Strong papaya demand should buoy markets

Excerpt from an article in the 4/6/09 edition of The Packer by Andy Nelson.

Demand for ample supplies of high-quality papayas should be strong in April and May, importers said.

Brooks Tropicals is celebrating the return of its Caribbean Sunrise papaya acreage, which had been devastated by Hurricane Dean, said Mary Ostlund, director of marketing.

Brooks was importing 5,000 to 6,000 boxes of Caribbean Sunrise at the end of March, Ostlund said. That should increase up to 10,000 a week by this summer.

The company also imports Caribbean Red papayas, she said. That variety was in a product lull in late March, with volume shipments returning by late April, Ostlund said.