multifold. Not only do we become a bigger part of the global food shortage solution, but we also better prepare our grounds for the following core seasons. We also generate an additional stream of income by producing short-rotation row crops.”

Venturing into crops such as corn and sugarcane brings several advantages to Fresh Del Monte, according to the release:

Economic profits to the company with the production of new crops;
Contributing to maintaining the biological balance between beneficial and harmful pests;
Crop rotation reduces the incidence of soil pests, creating a favorable environment for sustainable core crop production;
Optimizing available land while contributing to the world’s grain shortage; and
Generating a source of employment with the production of alternate crops between core crop seasons, such as pineapple, banana and melon, to name a few.

Internationally sourced produce bolsters supply, provides variety of flavors

Mon, 23 Jan 2023 14:12:37 GMT

Lots of produce sold in the U.S. comes here from beyond our shores.

Fruit and vegetables, from the common — sugar snap peas, baby carrots, melons — to the lesser known — star fruit, Buddha’s hand, pomelo, are sourced internationally, though largely that means Central and South America.

Southern Specialties of Pompano Beach, Fla., began importing produce from Guatemala 32 years ago, and it now imports from other Central and South American countries, as well as Canada. Working with different countries allows the company to offer produce year-round, said Charlie Eagle, vice president of business development.

“We look for growing conditions that are perfect for certain products. Guatemala has different elevations and growing conditions, so you can move around the country,” he said. “Same in Peru and Mexico, where we grow in multiple regions.”

The company recently added the area of Jalisco, Mexico, to plug any gaps in the growing cycle, he adds.

Divine Flavor in Nogales, Ariz., sources 90% to 95% of its product from Mexico, with the remainder coming from South American countries such as Chile and Peru. The company sells more grapes than anything else, in more than 20 varieties, but it also does good business in bell peppers, tomatoes, cucumbers, squash and zucchini.

Miami-based Crystal Valley Foods sources produce from Central and South America. Asparagus comes from both Peru and Mexico.

“Peru is a key growing region because it has a variety of climates ideal for growing,” said Katiana Valdes, marketing director. “It can be grown in the north and south, and the two regions peak at different times. This allows us to import asparagus 52 weeks a year from Peru.”

The company is also a top importer from Guatemala, whose peak season mirrors Mexico’s for many items, allowing for continuous production.

Martha Montoya established Agtools in 2018 in Orange County, Calif., to provide data to people in the produce industry, from shippers to farmers to analysts, traders, CEOs and chief financial officers. She anticipates that Central America and Colombia are going to be a huge source of international produce going forward because of workers’ strong ethics and the philosophy of farming.

With the White House pushing for food insecurity solutions, she adds, “It’s deploying heavily in Central America, making multibillion dollar investments.” On top of that, those regions have great growing areas, she said.

Central America and Colombia also produce a huge variety of produce, she said, often from very small farms.

“Mexico will still be there, but overall [produce] consumption is up, so that’s why we need Central America,” she said, adding that efficiencies in Central America need to increase too.

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Product mix

Southern Specialties’ biggest product is asparagus. Other popular items include Brussels sprouts, baby broccoli, papaya and avocados.

The company provides produce to white tablecloth restaurants in cities along the Atlantic Ocean, west to Texas and up to Minnesota and Canada. It also provides produce to retailers, club stores, foodservice distributors and wholesalers.

The products give restaurants a point of differentiation. The company peels baby carrots by hand, leaving half an inch of green top intact, and they are available in orange or a rainbow pack of four colors, which allows restaurants to nicely present dishes.

Divine Flavor focuses mostly on commodities, “and we have a lot of knowledge and experience in the land, the soil, the biodiversity of growing those products,” said Michael DuPuis, quality assurance and public relations coordinator. “We consider ourselves pioneers in Mexico when it comes to producing candy-like varieties of grapes and having the ability to work with great breeders all over the world for fan-favorite types like Jellyberries and Cotton Candy and also newer ones like Autumncrisp and Sweet Globe.”

More than 50% of Divine Flavor’s product range is organic, and products that are not organic, have often been grown using organic processes, DuPuis said. The company wants to be responsible.

“As a farmer, you can produce in a way that’s commercially viable and you can do it in a way that’s beneficial to your land, your workforce,” he said. A lot of this is consumer-driven, he added, “and people are very conscientious about what they’re buying. Our DNA is growing organically, growing responsibility.”

Most produce imported by San Diego-based Specialty Produce comes from Mexico, which the company then sells to 1,000 restaurants stretching up to Los Angeles. Almost all (95%) of the produce is sold this way, and the remaining 5% is sold directly to consumers through the company’s warehouse in San Diego.

“We try to make fruit and vegetables entertaining,” said President Bob Harrington.

He sells a variety of produce from the warehouse, from navel chocolate oranges to Sharon fruit, and he trains staff to educate consumers about how to prepare and cook food and give background on the produce.

“We’re a destination and entertainment,” Harrington said.

He even has a social media spot in the warehouse for selfies, and the company is active on social media with thousands of followers. There’s also a mountain of information — from trends to articles — on Specialty Produce’s website.

For customers at the warehouse who want more information, each produce sign has a QR code that takes them to the company website.

Value-added extras

Southern Specialties offers its own value-added products under the brand Southern Selects and does good business in private-label packaging for other companies. This includes items such as an 8-ounce package of French beans that can be put as-is into a microwave, to larger 2-pound bags.

Value-added products continue to grow, Eagle said. The packaging displays the product well, he said, typically with a picture of the food as it would be seen in a recipe, with nutritional information, links to recipes, and more on the packaging.

“We create an extra layer of information that helps the consumer understand the product and offers different ways to prepare it,” he said.

Divine Flavor offers a retail-ready program, with presentations shipped “ready to be sold in retail the moment it’s brought in,” DuPuis said. “Our marketing team has made sure the product is marketed and sold the way it’s supposed to.”

On the shipping boxes, the company provides QR codes so consumers can get more details from the company’s website.

“It’s important to educate them on that and that you’re being respectful to the land and the people and growing organics,” DuPuis said.

Related news: Overcoming Chilean produce obstacles

Challenging times

For Southern Specialties, transportation has become a huge challenge in recent years amid rising fuel costs and labor shortages. Input costs have also gone up significantly, Eagle said — everything from fertilizers to plastic film and corrugated materials.

“Mother Nature has also played a large role recently with hurricanes, freezes and flooding all affecting crops and leading to lower supplies and higher costs,” he said.

However, the company has made investments in cold chain maintenance over the past year, as well as food safety efforts.

“So, from a food safety standpoint, we’re on par with, or better than, any of the farms and distribution facilities in the U.S.,” Eagle said.

For Divine Flavor, the high turnover rates in agriculture are a significant problem, especially as workers can constantly find new opportunities using their phones.

“You need to understand their wants and needs and the opportunity to grow in a company,” DuPuis said. “Sometimes the driver isn’t money but to be able to get back to their home communities.”

Fyffes continues to fund school programs in Central America

Tue, 15 Nov 2022 07:43:38 GMT

Fyffes started a program in Honduras in 2016 that distributes school supplies to farm workers’ children, giving incentives for academic growth.

That program continues, according to a news release.

“A core focus of our mission is to be an empowering force in the communities in which we operate,” Julie Cournoyer, Fyffes global sustainability director, said in a news release. “This includes everything from providing well-rounded education, to funding teacher salaries and improving living conditions for families.”

In Guatemala, Fyffe’s FUNDASOL foundation, pays for desks, school supplies, more teachers, and sports and school facility upgrades.

“These children represent the future, so it’s very important to Fyffes that we affect positive influence on these kids from a very early age,” Cournoyer said in the release. “School supplies, building infrastructure, security — we recognize and support how crucial all of these factors are toward a successful learning environment.”

AgroAmerica donates to tropical forest conservation

Fri, 13 Nov 2020 05:41:05 GMT

AgroAmerica, a Central and South American grower and exporter of bananas and pineapples , has donated $50,000 to conservation efforts of a tropical forest known as the Maya Biosphere Reserve.

The donation went to Project of the Maya Cultural and Natural Heritage Foundation (PACUNAM), according to a news release.

“We decided to join the environmental conservation projects of PACUNAM and support their efforts to develop and build sustainable forestry activities, as they respond to the objectives of AgroAmerica for the conservation of natural resources and are consistent with our way of working in partnerships in favor of the sustainable development of the countries where we operate,” Fernando Bolaños, CEO of AgroAmerica, said in the release.

The Maya Biosphere Reserve is the largest protected tropical forest in Central America, on 4.3 million acres in Guatemala.

AgroAmerica is the parent company of One Banana .

Guatemalan produce association launches website

Fri, 13 Nov 2020 05:31:55 GMT

The Guatemalan Produce Trade Association’s new website aims to better connect buyers and importers of Guatemalan produce items.

“Our objective is to unite our industry in sourcing and promoting the highest quality fresh produce from Guatemala,” said Robert Colescott, president and CEO of Southern Specialties, Pompano Beach, Fla. “This new website is one step among several that we are taking to ensure reliable partners, excellence in the supply chain and ease of communication.”

The association represents a wide variety of produce items grown in Guatemala including berries, melons, mangoes, papayas, bananas, pineapples, tropical specialties, green beans, fresh peas, mini vegetables, broccoli and carrots.

“People may know Guatemala as a source for one particular item but be surprised to find out the wider variety the country can ship,” said Priscilla Lleras-Bush, association director.

“Our website will help further inform buyers who want to partner with first-class importers sourcing the freshest and safest quality from Guatemala.”

The website gives contact information for association members and information about Guatemala’s trade programs, category reports, press releases, trade shows and events.

The website can be found at guatemalaproducetradeassociation.com .

USDA authorizes imports of hass avocados from Guatemala

Fri, 08 Nov 2024 13:25:17 GMT

The USDA is authorizing the imports of fresh hass avocado (Persea americana var. hass) fruit from Guatemala into the U.S.

Through careful analysis and thorough research, USDA determined that this commodity can be safely imported from Guatemala into the U.S. with appropriate mitigations, the agency said in a news release .

The USDA said it concluded the risks of introducing or spreading plant pests or noxious weeds from imported fresh hass avocado fruit can be successfully mitigated using a systems approach, allowing commercial fruit only, packinghouse and place-of-production registrations, and additional safeguarding measures.

This change is effective on publication in the Federal Register on Nov. 8.

Guatemala sees uptick in organic tomato and bell pepper exports to U.S.

Tue, 24 Dec 2024 17:25:47 GMT

Guatemala grew in importance as a supplier of organic produce to the U.S. market in 2023-24, according to USDA trade statistics.

U.S. imports of greenhouse-grown organic bell peppers totaled $289,000 from November 2023 to October 2024, up 52% from the same period the previous year.

U.S. imports of organic tomatoes from Guatemala have also risen, from $52,000 in 2022-23 to $208,000 from November 2023 to October 2024 — a threefold increase.

On the other hand, imports of organic blackberries from Guatemala fell from $216,000 in 2022-23 to $85,000 in 2023-24, a decline of 61%.

U.S. imports of organic strawberries from Guatemala dropped from $44,000 in 2022-23 to $8,000 in 2023-24, according to USDA numbers.

U.S. imports of organic bananas from Guatemala also fell in the past year, dropping to $51,000 in 2023-24 from $118,000 the previous year.

Among Caribbean countries, the Dominican Republic is an important supplier of organic bananas. U.S. imports of organic bananas from the Dominican Republic from November 2023 through October 2024 totaled $459,000, up 30% from the previous year.