Melon 1, Syngenta working on fresh-cut watermelon

Brooklyn, N.Y.-based Melon 1 Inc. is working with seed company Syngenta to grow and distribute firm-flesh varieties of seedless watermelon, including Crisp Delight and Crisp Desire.

Syngenta has developed the firm-flesh varieties specifically for the fresh-cut market.

Melon 1 already has established relationships with large national U.S. processors, and Crisp Delight watermelons are currently being shipped across the eastern U.S.

To keep up with the initial supply demands, Melon 1 has Crisp Delight and Crisp Desire planted in its farms along the East Coast, from Florida to Delaware, as far west as Kentucky, and as far south as Central America.

“We’ve had great success already with growing these firm-flesh varieties in the U.S. and in Central America,” Rich Chastain, partner at Melon 1 said in a news release. “However, we know the potential that this fruit has for the fresh-cut market, so we have plans to continue to expand our presence in that market, and the presence of Crisp Delight and Crisp Desire.”

By the end of 2017, Melon 1 will have increased plantings and harvests of the varieties for three years in a row.

Melon 1 and Syngenta now are trialing new firm-flesh varieties that are not yet available commercially, including a yellow-flesh variety. Melon 1 has been sampling the new products over the last year at the Produce Marketing Association and Southeastern Produce Council trade shows.