RIO RICO, AZ - The transition from fall to winter is upon us, and growers are looking at their bottom lines to evaluate the 2019 market. Finishing up the fall season and preparing for winter, Mas Melons & Grapes has seen steadily excellent quality on its honeydews and watermelons all year long. The company will soon be closing up shop in Caborca and Hermosillo, Sonora, Mexico, and transitioning to southern west Mexico in the states of Colima and Nayarit. To find out how Mas Melons is faring this time of year, I tapped Miguel (Mikee) Suarez Jr. of Sales.

“In the fall, we typically offer honeydew melons, conventional watermelons, and mini watermelons from early October to mid-December,” he told me. “However, due to some heavy early rainfall from tropical storm Lorena, we had to end our watermelon season earlier than expected. Our honeydew melons were not affected by this rain as much and still have high quality from new fields in Hermosillo.”

Although volume of all varieties at Mas Melons was affected, the high quality was maintained. The honeydew melon brix was slightly below average due to the rain brought on by storm Lorena, ranging from 9.6 to 11.2 in rating. Despite this, the company is rarin’ to go ahead of its upcoming season in Mexico.

“Our fall northern Mexico season will wrap up in mid-December. In late December/early January, our Tecoman, Colima, and Santiago Ixcuintla, Nayarit, productions will begin,” Miguel explained. “We will have honeydew melons, conventional watermelons, and mini watermelons to offer throughout the winter months before concluding in mid-April and transitioning back to our northern Mexico production.”

To see how others in the industry are preparing for a new chapter, keep reading AndNowUKnow.

Mas Melons