In the midst of a strong, stable season, Florida’s starfruit production is poised to enter its yearly late fall/early winter peak.“It’s going pretty good,” says Fred Elson of Elson’s Exotics, a specialty fruit grower based out of Ft. Lauderdale, FL. Elson says that yields and product quality have been “pretty typical” throughout the season. “We had more problems with quality last year, but that was largely due to issues with crop scouting and selection.”
Elson says this year’s strong crop has occurred in spite of “a very strange year” in terms of weather. “Summer was unusually dry and winter has been unseasonably wet,” says Elson. But Elson adds that his two biggest weather concerns haven’t been a problem this season. “Our big issues are wind damage and cold, and we’ve had neither.”
“The things that affect our product are peaks in seasonality,” Elson further explains. “There are two general peaks in volume on starfruit – that’s generally around September and December – and that fluctuates based on weather.” Elson says that his company saw typical yields through the first peak in late summer/early fall, and that this year’s secondary peak is now beginning.
“We’re just starting to come into it.”
For more information:
Fred Elson
Elson’s Exotics
Tel: +1 (954) 473-0831