Jun 3, 2020

Fisher Ranch uses AgroFresh’s technology to get high-quality melons

AgroFresh Solutions Inc., a producer of freshness solutions, and family-owned grower and shipper Fisher Ranch recently partnered to deliver melons from California to global markets using SmartFresh technology.

According to a news release, with the use of SmartFresh technology, California-based Fisher Ranch has created new business opportunities by extending the storage window and gaining improved inventory flexibility. The grower reported excellent freshness results using SmartFresh SmartTabs on cantaloupes and Golden Dewlicious honeydew melons. According to Fisher Ranch, AgroFresh’s industry-trusted post-harvest solution enables melons to ripen on the vine, allowing the fruit to retain great firmness and sugar content despite longer transit time.

SmartFresh SmartTabs helps growers and shippers maintain fresh and firm fruit during transit, which results in longer retail shelf life. SmartFresh has also been proven to help control skin disorders on melons for 26 days in cold storage.

“After the successful completion of our commercial trials last year, SmartFresh enabled us to deliver great-tasting, aromatic, high quality melons to global markets, which was a new achievement for us,” said Mike Farrage, sales manager at Fisher Ranch. “With this success in mind, we’ve increased our export volume this year and we’ll now apply SmartFresh to our entire shipment of export melons.”

SmartFresh SmartTabs is an easy-to-use solution for transport containers and small storage rooms. There’s no need to manually insert sachets in each box of produce. 

We’re excited to help our customers optimize the quality of their fresh produce and grow their business, at potentially higher margins, in distant markets that they otherwise could not access,” said  AgroFresh commercial development manager FernandoEdagi. “We’re thrilled to help growers such as Fisher Ranch deliver melons that provide a great eating experience with consistently high quality, flavor, sweetness and firmness.”

“In our industry, we’re noticing an increasing shift to long shelf-life (LSL) melon varieties that lack aroma and flavor,” Farrage said. “By using SmartFresh, we’re able to enjoy the same shelf-life benefits offered by the LSL varieties, but with enhanced characteristics such as aroma, flavor, firmness and texture that consumers prefer.”

SmartFresh technology empowers growers, packers and retailers from around the world to preserve quality and freshness for a wide rangeof crops including: apple, pear, avocado, banana, melon, tomato, broccoli, mango*, peach, nectarine, plum, persimmon, kiwifruit, lime* and watermelon.

SmartFresh SmartTabs is registered by the US EPA; Registration No. 71297-3. Always read and follow label directions. For SmartFresh technology crop registration status in a particular country, contact your local AgroFresh representative. 

AgroFresh is an innovator and provider of science-based solutions, data-driven technologies and experience-backed services to enhance the quality and extend the shelf life of fresh produce.

For more than 20 years, AgroFresh has been revolutionizing the apple industry and has launched new innovative solutions in a variety of fresh produce categories from bananas to cherries and citrus to pears. AgroFresh supports growers, packers and retailers by providing near- and post-harvest solutions across the industry to enhance crop values while conserving our planet’s resources and reducing global food waste.

Visit agrofresh.com to learn more.