In the past few days, Hurricane Erick developed from a tropical storm into a Category 4 hurricane. Early yesterday morning, it made landfall in Oaxaca state in southern Mexico as a Category 3 hurricane. What's concerning is the early start to the hurricane season. Usually, storms of this magnitude don't develop until August or September. Could this be an indicator to a heavy storm season? According to The Weather Channel, Erick is the strongest pre-July hurricane on record.
The impact on fresh produce seems to be limited. Oaxaca and Guerrero, the two states in the center of the hurricane, are down in southern Mexico while most crops are grown further up north this time of year. "Honestly, it has been so hot in this southern part of the country that the rain will be very welcome," says Ronnie Cohen with Vision Global Group. The residual from the storm will move to Michoacan and although commodities like avocados and guava are currently in season, they aren't expected to be negatively impacted. In fact, rainfall associated with the storm has been beneficial for avocado growing regions, improving soil moisture and supporting crop development.
Photo: Weather Prediction Center
Citrus fruit will size up
"In Veracruz, lychee harvest is done and has moved up further north to Sinaloa," says Jose Roggiero with Freshway Produce. Limes, however, will receive some rain. "The only downfall for limes will be an interruption of harvest," says Tony Martinez with Primo Trading Services. "In the next seven days, we might see fewer lime crossings and quality issues may develop. However, within 30 days, sizing will have improved, which will help the U.S. market balance out as there has been an abundance of limes from Mexico in the market." Other citrus items like lemons are set to kick off early to mid-July and the rain will only help the crop. The same holds true for oranges that are grown in Central Mexico, where harvest won't start until September.
Looking at the weather forecast for the next few days, about two to three inches of rain are predicted in the lower Gulf region. Veracruz and Tampico on the other hand are expected to receive anywhere from eight to 12 inches. "Given the number of years the region has been in a drought, the rain from this storm will be a blessing rather than a curse," said Martinez. Other regions going through drought are Jalisco, Nayarit, Sonora, and Chihuahua in the northwestern Pacific. These regions will take the rain anytime. In Jalisco, greenhouse tomato growers are watching the weather forecast. "In the next 48 hours we will be watching the weather closely and will be bracing for rain as it could influence the growing region," says Roger Riehm with Blue Creek Produce.
For more information:
Ronnie Cohen
Vision Global Group
www.visionglobalgroup.com
Jose Roggiero
Freshway Produce
www.freshwayproduce.com
Tony Martinez
Primo Trading Services
www.primotradingservices.com
Roger Riehm
Blue Creek Produce
www.bluecreekproduce.com