Canadawide is getting wider. Just recently, the Montreal, Quebec-based produce wholesaler opened a new facility just 10 minutes away from the company's current operations. With that new space, it doubles the company’s pallet capacity for storage as well as doubling their banana ripening rooms. In all, 14,000 pallets can now be housed, giving Canadawide 320,000 sq. ft. of refrigerated space totaling 36 rooms with different temperature zones as well as multiple packaging options including bagging, flow wrap and top seal options.
Canadawide's new facility is 10 minutes away from its current operations.
That new space opens just as the company is preparing for its summer program which starts with tree fruit. “We have peaches starting in the next 10 days and then apricots and cherries shortly after, all from California,” says Sarantis. “The challenge this year is the Southern peach crop was affected by weather so there’s going to be a bit more pressure on us to procure stone fruit from the West Coast and/or Europe.”
The other challenge is the cooler temperatures in California that have pushed back the start of the season. “Normally we’d start loading cherries on April 25-26th but this year they’re telling us not to expect to load before or around May 4th,” Sarantis commented.
Getting ready for Ontario fruit
Shipments of tree fruit from California will continue until October, though come the second week of July, imports slow down as production in Ontario starts. "Demand for Ontario tree fruit is always strong as everyone anxiously awaits their arrival,” he said. “We haven’t had peaches and nectarines now for a few weeks and there’s no question that the stone fruit from California leading up to the Ontario deal is something everyone looks forward to in terms of summer fruit.”
Canadawide's Chris Sarantis.
As for pricing, it likely will be similar to last year. “At the beginning, it’s going to be a strong market but as the volume starts filling up and product is available, we all have to get creative and get to selling some of the finest fruit we have to offer,” Sarantis said.
Interested in learning more about Canadawide's warehouse expansion and stone fruit program? George Pitsikoulis, Chris Sarantis and the Canadawide team will be available at CPMA, booth #429 this week to discuss. In addition, the company has also begun a lemon import program. Lemons from South Africa have already arrived and lemons from Argentina will arrive next week, followed by grapefruit and oranges and easy peelers from South Africa.
For more information:
Chris Sarantis
Canadawide
Tel: (514) 382-3232
[email protected]
https://www.canadawidefruits.com/en-ca