Organic Melon Market Hot as Supplies Increase

With the summer heating up, supplies of various melon varieties are increasing but demand is also on the rise creating a very strong market for both organic and conventional fruit.  One supplier credited the USDA’s Farmers to Families box program with helping to create strong demand for melons, noting that melons are a dense item, helping suppliers of those boxes meet their box weight targets.

Eddie Hernandez, who handles much of the organic sales for Del Mar Farms in Westley, CA, said the firm began harvesting melons in late June and will continue through October.  Del Mar harvests both conventional and organic melons, offering organic SKUs for cantaloupes, honeydews, seedless watermelon, and the mini watermelon. 

Del Mar Farms watermelon

Speaking to OPN this week, Hernandez said the conventional market was as strong as he has seen it at this time of year for many years.  For example, he said cantaloupes were in the $11-$12 range per carton, while mini watermelons were around $13 per carton. 

“On the organic side, we don’t have anything available on the open market right now,” he said, adding that organics usually demand a $2-$3 premium over the conventional product.  “If we did, I’m sure we could get $14 or $15 for cantaloupes.  I’ve heard of one guy asking $18 this week.”

Hernandez believes it is the USDA box program that has helped create the demand exceeds supply situation for both organic and conventional watermelon. He has fielded several calls from contractors in that program looking for any kind of melon to add to their box.  He opined that it is the weight and girth of a melon that makes it attractive for those box fillers. “Earlier, we had apricots, and nobody would use them for their boxers,” he quipped of that light-weighted stone fruit.

The Del Mar salesman said organic melon supplies will increase in July as other local growers open up fields.  He expects to have organic fruit for the open market later in the month.

Martori Farms cantaloupe

William Anthony, chief revenue officer for Martori Farms, Scottsdale, AZ, concurred, saying that the melon market is in a very strong position with excellent demand.  Martori also grows both conventional and organic melons with 100 percent of its organic production sold on a contracted basis.  He was reluctant to credit the Farmers to Families program for creating the melon demand but did say one customer was using melons for that purpose. “But I don’t see a major pull coming from that sector,” he said.

Anthony pointed to an overall increase in demand for fresh produce during the current coronavirus pandemic.  He noted that retail sales are up, which forms the core of Martori’s business. He added that studies have shown that consumers have significantly increased their consumption of meals at homes, which has been credited by many with creating more demand for many different fresh produce items.

Martori grows an array of melon varieties with watermelons, minis, cantaloupes, honeydews, and golden honeydews making up its organic lineup. Anthony has seen general growth in the demand for organic melons, noting that it is a premium product that costs more to grow and commands a higher price.  Martori grows melons in three different Arizona districts from May into November on the conventional side with the organic production starting in mid-June and lasting into October.

Dan Kerrigan, Veg-Fresh Farms

Dan Kerrigan of Veg-Fresh Farms, Corona, CA, discussed that firm’s sales of organic melons from Del Bosque Farms, which are grown in the Westside district of the San Joaquin Valley. Veg-Fresh is the exclusive marketer of those melons and Kerrigan said harvest of organic honeydews, mini watermelons and the Galia melon began in late June and will continue until the middle of October.   He said the early quality is outstanding and he expects good volume throughout the summer.

 While Veg-Fresh works with its customers on organic melon promotions throughout the summer, Kerrigan did note that organic melons are a premium item that do not necessarily lend themselves to promotional ad pricing.

Veg Fresh Galia melons

“An organic melon is very difficult to grow. You don’t get the production that you get from a conventional crop,” he said, adding that there is a significant amount of labor involved in the cultural practices that results in a more expensive piece of fruit.

That said, Kerrigan expects Veg-Fresh to have a steady supply of Del Bosque melons all season long.