The Florida watermelon season may start a bit later in South Florida due to overcast days and temperatures. "We should get going about the third week of April with central Florida coming in mid-May if the weather cooperates," says Matt Solana, VP of operations/supply chain with the Jackson Farming Company.
This is part of a season that will see heavier plantings in Northern Florida, Georgia, and Indiana this year which means the season could run on through September when the fall crops start.
The season will also come into one that currently has very light supply out of Mexico, Guatemala, Costa Rica, and Honduras. "It's very tight mostly due to adverse weather. The demand exceeds supply and will until South Florida gets up and running," says Solana, adding that Florida has finished transplanting for the most part and Georgia has been underway for two weeks with transplanting.
Watermelon consumption up
Meanwhile, on demand, Solana says the current plans look good with its retail partners for a strong 2024 watermelon season. "Consumption continues to rise as watermelon has a great price per pound comparison and the National Watermelon Promotional Board continues to educate at retail, foodservice, and customer events," he says.
As for pricing, it should look strong on the domestic start-up in South Florida due to the shortages. "We expect that to come down as more supply comes into play in Florida with North Florida planting heavier this year and, in some cases, earlier," he says. The challenge will be trying to maintain last year's FOB pricing given it needs to absorb the rise in H-2A labor costs.
Looking further ahead, Jackson Farming's North Carolina season should start July 1 on both seeded and seedless watermelons with seedless normally running through September. "We are currently seeding the greenhouses for transplanting mid-April in North Carolina," he adds.
For more information:
Matt Solana
Jackson Farming Company
www.jfcmelons.com