Dulcinea Farms Adds New Melon Variety to Product Line

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Dulcinea Farms adds new melon variety to product line

October 28, 2007

HOUSTON -- Complementing its existing line of specialty melons, Dulcinea Farms has tested and will be introducing a new melon to the marketplace in summer 2008.

Speaking with The Produce News during the recent Produce Marketing Association exposition, here, General Manager Keith Kato said that the Dulcinea "Sweet 'n Crisp" Asian-style cantaloupe is so named because it is has a crunchy texture and was developed in China from the Hami melon. It has light-orange flesh and typically weighs between three and five pounds. Dulcinea is going to price it to compete as a mainstream melon, suggesting a regular retail price of $3.99 each and promoted at $2.99 per melon.

Mr. Kato said that he believes the melon has the ability to be an everyday melon as opposed to a specialty item, and that sales can eventually put it in the same category as a honeydew within the produce department.

Dulcinea is currently looking for retail partners for full-scale introduction of the item next year. Initially, it will be grown in the San Joaquin Valley and the Yuma area, where it has been trialed. The firm is also beginning trials in other melon-production areas.

The "Sweet 'n Crisp" cantaloupe follows the same marketing strategy of the company's earlier product introductions, including the "PureHeart" seedless watermelon, the extra-sweet Tuscan-style cantaloupe and the Rosso Bruno premium vine-fresh tomato. Dulcinea and its parent company, Syngenta, are committed to finding product lines that are both unique and very flavorful. Dulcinea is expanding its product line a bit this year by entering the fresh-cut arena with six SKUs of its "PureHeart" watermelon and Tuscan-style cantaloupe. The items are being offered in two different size packs and in all watermelon, all cantaloupe and a mixture configurations.

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While the entry into fresh-cut strays a bit from the firm's history of offering only exclusive products, Mr. Kato believes a combination of using its proprietary products and partnering with the veteran fresh-cut processor Garden Highway gives this fresh-cut entry a unique marketing position. Mr. Kato said that Garden Highway has distinguished itself as a leader when it comes to both marketing and quality assurance. He said the product would be co-branded with both the "Dulcinea" and "Garden Highway" labels featured prominently.

The fresh-cut items are being rolled out in November, initially being marketed on the West Coast and then eventually moving eastward.

The third item that Dulcinea announced at the PMA convention is an organic "PureHeart" watermelon. "We are seeing the same numbers as everyone else and the organic market is growing," said Mr. Kato.

Dulcinea's core customers are well educated and a little bit older -- in the 35-50-year-old range -- according to Mr. Kato. These are also the same customers that index high for organic fruits and vegetables. He said that these customers tend to be willing to pay extra for premium products with great flavor.

Dulcinea will continue to reach out to its customers with its grassroots consumer promotion campaign. The company promotes its products at events that tend to draw its target audience, such as marathons and food and music festivals.

While it also continues to improve its food-safety procedures and traceability program, Mr. Kato said that it promotes food safety not to consumers but rather to the trade. Like others in the industry, Mr. Kato said that Dulcinea is looking at the technology that will offer full trace-back capabilities to the field where the product is grown at the item level.

Justin Schmidt, director of operations for Dulcinea, said that retailers increasingly are asking suppliers for more information about their food- safety procedures. He said that Dulcinea does have procedures in place that require its growers to conform to all the top Good Agricultural Practice standards, and those procedures are audited by independent third parties. The company continuously does pesticide residue and microbiological testing.

Mr. Kato added, "It is our brand at stake, and we are not going to take any chances with that."