MEXICO - As the Texas/Mexico region gets the winter growing season underway, Mother Nature is lending a kind hand to growers to kick the round off.

“Culiacán is running really well—no planting delays and growing conditions have been smooth,” Tony Incaviglia, Vice President of Sales and Marketing for GR Fresh tells me, sharing that while there have been some scattered showers, all product is relatively unaffected and lined up to come on strong for the approaching season. “Our early commodities such as cucumbers, eggplant, bell peppers, squash, grape tomatoes, and hot peppers are off to a strong start. Our tomato category including Roma and vine-ripened tomatoes will slowly gain some momentum after Christmas and into the new year, and are on track for a strong start as well.”

The company is also closing out the year with a new category, solidifying its portfolio with a new avocado program.

“GR Fresh’s new avocado category is up and running, and doing well,” Tony teases of the news.

Speaking of broadening its portfolio, GR Fresh is seeing increasing penetration in its still-new western veg program. Previous success begins to gain traction in the industry as iceberg lettuce, romaine, and others show an increased consistency and quality as the company kicks into its third season in this arena.

“It takes a little time to build customer trust in a new program, and this year we are beginning to see that trust, which is very exciting,” Tony confirms, adding that the excitement in the West stretches southward too. “As we head into the winter season and the next growing region, we’re excited about what we are seeing out there. Overall, it’s as good a quality season as I’ve seen in recent years.”

From a growing standpoint, GR Fresh is continuing toward its goal to supply retail partners with excellent quality to inspire stronger demand, which tends to quiet just after Thanksgiving before ramping up for the festive holidays.

“While we are looking for some holiday pull as Christmas comes in, foodservice is going to be impacted—there is no avoiding that—but people have to eat, whether that is shopping, delivery, or drive thru,” Tony comments. “Like everyone in the industry, we are doing everything we can to make sure we have high-quality product to meet the demand, wherever it is.”

And, toward the end of this month, buyers can expect the season to be firing on all cylinders.

“After the first of the year, we’ll likely see a full running menu with everything we offer,” Tony concludes.

With an eye on a new calendar year, and all the promise it can hold, that menu looks to be a full one. As we continue to report on the revving season, keep the other eye on ANUK.

GR Fresh