TEXAS - The rough weather in South Texas may have given the region a beating, but growers are fighting back with a vengeance. Frontera’s President and CEO Will Steele is reporting that the company's onions have continued to show excellent quality and volume is stable, in spite of the storms.
“The El Niño weather pattern has been here for the entire year, but we are prepared for it and we have practices and harvesting techniques in place to ensure we continue moving forward,” said Steele. “We do what needs to be done.”
Though buyers have taken recent weather reports as a direct reflection of the quality and availability of Texas produce, that is simply not the case, as Steele tells us.
“We know what our customer expects from us and we are going to deliver that without fail,” Steele continued. “We have a strong customer base and they are staying with us.”
Availability is consistent on yellow, red, and white onions, and will continue to be for the remainder of the season. Reports from Frontera indicate that the season is still going strong.
This isn’t the first time the industry has overreacted to the rumor mill concerning poor weather early in the season. In 2013, reports of disease and hail negatively impacted the perception of Vidalia onions. Just two months after these reports came out, however, ideal weather and sunny skies brought on a load of Vidalia onions into the market. A little bad news can go a long way. Just because the early part of the season looks bad doesn’t mean it’s going to stay that way. Growers have an opportunity to come back and show buyers that they can continue to deliver.
All things considered, staying loyal does have its benefits.
Stay tuned to AndNowUKnow as we continue to track the progress of the Texas onion season.
