Baja Greenhouse Production Takes Big Hit from Hurricane

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Baja greenhouse production takes big hit from hurricane

September 22, 2014

Greenhouses on Mexico's Baja peninsula endured enormous damage from the winds of Hurricane Odile, which delivered its strongest punch Sept. 16 on the southern part of the peninsula.

Lance Jungmeyer, president of the Fresh Produce Association of the Americas, located in Nogales, AZ, indicated Sept. 19 that the hurricane "hit southern Baja pretty hard. Reports are still coming in, but the first reports are of 100 percent loss" of the region's produce greenhouses and their crops.

Lance Jungmeyer"We may find that not all the crops were lost," Jungmeyer said, adding that the question remained as to what part of these crops might make it to market. "A lot of the roads were washed out" in Baja.

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In the key Mexican production states of Sonora and Sinaloa, there was "minor" crop damage and the rainfall was beneficial in replenishing reservoirs.

"It's a positive because when you grow in the desert, you need all the water you can get," said Jungmeyer. "Overall, even if Baja loses tomatoes and peppers, Sinaloa and Sonora will pick up the slack" to serve demand. "There will not be supplies like you would normal have but it's not dire unless you were growing in Baja."

Jungmeyer said it was wind damage more than rain that devastated Baja. "The wind tore down structures and the plants were ripped to shreds. But maybe some can be salvaged. It was the winds that were really concerning."

Initial news reports indicated Baja's winds were 100 miles per hour. A Sept. 20 CNN report said the winds hit 125 mph.

Jungmeyer indicated that the Baja greenhouses had scarcely begun harvesting. He noted that Mexico's primary vegetable shipping season runs from November until June.

On Sept. 19, Jose Luis Obregon, president of IPR Fresh in Rio Rico, AZ, confirmed that Mexican production areas aside from Baja endured little impact from Odile, nor from Hurricane Norbert, which struck Mexico two weeks before Odile.

Obregon indicated that some Nogales-area distributors started receiving Mexican colored Bell peppers and tomatoes Sept. 19. "There is some squash in Nogales from Hermosillo," he said. "And cukes have been arriving in Nogales with honeydew and watermelons for a while." Mostly, "the season for Nogales starts next week [Sept. 22]. Slowly but surely, we're starting in Nogales. Sonora will begin in the next two weeks. Sinaloa will start in the last week of November."

These growing areas have enjoyed rain, "but nothing major" that would damage crops," said Obregon. "There has been no destruction from wind."