While loadings of Mexican grown veggies are quickly becoming history at Nogales, AZ distribution centers, watermelons from south of the border are rapidly increasing, and will soon be followed by grapes.
Easter is April 20th and loading opportunities should be good during the next week to 10 days for arrivals of melons on the retail produce shelves. Mexican watermelon shipments are much early than normal due to warm weather in Mexico.
Mexican Grape Shipments
Meanwhile, Mexican grape loadings will be the earliest they’ve been in the past five years. Light volume of Mexican green grapes will be crossing the border at Nogales the last week of April, while red grapes will likely follow in early May. Good volume should be available on both greens and reds by May 15.
Meanwhile, there’s a great variety of various vegetables and tropical fruit crossing the border from Mexico into South Texas. The Lower Rio Grande Valley continues to ship citrus and onions.
South Texas produce – grossing about $5300 to New York City.
Chilean Fruit Imports
Name just about any fruit import from Chile this season and there has been signficantly less volume. This goes for grapes, stone fruit, etc. While these items are pretty much finished for the season, Chilean kiwi imports are just getting underway. However, the forecast says there will be a 55 percent decrease in Chilean kiwi this season.