News and Stories

Cantaloupe and honeydew melons will be packed in Markon First Crop (MFC) boxes through November. While most cantaloupe will continue to be shipped in brand through mid-November, honeydew is sporadic. MFC Melons are not packed during the offshore harvest and will become available again during the 2016 spring/summer season that starts in April 2016.

• Harvesting in California’s San Joaquin Valley will end this week
• Large-size melons will dominate fall crops
• 9- and 12-count cantaloupes and 5- and 6-count honeydews will be most plentiful
• Most small-size melons, especially honeydews, will be shipped in packer label due to limited availability
• Fall harvesting has started in the Arizona/California desert region (from Brawley, California to Yuma, Arizona) and Central Arizona (Aguila and Maricopa)
• Quality is excellent, but domestic fall melons have a rougher appearance
• Cantaloupe flavor is sweet (11-12% Brix), but green casts, ground spots, and rougher netting are minor issues
• Honeydew internal quality is excellent (10-11% Brix), but changes in appearance may include wind scarring, blemishes, and some netting
• Hardier seed varieties are used for fall crops; outer appearance is affected by colder temperatures, rain, and the fact that melons take longer to mature
• Packer label stocks of Mexican honeydew have started to cross into Nogales, Arizona; cantaloupe will start arriving this week
• Offshore fruit from Guatemala will be available on the East Coast in mid-November and on the West Coast in early December

Please contact your Markon customer service representative for more information.

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