Jose Saca Details Wish Farms' Blackberry Production
PLANT CITY, FL - As the weather chills down here in California, I have tasty mixed berry recipes dancing around my head like pixies. Who better to turn to than Jose Saca, Director of Cane Berry Operations for Wish Farms, to get a read on the blackberries coming through from Mexico?
“We are starting our season in Mexico. Volumes so far have been lower than previous seasons, but we expect it to go back to their normal levels relatively soon,” Jose shares with me. “Wish Farms sources our blackberries from a wide variety of environments in Mexico to try to mitigate variability in our supply as much as possible. Weather has always been a factor, but we are expecting a normal season.”
Mexican weather has been dry and hot through parts of the growing regions, and there have been some rain and hail in other isolated areas. While it has been negative for some, blackberry quality will improve as the weather transitions from rainy to dry with lower temperatures.
“The wet weather has affected some of the blackberry production, but we are still pulling through quite nicely,” continues Jose. “Pricing has also been pretty good. The United States Department of Agriculture hasn’t reported on Mexican blackberries just yet, but Wish Farms is anticipating good prices for the next several weeks.”
While Wish Farms continues to produce punnets of goodness for retail shelves, keep checking back for punnets of industry news from ANUK.