As the offshore melon season ends, the Westside Produce and Classic Fruit Alliance have announced the kickoff of the domestic melon season in Arizona and California. "The team is gearing up for another great year with first picks out of Arizona expected next week," both companies said in a release. 

“We are entering year 4 of our alliance together, providing year-round supplies of melons to our valued customers,” said Garrett Patricio, president of Westside Produce. “We have developed synergies as partners and satisfied our goal of being the one-stop shop for melons year-round. We will continue working together to make this goal a reality.”

The companies expressed positive results for the offshore season. “We just completed a successful import season and have had excellent reviews from year-round program customers,” Tom Ferguson, VP of Sales at Classic Fruit, said. “Although tariffs were an unexpected challenge, our customers fortunately worked with us in navigating these uncharted waters to close out our import season on a high note. We finish this season by adding watermelon to our winter offerings and exploring it in future domestic seasons.” 

Patricio indicated that the domestic season will start in Yuma, Arizona, on May 19th, with stable volumes expected by June 1st.

Then, they will transition to Firebaugh by July 1st, "where we plan to have sufficient acreage and volume to cover contract customers and provide some market opportunities for regular customers. In addition, we have new trial varieties planted in every block in Yuma. We are also being planned out of California to seek the highest quality and flavor available.” 

Regarding the expected market, the alliance comments on how markets and demand work hand in hand. “We continue to see a pattern of increased contracting of melons, which provides not only competitive pricing but also ensures coverage during lower volume periods,” added Ferguson. “Planning with this in mind helps confirm our commitment to provide an uninterrupted supply of melons to our customers with year-round support.”

The allied companies said they have also begun preparations for the 2025/26 winter import season, fulfilling their mission of providing melons 52 weeks a year. 

The main melon-producing states in the U.S. are California, Texas, Florida, and Arizona.