Hard squash and watermelon supply out of Mexico have gotten a late start this fall. “Our fall season on these items is about two weeks behind normal,” says Lesley Sykes of The Sykes Co. “That’s mostly due to the high winds brought by Tropical Storm Hilary this summer.”

The Sykes Co.’s supply of hard squash and watermelon comes from the state of Sonora. “Aside from the high winds, the Hermosillo growing area has had favorable growing conditions the last several months,” she says. "We expect to have a normal season and go through November with watermelon and through early 2024 with hard squash, before entering our spring deal."

That said, on watermelon, production does look like it will be down from last year due in part to continued water shortages in the state of Sinaloa that have affected the plantings. Sykes noted that the company’s seedless watermelon program is about a week away from starting.

Squash season start
That start will be followed by its hard squash program which begins with acorn and then continues with kabocha, butternut, spaghetti and delicata. "Other than a slightly late start, the crop is looking great and we expect volumes to be normal. The ongoing water issues don't impact hard squash like they do with other thirsty crops in the growing area," said Sykes.

Meanwhile, demand looks similar to last year at this time and in turn, prices have been stabilizing. “Of course, the weather has been a factor in major price swings,” says Sykes.

Source - https://www.freshplaza.com