COLIMA, MEXICO - With the goal of differentiating the company while also responding to the growing trends in organic produce, Coliman is ramping up its organic banana program in Mexico’s fertile growing regions. Coliman’s goal as we move into the second half of 2016, is to become a premier leader in the organic banana category while actively expanding its reach in North America as it does in the UK and Europe.
“Our organic commitment is a key part of our value proposition and it is our goal to follow agricultural practices that help foster, restore, and maintain a healthy ecological balance of the soil and land we use for our organic production. Simply put the consumer is requesting more and more organic products, and organic bananas are amongst the most requested product in the category. We are serving the market need in a truly, socially responsible, way,” Jorge Angel Aguilar Jr., Corporate CEO, tells me as we discuss why organics are important to the company. “Organic markets are expanding rapidly all over the world and in the organic banana category we want to be the company that retailers, multinationals, and distributors look to.”
Coliman started the conversion to organics in 2010, with certification in 2014, in order to address many issues including the reduction of chemicals-use, both for the sustainment of the land and the health of consumers and the workers at the farm level.
“As stated previously, Colima is an ideal region for organic bananas due to its weather and mild temperatures year-round,” Jorge adds. “Coliman has expanded these areas to better serve the growing demand for organic products in addition to addressing the concerns for Coliman’s impact on the land. From nursery to harvest, everything is organic. What makes our program such an accessible, beneficial, and quality company for U.S, retailers to partner with, is our passion for growing the best bananas and produce, with the highest food safety standards, along with our resources as a vertically integrated company that cares about making a positive difference in the lives of our customers and workers.”
Global GAP, Primus GFS, Organic and Fair Trade Certified, the company is also now RainForest Alliance certified. Coliman grows 100 percent of its own organic production in the Tecoman, Colima, Mexico. In addition, the company’s transport time to the southern U.S. border in Nogales, AZ, is 60 hours, and to McAllen, TX, travel time is around 36 hours max, the company notes, giving Coliman efficient access to both the East and West Coast from its growing operations. To ensure that the organic bananas travel well, Coliman pre-cools all of its fruit within one hour of being harvested and uses Biotempak on all shipments and/or customer specified temp-recorder.
Currently, the company exports organic bananas to many countries including the USA, UK, Netherlands, Canada, Switzerland, Germany, New Zealand, and Japan.
In conclusion, Jorge Aguilar Gallegos Jr, states, “We’ve spent the last 50-plus years growing and distributing our produce in Mexico and across the world, and we are very excited to be expanding and growing our organic banana program along with our Fairtrade program. We are looking forward to the next 50 years and promoting our message, ‘Nourishing Your Life for 50 Years.’”
Coliman Organics welcomes you to learn more about its program at the Organic Produce Summit booth #310.
