Papaya supplies continue to be steady as they have been for a few months though one shipper notes that there are concerns over the effects of weather in Mexico on the growing of the tropical fruit. “Lately we’ve been seeing changes. Every year it’s becoming more unpredictable and that’s a big concern. One day you have 20-40 hectares and the next day you have zero because you wake up and the rain has taken it over,” says Edgar Millan of Caraveo Papayas.
This comes at a time when consumers continue to look for healthy options in the grocery store, a trend that’s helped the demand for papaya, even in the face of tightening consumer budgets. Papaya producers in Mexico have also organized into associations to have better, stronger representation in the industry. In 20202 for example, the Texas International Produce Association and the then-United Fresh Produce Association announced the release of the Food Safety Best Practices Guide for the Growing & Handling of Mexican Papaya, First Edition.
Costs reducing
At the same time, grower input costs look to be coming down and stabilizing. “We’ve seen that in freight prices which helps, especially in the Northeast,” says Millan.
However, the concern now is the strength of the Mexican Peso against the U.S. dollar. “Everything is still a bit more expensive and we still have to pay the same amount of Pesos but we don’t receive more dollars. So we have to raise papaya prices and they’re still a little high,” says Millan.
For more information:
Edgar Millan
Caraveo Papayas
Tel: +1 (718) 617-2213
[email protected]
http://www.caraveopapayas.com/