Nations Vie for Mexico’s Share of U.S. Papaya Sales

Produce Merchandising
The Packer
May 2005

Highlights from the article

Varying levels of success greet Belize and Brazil.

South and Central American exporters of papaya seem to pose little challenge to Mexico as the No. 1 foreign supplier to the U.S. market, especially with Mexican papaya having represented nearly three-fourths of all imports in 2003.

But that doesn’t mean that other suppliers over time won’t be able to increase their market share.

Belize and Brazil, the two largest suppliers to the U.S. behind Mexico, are experiencing varying degrees of success in that regard.

Volumes of Belize papaya landing stateside in 2003 were double those of Brazilian papaya. Brooks Tropicals, Inc., Homestead, Fla., is one importer of Belize product and reports that its sales of the Caribbean Red® variety were up by 24% through March.

Furthermore, its Caribbean Sunrise® papaya sales are on track to exceed a 400% increase in 2005.

"We are expecting Caribbean Sunrise solo papayas from Belize to be a success like the larger Caribbean Red papayas from Belize. Most retailers want to carry both, and our increasing solo volumes will put us in a position to meet that demand," said Bill Brindle, Brooks’ Vice President of Price Strategy. Brooks also is developing sales of the Caribbean Sunrise papaya into the foodservice market.

Brindle added that the company is running nearly at full capacity in both Belize and Homestead as far as papaya production is concerned and that facility expansions are being considered at both locations.