Welcome to this episode of Behind the Greens. Now one of the leading players in the Peruvian sweet onion deal, Shuman Produce began its Peruvian sweet onion program in 1998. Starting out by importing only a handful of containers in that first year, Shuman’s Peruvian import program brought nearly 800 containers through the port of Savannah, Georgia during the 2012-2013 season.<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">Thanks to their flat shape and bright yellow skin color, Peruvian sweet onions are instantly recognizable as sweet. And research shows that they’re the preferred choice by consumers when it comes to sweet onions available during the fall and winter months. Consumers value the versatility and flavor of sweet onions, and this has made them the driver of the onion category. <hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">The Peruvian sweet onion season and Vidalia sweet onion season dovetail perfectly - allowing retailers to provide their customers with a consistent, high-quality product all year long. The Peruvian season also means a consistent local workforce is necessary throughout the year. In fact, Shuman Produce's import program is a part of the 350,000 jobs generated by Georgia's ports and the $32 billion of the state's GDP created by products moving through the state's ports. <hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">Born and raised in the Vidalia sweet onion industry, President and Director of Sales John Shuman has a clear understanding of the product and what consumers expect from a sweet onion. “We grew up around the best sweet onion out there and we understand fully what it should look and taste like,” said Shuman. “We’ve gained experience over the years cultivating and bringing these varieties to market and we’ve been very blessed that our Peruvian program continues to grow year over year. It’s a testament to the overall consumer approval and appeal of the product – it’s a superior sweet onion during its market availability.” Thank you for watching this episode of Behind the Greens.<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">
