DONNA, TX - With the 2018 Viva Fresh Expo fast approaching, growers, shippers, marketers, and others in our industry are preparing new product offerings, cultivating connections, and looking to partner with and grow alongside other attendees at this important regional show. And Kingdom Fresh is no exception. The burgeoning greenhouse grower has been growing its operations and forging new ties since 2003, and this year, the company is greeting the trade show with new organic category offerings.
Kingdom Fresh is introducing a new year-round, greenhouse-grown organic Roma tomato program, with supplies set to hit grocers' shelves this spring.
"We're going to launch the organic Roma program in April out of our ranch in Torreon," said Steven Garza, Sales Manager. "We'll be launching the program in retail initially—that seems to be where most of the growth in organics is coming. We've seen double-digit growth in organics over the last few years, and that seems to be an area where we can expand our sales."
Kingdom Fresh's latest organic program is in addition to the company's longstanding organic grape tomato program, and Steven told me that the company currently produces 12 hectares of organic certified hydroponic produce.
"We had a strong request from one of our retail partners to help them develop the organic Roma category," explained Jaime Garcia, General Manager. "We were supplying them with other items already, so we decided to introduce organic Roma tomatoes."
Additionally, Steven explained, Kingdom Fresh is always looking to expand its product offering, and the company is currently trialing a number of offerings-including cantaloupe, honeydews, eggplants, mini bell peppers, and habaneros.
"We have a research and development greenhouse where we're trying a number of organic offerings," Jaime explained to me. "I have personally tasted our trial honeydews, and they are really good. The idea is to have more to bring to the table than just tomatoes, so we're exploring these options."
Organic Roma tomatoes will launch at the 2018 Viva Fresh Expo held in San Antonio, Texas, April 5-7 at the JW Marriott Hill Country Resort and Spa.
"We're definitely excited about Viva Fresh. It's in our backyard. We have a really strong presence in Texas," said Steven. "It's a great place to network and build on our relationships with our retail partners. And people are tired of this winter weather and it's a good time to come down to Texas and have a little sun, play some golf, have a few drinks, and relax."
And Jaime echoed the sentiment noting, "We think it's one of the most important shows for us because of both the growth of attendance and the quality of the attendees. You have top-notch buyers flying into Texas to meet with grower/shippers like us, and we've had a lot of success with Viva Fresh."
For more on Kingdom Fresh, the 2018 Viva Fresh Expo, and other fresh-focused news, stay tuned to AndNowUKnow.
