One of the major areas of focus for the Fresh Produce Association of the Americas in Nogales, AZ, year after year, has been dealing with various issues affecting the logistics of getting produce from the growing areas in Mexico across the border and into the warehouses in Nogales in a timely and expeditious manner.

“The grape deal is off to a good, early start,” in the view of importer and distributor Gonzalo Avila, vice president and general manager of Malena Produce, Inc., based in Rio Rico, AZ.

“We will have more volume for the Memorial Day pull than ever,” he said. Avila added that this season the Mexican grape deal “will be spread over more weeks, which is good for all involved.”

Keying the strong marketing position is a very early start, he emphasized.

RIO RICO, AZ — First opening its doors in May 1989, Calixtro Distributing Co., Inc., located here, is celebrating its 25th anniversary, and its success is showing in a very tangible way.

Frank Calixtro, one of five brothers in the family business, walked The Produce News through a major construction site as the firm expands its warehouse facility from 50,000 square feet to 92,000 square feet.

About three years ago, Pandol Bros. in Delano, CA, had a change in its Mexican grape program with the departure of one of its growers. That left the company with a lighter volume during the early part of the season. It became a problem, because since then, "we haven't been able to transition early enough" from southern hemisphere fruit into the Mexican deal, said John Pandol, a director at Pandol Bros.

Of all the factors surrounding the Mexican grape season, most important is that it is early, in the view of Miguel (Miky) Suarez, sales manager of MAS Melons & Grapes, LLC, based in Rio Rico, AZ.

In an April 7 interview, Suarez was asked to describe the upcoming grape deal. “Number one, it is very early,” he said. “We will be ahead of schedule. Chile will finish early and Mexico will be early, so it seems it will be a long season for Mexican grapes. In my opinion, we need a long season.”

Eagle Eye Grape Guys LLC in Visalia, CA, a subsidiary of Eagle Eye Produce Co. in Idaho Falls, ID, expects to ship about 300,000 boxes of grapes in its Sonora, Mexico, grape program, predominantly during the months of May and June, according to Shaun Ricks, vice president of the company.