Tropical vegetables

Cedro Banana Distributors takes on tropicals shortfall

Mon, 06 Nov 2023 18:39:01 GMT

Bananas, plantains, yuca, malanga and a variety of tropical fruits and vegetables could be in short supply this fall because of excessive rain caused by an El Niño condition in South America and Central America, said Billy Mascari, vice president at Cedro Banana Distributors, New Haven, Conn.

Political unrest in Guatemala will only make matters worse by preventing containers of tropicals from reaching ports.

“That’s going to create a tight market, and it’s going to cause the prices to increase 20% to 25%,” Mascari said.

But the good news for Cedro’s customers is that the company anticipated the disruptions and made plans early this fall to find alternate suppliers to fill their needs.

Besides higher prices, “quality has been off a little,” Mascari said, so the company will partner with suppliers who will be able to meet Cedro’s high quality standards.

The supply disruptions couldn’t have come at a worse time.

“This is the time of year when we start gearing up on sourcing cooking bananas and tropical roots,” Mascari said.

Cedro sells to a number of Spanish and Latino community markets whose customers seek out green bananas and tropicals for holiday cooking.

“That’s a big item for us,” he said.

Ecuador is a major source of roots and bananas for the company, so Cedro was increasing its shipments from that country.

“I know, in a few weeks, the market is going to be very tight,” Mascari said in mid-October.

Cedro Banana Distributors has the support of partners like Dole Fresh Fruit, Chiquita, Del Monte and Fyffes who will help the company work through a potentially challenging season, Mascari said.

Cedro is a family operation. Mascari handles purchasing, sourcing and wholesale sales; his brother, Joe, is company president and handles retail sales; his fifth-generation nephew, Joseph, recently was promoted to vice president of operations; and his nephew, Jake, was named logistics manager.

His father, Joe Mascari Sr., serves as president of the company’s trucking division, Mascari Bros. Inc.

J&C Tropicals certified as Great Place to Work

Fri, 13 Nov 2020 06:47:09 GMT

J&C Tropicals , Miami, has been recognized as a Great Place to Work .

The certification for the grower and distributor of tropical produce followed a rigorous examination of data-driven employee feedback confirming they have a consistently positive experience.

“We make employee experience a priority every day and it means a lot that our employees have reported a consistently positive experience with their coworkers, their leaders and with their jobs,” executive vice president Jesse Capote said in a news release.. “This is important to us because we know that when our employees have a high-trust experience every day they are more productive, drive better business results and make a difference to our customers.”

J&C Tropicals reported it received a 98% rating.

Great Place to Work is the global authority on workplace culture, employee experience and leadership behaviors, according to the release.

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Talking tropicals with E. Armata at Hunts Point Produce Market

Fri, 23 Sep 2022 21:37:32 GMT

NEW YORK CITY — In the New York tristate area, the Latin American market is booming, and E. Armata Fruit & Produce Inc. had to meet that demand, said several members of the company during an early morning chat with The Packer at Hunts Point Produce Market in the Bronx.

That’s why the produce broker-shipper-distributor decided to develop a tropical department, led by a Pedro Orama, who worked on the grower side in Costa Rica before transitioning to the terminal market.

His experience with farms in the Central and South Americas helps.

“When you pick it from the soil, that’s where you get the quality. Our job is to maintain that and transfer it,” Orama said. “The response has been good.”

No wonder E. Armata’s customers were asking for tropical produce, considering the urban area’s demographics.

Hispanics and Latinos make up 27.5% of the New York City population, according to the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey, last conducted in 2009. This demographic is, according to size, primarily Puerto Rican, Mexican, Cuban and other Hispanic/Latino people.

Hispanics constituted 18.1% of the nation’s total population in 2017, according to the Census Bureau’s 2018 Hispanic Heritage Month news release . And the bureau estimated in 2015 that the nation’s population will be 28.6% Hispanic by 2060.

Orama has been building the full line of tropical produce since starting two years ago, reaching about 30 items regularly available from about 25 consistent suppliers in the program today, with a goal of 80 items.

The most popular items are plantains and yuca, he said.

Also called cassava, yuca is a starchy root vegetable with a relatively long shelf life of about two months.

The tricky part is handling the produce that has a five-day shelf life, like passionfruit, Orama said. The company has a warehouse in one part of Hunts Point Produce Market, and its sales offices, showroom and cold-storage warehouse with loading and unloading docks are in another part of the property.

“Every product we carry is stored in the correct temperature-controlled environment and has complete traceability until the last box is sold,” said Nick Armata, assistant buyer of western vegetables and great-grandson of the company’s founder, Erasmo Armata.

Orama is helping build his section of the company website, earmata.com, to educate customers, and sometimes salespeople, about the produce. Snap a cell phone onto the QR code on his business card, and you’ll see Orama’s photo, contact information and photos of the available tropical produce, such as: chayote, taro root, batata, calabaza, coco malanga, name espino and yautia.

“My idea is, behind each picture, to put nutrient information and a recipe,” Orama said. That information will help sellers and buyers figure out how to market and merchandise the product.

The company is also expanding its specialties, berries and Eastern items programs, said Michael Armata, who focuses on berries, among other tasks, and is another great-grandson of the founder.

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Rains dry up for deal’s beginning

Fri, 23 Sep 2022 21:18:53 GMT

A rainier-than-usual 2019 is finishing up on a dry, cooperative note in Central America and the Caribbean, as the early winter season in the U.S. gets underway.

“It’s been nice,” said Michael Warren, president of Pompano Beach, Fla.-based Central American Produce Inc.

“They had some rain in the early part of the season, but it’s not affecting the quality of any of the produce coming off now.”

Central American has papayas coming from Guatemala year-round, and the first watermelons, galia melons, cantaloupes and honeydews likely would begin at the end of December, Warren said.

“The weather has been favorable, so we’re expecting good-quality melons from Honduras,” he said.

Last year was “great” for melons, and Central American Produce is anticipating the same this year, Warren said.

“We’ll have a few new cantaloupe and honeydew varieties coming into the market and will be interested to see how customers react,” Warren said.

Warren said his company also would be bringing in butternut squash in mid-December.

“We’ve been doing that there for a couple of years already,” he said. “It’s usually large, very clean squash.”

Rain has been a bit of an issue, said Andres Ocampo, CEO of Pompano Beach, Fla.-based HLB Specialties .

“Our strongest items from that region are papaya from Guatemala and rambutan from Guatemala and Honduras,” he

said.

“During November, we were affected by some rains in Honduras that diminished the rambutan volumes and also are cutting short the season.”

There have been “not significant” weather issues with papaya, with the rainy season now done, Ocampo said.

“However, we now face the cold fronts that sometimes make their way to northern Central America, bringing some localized heavy rains, and the cooler temperatures slow down production,” Ocampo said.

Calgary, Alberta-based Thomas Fresh also sources items from the Caribbean and Central America.

“Our red and green Thai chili peppers are sourced from the Dominican Republic, for a year-round program,” said Andrea Dubak, marketing specialist.

Weather has cooperated this year, Dubak said.

“The weather in 2019 was very stable for these regions, and we anticipate the same for our winter 2020 season,” she said.

Miami-based Ecoripe Tropicals will focus on its GlobalGAP-certified okra program from Honduras, said Marc Holbik, vice president of business development.

“While we import the product year-round, our strongest volumes come in from December to May,” he said. “We specialize in air arrivals so the product is extra-fresh, and supplement this with ocean arrivals.”

Ecoripe also has an off-season harvest of rambutan this year, Hoblik said.

“Usually our rambutan season from Guatemala wraps up in November, but an irregular rainy season has provided us with a second flowering that will provide us with our GlobalGAP-certified rambutan ‘til end of January — a very welcome surprise,” he said.

For Homestead, Fla.-based Brooks Tropicals Inc., “it’s papaya time,” said Mary Ostlund, director of marketing.

“Caribbean Red papaya hits its stride in our winter,” she said. “Brooks is projecting solid harvests throughout the winter and early spring.”

Brooks also has ample volumes of its SlimCado, and the company anticipates “solid harvest numbers” of limes, Ostlund said.

Miami-based J&C Tropicals “moves a lot of fruit,” but owner Jessie Capote noted the strong performance of its tropical tuber line.

“Stews and soups and hot plates are common when it’s cold out,” Capote said. “There’s also a lot of products tied to the holidays and they’re also in that category.”

Yuca root, for example, is well known today and “seems to have crossed over more than any other one,” Capote said.

J&C brings in malanga blanca from Costa Rica and Ecuador, and now the company is importing it from Honduras, starting in early December, Capote said.

“If that can perform well, that’s going to be a big deal for us,” he said.

J&C also has white yams and yuca root out of Costa Rica, Capote said.

There’s plenty of squash available, including chayote, over the winter, too, Capote said.

“That’s an enormous deal for us,” Capote said of tropical squash. “We had 20 containers in a two-week time span; for a specialty item, that’s a big deal,” he said.

For Coast Tropical’s Los Angeles-based Olympic Fruit and Vegetable, the dawn of winter in the U.S. brings increased demand for yuca from Costa Rica, said Julio Alvarado, sales and procurement agent.

“Yuca is used in a lot of soups and different dishes; Hispanic people have a tendency to consume more yuca over the winter months,” he said.

Weather in Costa Rica has cooperated, Alvarado said.

“There’s been no rain, so supplies will be very steady through first six months of 2020,” he said. “Prices will be about steady as now.”

Coast’s yuca shipments run year-round, he said.

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Despite drought, then rain, fall tropicals show success

Fri, 23 Sep 2022 18:33:30 GMT

While one might associate tropical fruits with summer months, tropicals also shine well into the fall and winter.

Despite extreme weather of combined heat, humidity and storms, tropical fruit from Homestead, Fla.-based Brooks Tropicals Inc . is expected to have a successful fall season.

“Our passion fruit vineyards are showing such great promise for an exotic tropical taste for fall enjoyment,” said Mary Ostlund, director of marketing for Brooks Tropicals.

From January through May Florida and Central America experienced major drought, and the summer brought heavy rains and high temperatures, which affected dragon fruit and yucca, said Denise Gomez, marketing assistant for Miami, Fla.-based J&C Tropicals .

Popular items from J&C Tropicals include yucca, malanga blanca, calabaza and dragon fruit, she said.

Florida star fruit is also a popular holiday garnish. Harvest for star fruit began in November, Ostlund said.

In the tropics, Brooks Tropicals’ SlimCados avocados are growing, Ostlund said. SlimCados will reach their peak in fall and early winter.

“These avocados get larger — yes, even larger — as we harvest into the fall and winter,” Ostlund said. “We’re picking in the winter.”

Florida dragon fruit had a strong year and fields are looking promising for next season, she said.

Gomez said demand continues to grow for dragon fruit and, because of weather, supply is down.

“Tropical fruit overall is achieving greater demand,” Ostlund said.

Brooks Tropicals assumes increased demand is due to the unusual shapes, colors and sizes of tropical fruit, and consumers looking to buy them after having them in a tropical dish or drink, she said.

Star fruit, passion fruit and dragon fruit are becoming more popular, she added.

“Star fruit’s stellar reputation as a ‘quickly disappearing garnish’ has cooks thinking the fruit deserves to be in the dish whether salad, veggie side or grilled entrée,” Ostlund said.

“Passion fruit iced tea in many restaurants is sparking trial at home.”

Dragon fruit is also being added to salads, she said.

Because of the rise in popularity, tropical fruit stands out among fall favorites at retail.

“As you head into the winter, locally grown displays can be widened to domestically grown,” Ostlund said. “Florida’s domestically grown star fruit, passion fruit and dragon fruit are a colorful welcome sight on the approach of winter.”

Tropical fruit also adds to salad and lunch box displays.

“Star fruit and dragon fruit slices are eye catchers for the consumers ready to grab a salad and go,” Ostlund said.

There is a shift from tropical summer fruits to more root vegetables in the fall and winter, Gomez said.

“These mainly are used in soups and stews, so it fits the temperature change,” she said.

Xica debuts fresh-cut jicama tacos and chips

Tue, 15 Nov 2022 07:43:11 GMT

Jicama takes the form of tacos, dipping spears and chips in Xica’s new line of fresh-cut vegetable products.

Named “the next ‘it’ veggie” in Eat Cleaner’s The 8 Hottest Healthy Food and Beverage Trends for 2019 report , jicama is a Mexican yam bean that looks like a cross between a potato and a beet, according to a news release from Apodaca, Monterrey, Mexico-based Xica (pronounced she-ka).

Xica’s line of ready-to-eat options are cut and shaped fresh, without any other heating or processing, according to the release. The jicama is packed using modified atmosphere packaging under temperature controls to ensure integrity, and the easy-open seals extend shelf life.

The product line includes:

>Jicama Spears that can be enjoyed alongside dips, in wraps or added to salads, fresh fruit mixes and soups;

>Jicama Tacos, loaded with fresh ingredients, including pineapple; cranberries; spinach and cranberry; kale and cranberry; carrot and cucumber; and cactus;

>Jicama Chips, plain and with dips and other produce; and

>Jicama Tortillas, plain and green.

Xica has products packaged for retail shelves, as well as packaged in bulk for food service and wholesale customers.

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I Love Produce ventures into the Peruvian rainforest to survey ginger crop

Thu, 03 Aug 2023 15:33:36 GMT

Organic importer I Love Produce recently met with its supplier of organic Peruvian ginger, Rainforest Organic, to discuss the season.

The owner of Rainforest Organic, identified as Mr. Guillermo, and his nephew and Commercial Manager Edwin Medrano led a tour of their fields and facilities, according to a news release.

“The Asháninka rainforest area is one of the most remote places I have ever traveled,” Gordon Liao, new partner for I Love Produce, said in the release. “We learned how the good people at Rainforest Organic put a good deal of love and care into the growing and packing of their ginger, which shows in the quality of their production.”

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The ginger supply from Peru is limited this year because prices were poor last season and less ginger was planted for 2023, the release said.

“Because our partner Rainforest [Organic] introduced ginger to Peru, they are well established,” Jim Provost, I Love Produce president, said in the release. “We planned together for our program in 2023, and our supply is secure for the duration of the season.”

All major ginger producing countries — including China, Brazil and Peru — grew less ginger for 2023 than in previous years, according to the release. The supply and market will be tight until new crop Chinese ginger comes back into the market in 2024, and I Love Produce is positioned to supply their customers during this challenging supply year, the release said.

Importer-exporter banking on Ecuadorian tropicals

Mon, 18 Sep 2023 20:05:59 GMT

Houston-based import and exporter dVida Co. plans to share the latest fresh, frozen, dehydrated tropical fruits and vegetables from Ecuador with fresh produce professionals this October at the International Fresh Produce Association Global Produce & Floral Show in Anaheim, Calif., according to a news release.

A family-owned business and woman-owned company, dVida brings 15 years’ experience providing agricultural inspections and sourcing to clients with quality products that ensure cold chain integrity from the origin to final destination, the release said.

“Unique attributes of our Ecuadorian year-round fruit deal are our focus on quality, speed, and consistency. We have complete control and management of the production, packaging and streamlining logistics to assure product shelf life for our customers,” Annabell Vidal, dVida’s CEO, said in the release.

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Additionally, dVida sources tropical fruits and vegetables from Colombia, Peru, Brazil and Mexico to ensure year-round supply for clients.

“The vast distinction of Ecuadorian agriculture, other than its capability to year-round production, is variety,” Vidal said. “A variety of fresh tropical fruit and vegetable sizes are grown as a result of our lush rainforest and humid subtropical climate. These varying sizes meet commodity requirements that are earmarked for markets requiring size specifications and uses.”

Tropical fruit is dVida’s focus, which includes a specialty in mangoes. Ecuador ranks as third-largest mango importing country to the U.S., and dVida is currently on schedule to ship over 2 million pounds of mango this year, the release said.

“Among our diversified product offerings, our specialty is mangoes,” Vidal said in the release. “Mangoes are an increasingly high demand fruit among U.S. retailers and we have seen a driving demand from clients due to the increased per capita consumption of mango amongst U.S. consumers.”

Added to this, dragon fruit is an up-and-coming fruit that is gaining recognition with U.S. consumers and dVida has been able to add both yellow and red dragon fruit to its product list, the release said.

“Ecuador has become the number one producer of dragon fruit in South America and is ranked eighth in dragon fruit exportation worldwide. The quality of the Ecuadorian dragon fruit has been recognized in regions like Europe, Asia, and North America,” Vidal said in the release.